On
this date, November 15, 1949, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, Nathuram Godse,
was executed by hanging. I will post information about the assassin from
Wikipedia.
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Nathuram Godse at his trial for the murder of
Mahatma Gandhi
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Born
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19 May 1910
Baramati, Pune District, Bombay Presidency, British India (now in Maharashtra, India) |
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Died
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15 November 1949 (aged 39)
Ambala Prison, Punjab Province, Dominion of India (now in Haryana, India) |
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Cause of death
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Execution by hanging
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Nationality
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Indian
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Known for
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Assassination of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
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Nathuram
Vinayak Godse (19 May 1910 – 15 November 1949) was the sole assassin of Mahatma
Gandhi—the pre-eminent leader of Indian nationalism in British-ruled
India and apostle of non-violence—shooting Gandhi in the chest three times at
point blank range on 30 January 1948 in New Delhi. Godse from Pune, Maharashtra,
had been a member of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Hindu Mahasabha. He left
RSS in the early 1940s to form a militant organization, Hindu Rashtra Dal. He
resented what he considered was Gandhi's partiality to India's Muslims, plotted
the assassination with Narayan Apte and six others. After a trial that lasted
over a year, Godse was sentenced to death on 8 November 1949. Although pleas
for commutation were made by India's prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and by two
of Gandhi's sons on the grounds that a death sentence would dishonour the
legacy of a man opposed to all forms of violence, Godse was hanged a week
later. This was the first execution in Independent India.
Early
life
Nathuram
Vinayakrao Godse was born at the nativity mission center, Pune District. His
father, Vinayak Vamanrao Godse, was a post office employee and his mother was
Lakshmi (née Godavari). At birth, he was named Ramachandra. Nathuram was given
his name because of an unfortunate incident. Before he was born, his parents
had three sons and a daughter, with all three boys dying in their infancy.
Fearing a curse that targeted male children, young Ramachandra was brought up
as a girl for the first few years of his life, including having his nose
pierced and being made to wear a nose-ring (nath in Marathi). It was
then that he earned the nickname "Nathuram" (literally "Ram with
a nose-ring"). After his younger brother was born, they switched to
treating him as a boy.
Godse
attended the local school at Baramati through the fifth standard, after which
he was sent to live with an aunt in Pune so that he could study at an
English-language school. During his school days, he highly respected Gandhi. In
1930, Nathuram's father was transferred to the town of Ratnagiri, Maharashtra.
Political
career
Godse
dropped out of high school and became an activist with Hindu nationalist
organizations such as the Hindu Mahasabha, and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
(RSS), although it is unclear how long this relationship endured. They were
particularly opposed to the separatist politics of the All India Muslim League.
Godse started a Marathi newspaper for the Hindu Mahasabha called Agrani,
which some years later was renamed Hindu Rashtra.
The
Hindu Mahasabha had initially backed Gandhi's campaigns of civil disobedience
against the British government.
Godse
later rejected Gandhi's philosophy, believing Gandhi repeatedly sabotaged the
interests of Hindus by using the "fasting unto death" tactic on many
issues. In Godse's view, Gandhi was giving in to Muslim interests in ways that
seemed unfair and anti-national. He wasn't happy with Mahatma Gandhi's
insistance of a united India. Godse believed parting ways with Pakistan would
help maintain a clear majority for the Hindu population and would ensure Hindu
rule. Such extremist views were common among right wing associations. This is a
common understaing among a section of the general public behind his decision to
kill Gandhi.
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A group photo of people accused in Gandhi's
murder case. Standing: Shankar Kistaiya, Gopal Godse, Madanlal Pahwa, Digambar Badge
(Approver). Sitting: Narayan Apte, Vinayak D. Savarkar,
Nathuram Godse, Vishnu Karkare
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Assassination
of Mahatma Gandhi
Main article: Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi
Godse
approached Gandhi on January 30, 1948 during the evening prayer at 5:17PM. When
Godse bowed, one of the girls flanking and supporting Gandhi, said to Godse,
"Brother, Bapu is already late" and tried to put him off, but he
pushed her aside and shot Gandhi in the chest three times at point-blank
range with a Beretta M 1934 semi-automatic pistol. Gandhi was
taken to Birla
House, where he later died.
Trial
and execution
Following
the assassination of Gandhi, Godse was put on trial at Peterhoff, Shimla which
housed the Punjab High Court. On November 8, 1949, he was sentenced to death.
Among those calling for commutation of the death sentence for the defendants
were Jawaharlal Nehru, as well as two of Gandhi's sons,
who felt that executing their father's killer would dishonour his memory and
legacy which included a staunch opposition to the death penalty. Godse was
hanged at Ambala Jail on November 15, 1949, along with Narayan
Apte, a co-conspirator. Savarkar was also charged with conspiracy
in the assassination of Gandhi, but was acquitted and subsequently released.
Aftermath
Millions
of Indians mourned Gandhi's assassination; the Hindu Mahasabha was vilified and
the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was temporarily banned. However, investigators
could find no evidence that the RSS bureaucracy had formally sponsored or even
knew of Godse's plot. The RSS ban was lifted in 1949. The RSS, to this day,
denies any connection with Godse, and disputes the claim that he was a member.
However, Godse's brother, Gopal, claims that all Godse brothers were members of
the RSS at the time of the assassination.
In
art
The
actor Horst Buchholz portrayed Nathuram Godse in the 1963 film Nine Hours to
Rama.
In
the 1982 film Gandhi, the actor Harsh Nayyar portrayed Godse.
The
Marathi language play Me Nathuram Godse Boltoy (Marathi: मी नथुराम गोडसे बोलतोय)
("This is Nathuram Godse Speaking"), first staged in 1997, was
also produced, but only from Godse's point of view.
The
film Hey Ram, made in 2000, also briefly touches upon events related to
the assassination.
Several
books based on Nathuram Godse's life were banned by the Indian government:
- Gandhi Vadh aur Main (Gandhi Hatya Aani Me), by Gopal Godse (1967)
- May it Please your Honor!, published by Surya Bharti, India, (2003) - the play based upon the book was banned
- Why I assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, published by Surya Bharti (1993)
- Nine Hours to Rama, Stanley A. Wolpert (1962)
OTHER LINKS:
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