Gandhi’s formal departure from the Congress allowed him to distance himself from the day-to-day political maneuvering and focus on social issues like untouchability and rural self-reliance. At the time of independence, he was famously absent from the festivities in New Delhi, choosing instead to be in Noakhali and Kolkata to quell communal riots. He viewed the Congress as a platform that had fulfilled its mission of liberation and even suggested it should be disbanded and turned into a social service organization (Lok Sevak Sangh) to serve the people.