01/10/2016

October 2: Notes on a death | The Indian Express

www.bloombergquint.com

Hot Celebrities

PointAfter | By Graphiq

LiveInStyle by USL Diageo

Indian Stock Market News

For You

The Secret of Kajol's

Younger and more
Charming Look

25 Worst NBA Players of

2015-16

Best Places To Hangout In

Mumbai - Palladium

Home

Opinion Columns

Recommendedby

October 2: Notes on adeath

October 2: Notes on adeath

Nathuram Godse was a product of the political climate created by the
Hindu right in the run-up to Partition

76

Facebook

Twitter

Google+

Email

SHARES
Written by Christophe Jaffrelot | Published:October 1, 2016 12:30 am

http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/october-2-notes-on-a-death-gandhi-jayanti-mahatma-gandhi-assassination-nathuram-godse-3058813/

1/12

01/10/2016

October 2: Notes on a death | The Indian Express

At Kingsway Camp, people shouted Gandhi murdabad when he started to read from the Quran.

Gandhi Jayanti, this year, has an immediate political context: Rahul Gandhis
remark blaming the RSS for involvement in the Mahatmas murder. Rahul Gandhi
faces trial in the Supreme Court for his remark made in 2014. The judges have a
delicate task before them, because, in this case, what matters is not just who held
the pistol, but also the context of the crime.
Nathuram Godses family claims that he remained an RSS worker till the end. His
Gopal declared in 1994, You can say we grew up in the RSS Nathuram
brother

had become a baudhik karyavahak [intellectual worker] in the RSS. He said that he
(Nathuram) left the RSS because [Madhav Sadashiv] Golwalkar and the RSS were
in a lot of trouble after Gandhis murder. But he did not leave the RSS. However,
there is no written evidence of this affiliation and the judiciary will not be in a
position to register the testimonies of more than a handful of survivors.
People like Godse are not just products of organisations, but also of the atmosphere
created by the hate speeches by members of these organisations. Hate speeches
against Gandhi were all pervasive in 1947-48. Supporters of V.D. Savarkar, the
father of the Hindutva ideology whose portrait was installed in Parliament in 2003,
were particularly virulent about Gandhi.
On August 25, 1947, G.V. Ketkar, a Savarkarite based in Pune, the first stronghold of
the Hindutva forces, declared, Gandhism-cum-false nationalism was enemy
number one. For the Savarkarites, Gandhis nationalism was false not only
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/october-2-notes-on-a-death-gandhi-jayanti-mahatma-gandhi-assassination-nathuram-godse-3058813/

2/12

01/10/2016

October 2: Notes on a death | The Indian Express

because he promoted a multicultural definition of the nation, but also because he

was too generous with the Muslims and therefore partly responsible for Partition.
In November 1947, Gandhi declared before the AICC, It is the basic creed of the
Congress that India is the home of Muslims no less than that of Hindus. Some say
that if we perpetrate worse atrocities on Muslims here than those perpetrated on
Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan, it will teach the Muslims in Pakistan a lesson. They
will indeed be taught a lesson, but what will happen to you in the meanwhile? The
wicked sink under the weight of their own evil. I repeat that it is your prime duty to
treat Muslims as your brothers, no matter what happens in Pakistan.
Hindutva forces also accused Jawaharlal Nehrus government of not defending the
Hindus of Pakistan and not helping the refugees from West Punjab. On December 7,
1947, a gathering of 50,000 at Delhis Ramlila Maidan was addressed by the
Maharaja of Alwar, G.C. Narang, a Hindu Mahasabha (HM) leader from Punjab,
Jugal Kishore Birla, another Mahasabha leader and the RSS sarsanghchalak, M.S.
Golwalkar. They denounced the governments satanic attitude. Refugees from
West Punjab were attracted by this campaign in 1947, they were half a million
such refugees in Delhi (according to the 1941 census, the citys population was
918,000). They had benefitted from the social work of the RSS and HM.
Advertisement:ReplayAd

At Kingsway Camp, people shouted Gandhi murdabad when he started to read

the Quran. Refugees raised the same slogan in front of Birla House, after the
from

Mahatma started a fast to force the Indian government to give Pakistan what he
thought was its due after Partition. At another demonstration led by HM leaders
including the then mahant of Gorakhpur, Digvijay Nath people shouted, Down
with Gandhism.
It is in this context that Godse and his compatriots decided to kill Gandhi. Godse
was to explain, during his trial, that Gandhism would have meant not only Muslim
rule over the entire country but the extinction of Hinduism itself. This idea was
not his brainchild, but fuelled by well-developed propaganda. During his trial,
Godse declared that in putting an end to Gandhis life, I have removed one who
was a curse to India who had, during 30 years of an egoistic pursuit of harebrained policy, brought nothing but misery and unhappiness.
By mentioning such a long span of time, Godse reminds us that the hostility to
Gandhi in some Hindu nationalist quarters was not new. It had taken a violent turn
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/october-2-notes-on-a-death-gandhi-jayanti-mahatma-gandhi-assassination-nathuram-godse-3058813/

3/12

01/10/2016

October 2: Notes on a death | The Indian Express

in 1934, when Gandhi had been attacked in Pune during his tour for the
emancipation of Dalits (whom he called Harijans). But this hostility harked back to
1920, when Bal Gangadhar Tilak rejected the Gandhian notion of ahimsa in politics.
Godse was well aware of this genealogy. During his trial, he said, I had never made
a secret about the fact that I supported the ideology of the school which was
opposed to that of Gandhiji The teaching of absolute ahimsa would ultimately
result in the emasculation of the Hindu community and thus make the community
incapable of resisting the aggression of other communities, especially the
Muslims.
If the judiciary has to arbitrate between the two schools of thought, the trial of
Rahul Gandhi will acquire a different dimension. Justice G.D. Khosla, who was on
the bench of the East Punjab High Court which started the final hearing of the
accuseds appeal, wrote in The Murder of the Mahatma, had the audience of that
day been constituted into a jury and entrusted with the task of deciding Godses
appeal, they would have brought in a verdict of not guilty by an overwhelming
majority. The debate on the Gandhi murder is a delicate matter. This is probably
why the Report of the Commission of Inquiry into Conspiracy to Murder Mahatma
Gandhi the source of most of the quotes above is so difficult to find.

The writer is senior research fellow at CERI-Sciences Po/CNRS, Paris, professor of Indian
Politics and Sociology at Kings India Institute, London

FROM AROUND THE WEB

Salary Credited! Take the wise

step now
ABM MyUniverse

Four Stocks To Prot From

The Coming Stock Market
Wave

The 35 Most Popular Dog

Breeds: How Many Can You
Name?

equitymaster.com

PetBreeds | By Graphiq

http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/october-2-notes-on-a-death-gandhi-jayanti-mahatma-gandhi-assassination-nathuram-godse-3058813/

4/12

01/10/2016

October 2: Notes on a death | The Indian Express

Top 25 Highest Paid TV News

Anchors - You Won't Believe
#1

This Millionaire Shocks

Everyone And Builds A
Massive Arc

Celebrites Most Unbelievably

Expensive Plastic Surgeries

nextinvesting

nextinvesting

The US Presidents Ranked

from Richest to Poorest

These Countries Are Unsafe

for Travelers

The Most Bankable Actors in

Hollywood

InsideGov | By Graphiq

Global Disease and Injury Impact |

HealthGrove

PrettyFamous | By Graphiq

nextinvesting

Recommendedby

Givearating:

Average:5starsfrom5ratings
Latest

17comments

ME

Whatisyouropinion?

Name

Email

Post

IAgreeToT&C

Prabha

excellent and little known details from the Commissions hearing at the time of
Mahatma Gandhis death. Curious that the author's reference to a possible jury
verdict of Not Guilty at the time come at this time when facile, half baked, mostly
ignorantandrabidenthusiastsofhypernationalism,jingoismandOTT"nationalism"
thatisfoundedsolelyonhatred,violencerunriot.This,underthebatonoftheBJP
and its patron saint, the RSS. In the event, given the context of the situation then
and the context now, no doubt a jury verdict now too would clear Godse of any
crime. Wow! the mind boggles at that, not because Gandhi is the Father of the
Nation,butbecauseitsrevisionisthistoryasaworkinprogressoverthedecades.
Its power is such that it can expunge thousands from existence overnight. That
many saw Godse in action shooting Gandhi and yet, a jury would possibly give a
NotGuiltyverdictis,inthatcontext,quitechilling.Andthen,justlikethat,suddenly
one morning, my children and grand children would learn Indian Independence
history which chortles with saffron joy "No one killed Mohandas Karamchand

http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/october-2-notes-on-a-death-gandhi-jayanti-mahatma-gandhi-assassination-nathuram-godse-3058813/

5/12

01/10/2016

October 2: Notes on a death | The Indian Express

history which chortles with saffron
joy "No one killed Mohandas Karamchand
Gandhi."

5minutesago

(0)

(0) reply(0)

RakeshChaubey

RC

Hopemycommentgetspastthemoderator....

425

aboutanhourago

(0)

(0) reply(0)

Sk

Don't know this guy's credentials, but writing about the death of Gandhi on his
birthday is very strange. Let me explain to this guy, being a christian, in his own
language.Youdon'tcelebrateEasterduringChristmas.Secondpointjustbecause
Godse was a RSS member when he killed Gandhi does not implicate RSS in the
murderofGandhi.Letmeexplaintothispeabrainedguy,whoseemstohavethe
sameintellectasRahul.JustbecauseamemberofthesecurityforceskilledIndira
doesnotmean,thattheSecurityforcesofIndiamurderedIndiraGandhi.Hopeyou
gotthepoint.

2475

aboutanhourago

(2)

(2) reply(0)

DavidrajeshUpVoted
prabhaAbhaDownVoted
Sanjay

Postindependenceerawastoocomplextobejudgedfromanysingleangle.Author
has completely bypassed the partition and two million deaths that happened
becauseofpartition,andmanymorewhowereforcedoutoftheland.

1165

about2hoursago

(2)

(1) reply(0)

DavidbsUpVoted
prabhaDownVoted

Sambath

InIndia,onthenameofminorities
,peopletakeundueadvantagescribblingsomethinglikethis.
IchallengethisfilthywriterifhehasdoneenoughresearchonNathuram,Gandhi
orNehru.
Both wanted to be godfather of India. Gandhi surely did lots of sacrifices unlike
Nehru,butbothneverletanyoneelsegobeyondthem.Indiaispayingheavilyfor
theirmistakes.

620

about2hoursago

(1)

(0) reply(1)

DavidUpVoted

M
890

Mukund

Ifullyagreewithyou.Infactthewriterscommentisunfoundedandtheveryfact
that others are surviving is because of Hindu patience otherwise retaliation
would hve happened. The write should learn to accept the prevailing ituation
rtherthenshongrightwindhindus.
aboutanhourago

(0)

(0) reply(0)
Loadmore

TalkoftheTown

http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/october-2-notes-on-a-death-gandhi-jayanti-mahatma-gandhi-assassination-nathuram-godse-3058813/

6/12

01/10/2016

October 2: Notes on a death | The Indian Express

TalkoftheTown
328

SalmanKhanbacksPakistani
actors,saystheyareartistsnot
terrorists

176

Allattemptsbeingmadetofree
soldierinPakistancaptivity:
RajnathSingh

142

MSDhoniTheUntoldStorymovie
review:Filmgetsstumpedwhen
MSDisgettingstarted

134

DontthinkeveryoneinPakistanis
likeNawazSharif:ImranKhanto
NarendraModi

122

Pakistannewspapersindenial
mode,hereshowtheyreported
Indiassurgicalstrikes

112

SupremeCourtordersreleaseof
CauverywatertoTamilNadu,
Karnatakaagainrefusestocomply

#Discover

BEST OF EXPRESS
India

Day after strikes: BSF

told to use 'full force'
against cease re
violations
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/october-2-notes-on-a-death-gandhi-jayanti-mahatma-gandhi-assassination-nathuram-godse-3058813/

7/12

01/10/2016

October 2: Notes on a death | The Indian Express

India

Army Chief General

Dalbir Singh to visit
Kashmir today to review
security situation
World

Nuclear-capable states
have clear responsibility
of practicing restraint:
US tells Pakistan
India

J&K: Pakistani troops

resort to mortar
shelling along LoC, no
casualties
India

Inside the strike:

Choppers on standby,
70-80 soldiers

Entertainment

MS Dhoni The Untold

Story movie review:
Film gets stumped
when MSD is getting
started
Entertainment

Can you spot Deepika

Padukone in this
throwback school
photo?
Entertainment

Salman Khan backs

Pakistani actors, says
they are artists not
terrorists
Entertainment

MS Dhoni The Untold

Story box of ce
collection day 1:
Sushant Singh Rajputstarrer sees massive opening

http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/october-2-notes-on-a-death-gandhi-jayanti-mahatma-gandhi-assassination-nathuram-godse-3058813/

8/12

01/10/2016

October 2: Notes on a death | The Indian Express

MUST READ
Sports

Live, India vs New

Zealand, 2nd Test, Day
2 in Kolkata

Sports

From Christchurch to
Kolkata: Henry penned
his own script

Sports

Dont put India, Pakistan

in same group: BCCI to
ICC

Technology

Mark Zuckerberg shares rare images of data

center in Sweden
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/october-2-notes-on-a-death-gandhi-jayanti-mahatma-gandhi-assassination-nathuram-godse-3058813/

9/12

01/10/2016

October 2: Notes on a death | The Indian Express

Technology

Xiaomi India offers

festive season
discounts on
smartphones,
accessories
Technology

Dell offering up to Rs
18,773 off in Diwali
discounts on
notebooks, desktops
Lifestyle

Subho Mahalaya: 15
WhatsApp, SMS,
Facebook greetings to
wish your loved ones on
Mahalaya 2016
OCT 01: LATEST NEWS
Dengue, chikungunya
menace: Health
department acts tough
on negligentworkers
09:54am,Oct01,2016

Lucknow: Dengue
claims seven more
lives, toll reaches148
09:51am,Oct01,2016

Chinese paper says US,

South Korea will pay
the price for planned
missilesystem
09:49am,Oct01,2016

I pay dearly for

choosing roles that
interest me, says
Permanent Roommates
actor SumeetVyas
09:50am,Oct01,2016

High rates a turn-off,

experts sceptical of
success of GMADA
sitesale
09:45am,Oct01,2016
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/october-2-notes-on-a-death-gandhi-jayanti-mahatma-gandhi-assassination-nathuram-godse-3058813/

10/12

01/10/2016

October 2: Notes on a death | The Indian Express

Will the rift in the SP family impact

the partys prospects for the UP
Assembly polls in 2017?

Yes
No
Can't say

View Results
Polldaddy.com

India buzz
India

Karnataka Declares Drought

In Parts Of 22 Districts,
Including Kodagu

23 h

NDTV

http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/october-2-notes-on-a-death-gandhi-jayanti-mahatma-gandhi-assassination-nathuram-godse-3058813/

11/12

01/10/2016

October 2: Notes on a death | The Indian Express

TheExpressGroup
PrivacyPolicy

TheIndianExpress

AdvertisewithUs

TheFinancialExpress

ContactUs

Loksatta

Jansatta

RamnathGoenkaAwards

Subscribe

Copyright 2016 The Indian Express [P] Ltd. All Rights Reserved

http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/october-2-notes-on-a-death-gandhi-jayanti-mahatma-gandhi-assassination-nathuram-godse-3058813/

12/12