Godse not a patriot but a jingoist

The birth as well as death anniversaries of Gandhi attract large multitudes who throng to Rajghat for paying their obeisance to the leader who spilled his blood for liberating India from centuries of oppression, persecution and slavery.

But his assassin Godse's anniversaries, both of his birth, which passed by on May 19 and death rake up bitter controversies and heated debates.

The recent tweet of Nagababu, a veteran Telugu film actor, brother of Chiranjeevi and Jana Sena Chief Pawan Kalyan raised a hornet's nest and once again people were involved in acrimonious debates flinging caustic remarks at him.

It is not the first time that favourable remarks on Godse evoked derision and rancorous criticism from all sections of people .

The Marathi play "Me Nathuram Godse Boltoy" enacted in Maharashtra extolling him as a hero caused a hullabaloo and raised a storm of protests by Congress leaders.

Ironically they have pushed Gandhi in to oblivion but they instantly react when Godse is lauded by baiters of Gandhiji . In fact Nagababu wanted that people should find out the reasons for Gandhi's heinous assassination.

If one delves deep into the grisly incidents preceding his assassination, one would comprehend the reasons behind this grim tragedy.

The main apparent reason is the Muslim appeasement policy of Gandhi and his recalcitrant attitude and obstinate insistence of the payment of Rs.55 crores promised to Pakistan by Government of India for which he resorted to indefinite fast. His fast enraged Godse, Apte and their cohorts and led them to conspire for his murder.

Moreover the endless massacres and ruthless rapes of Hindu women during Partition also spurred Godse for his firm resolve to snuff out the life of Gandhi.

Further Godse abhorred Gandhi's deliberate silence in the wake of millions of Hindus' suffering and hardship . For a fanatic egged on by false, fabricated exaggerated accounts of Hindu genocide , it is easy to rush to the insane conclusion that Gandhi , in the uncharitable words of Godse, "Gandhi is not the Father of nation, but the Father of Pakistan".

If one reads the speech of Godse during his trial prior to going to the gallows, it reads like the speech of Brutus in "Julius Caesar" and his justification of joining the conspirators. G.D. Khosla one of the three judges who dealt with Godse's case, candidly expresses his opinion thus…"

"I have , however, no doubt that had the audience of that day been constituted into a jury and entrusted with the task of deciding Godse's appeal, they would have brought in a verdict of "not guilty" by an overwhelming majority".

However, the subtle emotional elucidation of Godse about Gandhiji's sneaking admiration for and perpetual appeasement of Muslims is nothing but a perverted , prejudiced presentation and distortion of facts about Gandhi.

Unfortunately Gandhi is a star- crossed, double cursed leader for he is despised by Jinnah for being a Hindu protagonist and Godse has sneered at him for his pro-Muslim stance. In a way he is more sinned against than sinning .

Godse couldn't estimate or assess Gandhi's personality or view him in proper perspective.

When Gandhi expressed his ardent desire to visit Pakistan and interact with people there, Jinnah was hesitant but Gandhi's insistence on payment of Rs. 55 crore to Pakistan had indeed effaced the lurking suspicion about "wily Gandhi" from Jinnah's mind.

He accepted the proposed visit of Gandhi but Godse's seething indignation and murderous intention shattered his own dream of "Akhand Bharat" or United India sans Pakistan.

Those who lambasted Gandhi must be profoundly grateful to him for his adherence to truth , non- violence , sublime ideals have kept our pluralistic , divergent democracy vibrant and united.

Like Othello who committed uxoricide only to regret later about Desdemona, expressed his penitent , pithy words: " I loved her too well but not wisely". This line may epitomise Godse's attitude to the country for he loved too well but not wisely. He is not a patriot but an unwise jingoist and those who call him patriotic are myopic and ill –informed.