PARTITION: Tape 32 Writer 255MODEM Mod Date & Time 255MODEM Oct 25 14:11 TAPE 32 Sailen CHATTERJEE Veteran Bengali journalist who accompanied Gandhi regularly in mid-1940s, and was present at his assassination; United Press of India correspondent deputed to cover Gandhi from 1945 to his death; travelled with Gandhi to Noakhali, Bihar and elsewhere - and read to him and translated for him; eye-witness to Gandhi's assassination in Delhi on 30 Jan 48 interviewed in Delhi, 25 Jan 1997 Side A 15 - travelled with Gandhi from 45 'as a journalist, but I became almost a member of his party; I used to trave; with him in his 3rd class compartment, I used to read newspapers to him almost every night, then I used to walk with hin during his peace mission, pilgrimage in Noakhali ... and I used to talk to him on many matters' 29 - 'he was a v simple man ... I wd say he was a man of the masses ... he dressed like them ... even in the coldest weather, he didn't wear socks' 38 - 'when I think of N'li, how he suffered, he gave up his chappals there and walked barefoot' 65 - [re partn] 'he was v sad, on the eve of partition he sd he didn't want Indian to be divided, and when the dec'n for partn was taken ... he was in the midst of his peace mission in N'li [???]' 80 > story re Jinnah-Gandhi talks 108 - in Oct 46, reports came to come in about trouble in N'li; 'so he says, I can't sit idle here, in his prayer mtg he says I started one do or die mission .... with Quit India ... now I give anmother do or die call to end communalism' [[useable clip]]127 - eventually proceeded from Delhi, via Calcutta, to Noakhali; had talks in Calcutta - then on to Noakhali by train and steamer 138 - [in Noakhali] 'the sitn was terrible; I remember first day when he reached a place called Chowmahani [? sp]'; fire on first night there; 'some of them sd it must have been planned cos gandhi was coming here ... there was hostility, some were hostile to G coming' 180 > Gandhi's operation in Noakhali, and spreading his disciples 210 - came to Srirampur; 'the hut that he chose had no windows, no doors; and he spread his bed on the floor and began to stay there ... [after Nirmal Bose] I had to work as an interpreter'; tho gandhi began learning Bengali 225 - in villages, started at local school; 'then slowly his influence was coming, people used to invite him into their house; even women who were in purdah, they also wanted to meet him' 231 - 'first, some sort of hostility; they kept Mum; they did not attend his oprayer mtg, they were not coming; but