“Gandhi Bapu” The name that not only Indians know, But peoples from many other country also know this name as a “Gandhi”. Due to his non-violent movement, he got very famous and said to be leader of independent India. Many roads and buildings have been named after him in India and abroad as well. Born on October 5th, he made India an independent country. He carried out many small and big movements in the interest of the country which abolished the black-white distinction, broke the salt laws, agitated for farmers like in Champaran. He has been rewarded as “Our father” who has been agitating for many such national interests. He always said that any war should be waged with non-violence. On January 30th, 1948, He was shot dead by his followers cum close colleague. This event of assassination by own team member create many question in our mind, why did such a non-violent person get killed by his own comrade? Isn’t it socking?? This question can only be answered by knowing exact reason behind this assassination. And in this article we will find answer to that question.
Gandhiji in Independent movement
We all know that Gandhiji had started the Quit India movement from 1942. As a result of the hard work of this long standing country and many leaders, the country became independent on 15th August 19th. India and Pakistan split. India became an independent country in which our non-violent Karamchand Gandhi played a major role.
Gandhiji after independence: –
After independence, as country has been split, many Hindus were coming to India from Pakistan. There was frustration on their faces and tears in their eyes!!! Mankind seemed to be dying. Hindu women were being raped!! Hindus were being tortured unbearably in Pakistan Muslims’ houses, farms, Money; Diamonds-jewels were all confiscated by Muslims. There was someone hanging out on the top of the train. On the train was written “Gift of freedom”. Where was Gandhi’s non-violent policy? There were piles of corpses in the train. Many bodies were dumped in a vacant lot. The sad thing was that every woman who came from there was raped!!! As many as 500,000 Hindus returned from Pakistan.
Such returning Hindus were taking refuge in the empty mosques of Delhi. But Gandhiji said that India should return these traitors (Hindus) to Pakistan and should empty the so isn’t this counted as violence? It can be said from above that Gandhiji was a staunch Muslim. And in addition to this, He went on a hunger strike to give Rs.55 crore fund to Pakistan for helping them. Can anyone expect such “patriotism” from our leader? This event should make everyone questioned about Gandhi’s nationality.
Assassination of Gandhiji
It was a day of 30th January, 1948. A person named “Nathuram Godse” fire three bullets in Gandhiji’s body near Birla Bhavan and Gandhiji fall on the ground, declared dead after. This assassination writes a mysterious page in the book of Indian History. There was an outcry in the country. But definitely, the souls of the innocent people who have died because of direct or in-direct wrong decision taken by Gandhi, may have found certain peace!!
Who was Nathuram Godse? : –
Nathuram Godse was born in a Brahmin family. He was a big follower of Bapu in early stages also he counted to be very close to Bapu.
He considered Bapu as a source of inspiration. But, being an extreme staunch to Hinduism and being a member of RSS and Hindu Mahasabha, He was deeply saddened by the injustice done to Hindus who are returning to India after partition. He always wanted freedom but seeing the injustice being done to Hindus, his blood was boiling. But still Gandhi Bapu could not see the injustice being done to the Hindus. All this factors led Nathuram to the event of assassination of Gandhiji.
Reasons behind Assassination
Nathuram Godse gave innumerable reasons behind Gandhi’s assassination before the court hearings
Godse gave about 150 reasons to justify the assassination Among which, the following are the main reasons. After reading below reason, One can judge the assassination and its worth.
- Gandhi Bapu said that if the Government of India did not provide assistance of Rs 55 crore to the Government of Pakistan, it would go on a fast until death. Although Govt. Of India refused to pay the assistance to Pakistan because of Pakistan’s illegal occupancy in Indian Kashmir. This situation led Godse make up his mind to go for assassination in fear of Gandhiji’s tendency towards Pakistan.
- Gandhiji always told the Hindus that they should be generous towards the Muslims who are in the minority.
- Due to the Jallianwala Baugh incident in Amritsar in 1919, people of country wanted to take legal action against General Dyer, the villain of this massacre. However, Gandhi ignored this request of the Indians and he refused to support them in taking legal action.
- Mohammad Ali Jinnah had requested Gandhi to completely replace the Hindu-Muslim population at the time of partition but Gandhiji categorically denied this.
- When the displaced Hindus of Pakistan took refuge in the empty mosques of Delhi, Gandhi forced the helpless Hindus, the elderly, women and children to spend the night in the cold winter, expelling them from the mosques.
- Gandhi on many occasions called Chhatrapati Shivaji, Maharana Pratap and Guru Gobind Singhji pathetic patriots.
- The cabinet, headed by Jawaharlal, passed a proposal for the reconstruction of the Somnath temple at government expense, but Gandhi was not a member of the cabinet. So on 13th January, 1948, He rejected the proposal of the government for spending money on the Somnath temple by fasting till death. Although he pressured the government to rebuild Delhi’s mosques at government expense later.
- In a speech to socialist activists in May 1946, Gandhi encouraged them to make sacrifices in the face of Muslim League violence.
- In the Tripura session of the Congress, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was elected Congress president by a majority, but Gandhi was backing Pattabhi Sitaramaiah, So Subhash Babu had to resign due to persistent opposition and non-cooperation. Same way Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was elected in Congress election but after Gandhiji’s tenacious, He was been replaced by wants to Jawaharlal Nehru. Read more about Nehru’s Major Blunder
- It was Gandhi who gave the title of Quaid-e-Azam to Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
- Gandhi, on the one hand, advised Hari Singh, the Hindu king of Kashmir, to relinquish power because of the Muslim majority in Kashmir, and on the other hand, he supported the Nizam’s rule in the Hindu-majority city of Hyderabad.
- The whole country was shocked at the decision to execute Bhagat Singh and his associates and people were asking Gandhiji to save Bhagat Singh from this sentence, but Gandhi did not pay attention to Bhagat Singh.
For many such reasons, Nathuram Godse, Gandhiji’s inspiration, shot and killed him.
Godse was sentenced to death by law on 15 November 1949 with co-accused Nana Apte for killing Gandhiji in Ambala Jail, Punjab.
Before the death sentence, Nathuram Godse made it clear that “If devotion to our country is a sin, then I have sinned and if I do, I express my humble right to the position I have acquired”. Thus on that day Inda has lost a true patriot.
Why Nathuram Godse’s ashes have been kept even after 71 years?
Nathuram Godse’s family was not even given his body, but after his execution, the government itself conducted his funeral on the banks of the Dhaggar River, after which his ashes were packed in boxes and handed over to his family. Godse had expressed his last wishes to his family that his ashes would be preserved till the Indus River becomes part of independent India and India would be bound once again. When this happens, my ashes should be taken to the Indus River and dumped. So even today, the ashes of Nathuram Godse are not immersed even after 71 years.
These are some facts about Gandhi’s Assassination, considering all above points, Please do share your opinion though comment below about whether Godse’s act was right or wrong??
