Mahatma Gandhi
Indian school children pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi, on Martyr’s Day to mark the 70th anniversary of Gandhi’s assassination, in Chennai on January 30, 2018. Gandhi was on the way to a prayer meeting in the Indian capital when he was shot three times in the chest and head on January 30, 1948. / AFP PHOTO / ARUN SANKAR (Photo credit should read ARUN SANKAR/AFP/Getty Images)
Gandhi was one of the most influential thinkers of the modern era, and his philosophical tendency toward non-violence inspired millions toward a path of enlightenment and understanding. How tragically ironic, then, that this message of peace was met with brutal violence. Gandhi was fatally shot on January 30th, 1948 by Nathuram Godse. Godse was a Hindu nationalist, and his actions cause a massive spread of divisive hatred between cultures in India.
The government was widely criticized for not doing enough to protect the controversial public figure, though it was a well-known fact that he was not very cooperative when he was asked to take extra precautions by security personnel.