WHY I ASSASSINATED MAHATMA GANDHI? BY NATHURAM GODSE

Why I assassinated Mahatma Gandhi? Is a book where Godse’s action to assassinate Mahatma Gandhi has been summarized and his motive behind it. This book takes us through some political events to the day of assassination.

On 30th January 1948, Nathuram Godse fired three bullets at Mahatma Gandhi. He surrendered himself and the news spread like a wildfire. The nation mourned the death of Mahatma Gandhi. Nathuram Godse made a statement in court explaining his motive behind it. Nathuram Godse was born in a Brahmin family and he was intensely proud of Hinduism. He joined RSS for anti-caste movements and he was also a member of Hindu Mahasabha. He often expressed his political views in the newspaper. He firmly opposed Gandhi's idea of ‘Ahimsa’. According to him, honour, duty and love of one’s own kith and kin and country might often compel us to disregard non-violence and to use force. He did believe that Mahatma Gandhi had good intentions for our nation and Hindu-Muslim unity. But his actions might be devastating for the nation.

Some of the reasons mentioned in the book are:

1) After the partition of India, there was a war in Kashmir as both India and Pakistan claimed the entirety of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan attacked Kashmir in October 1947. The Government of India planned to withhold the payment of fifty-five crores to Pakistan until the Kashmir problem was resolved. Mahatma Gandhi opposed this decision of the government of India and he began a hunger strike in order to express his opposition. On 17th January, the government agreed to pay cash to Pakistan as a result of the strike. But the Kashmir problem didn’t stop.

2) Britishers started the divide and rule policy which sowed the seeds of hatred among Hindus and Muslim. Hence, Gandhiji worked for Hindu-Muslim unity. He commenced making convivial approach towards Muslim and he tried to build trust among them. In 1940, Jinnah emerged with the injunctive authorization for Pakistan. He completely ignored the fact that there were Hindus and Muslims in every part of India and any division of India would leave the minority question wholly unsolved.

3) In 1942, Mahatma Gandhi launched the Quit India movement which was followed by violence all over the country and thousands of leaders were arrested. Mr. Jinnah openly opposed the 'Quit India' movement as hostile to the Muslims and raised a counter slogan 'Divide and Quit'. That is where Gandhiji's Hindu-Muslim unity had arrived.

He has mentioned many such political events in the book. He has said that Gandhi did undergo sufferings for the sake of the nation. He did bring about an awakening in the minds of the people. He also did nothing for personal gain; but it pains me to say that he was not honest enough to acknowledge the defeat and failure of the principle of non-violence on all sides. But whatever that may be, I shall bow in respect of the service done by Gandhiji to the country, and to Gandhiji himself for the said service; and before I fired the shots, I actually wished him and bowed to him in reverence. At the end, the trials came to an end and Nathuram Godse and Narayan Apte were sentenced to death. Three others who were also involved in this planned were arrested for life time. While Nathuram Godse and Narayan Apte went to the scaffold, Nathuram Godse said "Akhand Bharat" and Narayan Apte completed it by saying "Amar Rahe".