January 30, 1948 –“Bapuji Is No More!”– The Assassination Of Gandhi.

Four bullets from a thickly set man dressed in Khaki.

Download For $1.99: - News for January 30, 1948- NBC Radio - Gordon Skene Sound Collection

Further evidence that some events which take place in history are not necessarily considered devastating at the time they occurred. This one, for example – the assassination of India’s spiritual leader Mohandas Gandhi on this day, January 30, 1948, was considered in U.S. media as just another event in a post-War world going through upheaval, during a day when a lot of other news was going on which was deemed more important after the initial bulletin.

News of the assassination of Gandhi also took a while to spread. Media just wasn’t as instant as it is now. And the sketchy reports that came in, even by eye-witnesses, were later contradicted as the story unfolded. One report, broadcast on the later News Of The World; Night Special, via a BBC correspondent, said four bullets were fired and the person wrestling the assailant to the ground was an American who had come for evening meditation. A later report said three bullets were fired and the assailant was wrestled to the ground by the Indian Air-Force Sergeant. Little details, certainly. But enough to cause a conspiracy theorists field day.

But the sad fact was, India’s leader was dead. Later, Jawahrlal Nehru would deliver a statement saying, in effect, that India’s light had gone out, and the future was uncertain.

But other news, that took precedence this day had a lot to do with the Winter Olympics, the goings-on in Capitol Hill and the Japanese premier of Gilbert and Sullivan‘s Operetta/spoof on Japanese Royalty, to a luke-warm reception.

All pretty inconsequential, in comparison to the bigger picture. But that was the news of the day as presented on The News Of The World and News Of The World Night Special over NBC Radio on January 30, 1948.