Viceroy Of British India Lord Irwin, 1930 Photo
An old 1930 news photo of the Viceroy of British India Lord Irwin. An attempt was made to assassinate the Viceroy Lord Irwin in 1929. While he was on his way to New Delhi to occupy the new Viceroy’s House (now the Rashtrapati Bhavan). A bomb was thrown through a window of the dining car of Irwin’s train within 2 km of reaching New Delhi. Crowds at the railway station heard the explosion but thought it was a fog signal.
The dining car was wrecked no one was in it at the time but a servant was injured. The Viceroy had a narrow escape since his compartment was only three coaches away from the dining car. Here he is shown just before alighting from the viceregal train at New Delhi Railway Station. On his way to the viceroy’s house where he would be the first to occupy it after its completion.
See my post- Rashtrapati Bhavan & Parliament New Delhi – Old Photo 1933.
At the time there was a political meeting of the Indian National Congress being held at Lahore in then undivided India, the bombing caused outrage among the Indian nationalists at the time. Mahatma Gandhi condemned the bombing of the Viceroy. Here the viceroy is shown being welcomed by a Maharaja at the station just after the assassination attempt.
Read also- Delhi Conspiracy Commission
Did you know- the Gandhi-Irwin pact would be formulated by 1931 before the second round table conference in London.
From the collection- Vintage Raja Ravi Varma “Shivaji” Oleograph Print., A British Soldier’s Farewell In Bombay – Old Postcard 1908., Brahmin Family In India – Old Print 1861
