Why I Killed the Mahatma: UNCOVERING GODSE’S DEFENCE by Koenraad Elst-Review
— By | Apr 22, 2018 08:12
Book Title: Why I killed the Mahatma: Uncovering Godse’s Defence
Author: Koenraad Elst
Publisher: Rupa
Price: Rs. 495
Pages: 251
The book “Why I Killed the Mahatma: Uncovering Godse’s Defence” written
by Conrad Elst, a Belgian Indologist, and published recently is a
controversial and difficult book, as was to be expected. He has a
doctorate in Oriental Studies with a dissertation on Hindu Nationalism.
The book raises many questions even before the book itself can be read
or reviewed.
The first question is whether we need to
hear Nathuram Godse’s defence of his heinous act of assassinating
Mahatma Gandhi at all at this time or at any other time. Those who argue
for absolute freedom of expression will not find it absurd or
offensive, but many others can especially as his defence is freely
available. The book draws largely from Godse’s defence statement before
the trial court.
The second is if the publication, or
rather re-publication, of this book, would have been possible or
encouraged under a non-majoritarian government with clear leanings to
the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the organisation that Godse drew
inspiration from. The book available in stores now is significant.
The third arises from what the author
states at one point: “One of our findings is that while Godse’s act was
by definition extremist, his criticism of Gandhi was in fact shared by
many.” The moot point about Gandhi’s assassination was not the criticism
of his ideas and opinions, of which there was much during his lifetime
too, but that he, an old man, had to be silenced with bullets rather
than with arguments. Therefore, there was – and can never be – any
justification for Godse’s “extremist” act and it does not get mitigated
by the fact that there was criticism against Gandhi.
Given all this, the book becomes a
thinly-disguised attempt to provide an intellectual rationale for the
killing of the Mahatma, for Godse’s extremist act. In fact, the
Mahatma’s assassination, it is often said, was not by bullets alone;
instead, it was by a philosophy of hatred and violence intended to
silence a person because it could not effectively otherwise counter
Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence and peaceful co-existence of all
communities.
The book says, “Until now, no
publication has dealt with this question, except for the naked text of
Godse’s own defence speech during his trial. It didn’t save him from the
hangman, but still contains substantive arguments against the facile
glorification of the Mahatma.”
The first version of the present book
was first published in Dutch as “De moord op de Mahatma” (The murder of
the Mahatma), in Belgium in 1998, to mark the fiftieth anniversary of
the Mahatma’s assassination.
Author quotes Godse family saying Law
Minister Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar contacted Nathuram’s lawyer to convey the
message that if Nathuram would like his sentenced commuted to life
imprisonment, he would be able to arrange it. Nathuram’s reply according
to his family member was, “Please see to it that mercy is not imposed
on me. I want to show that through me, Gandhiji’s non-violence is being
hanged.” “Taken aback by this reply, Ambedkar, who had never thought
highly of Gandhiji’s eccentric ideas, actually praised Godse.” Gopal
Godse told this to the author. There is no other evidence to prove this.
Only by relying on Gopal Godse, the author has done injustice to
Gandhiji as well as Ambedkar. The fact is Ambedkar, as a Law Minister,
visited trial court at least thrice to see the hearing is going okay.
One needs to have historical evidence, especially, when someone makes
sensational claims.
Five attempts were made earlier to
assassinate Mahatma Gandhi. The first futile attempt was made on June
25, 1934, in Pune. The second attempt was made in Panchgani, near Pune,
in June 1944. It is clear that the right wingers were after Mahatma’s
life even before the passing of partition plan. Mahatma’s policies were
inclusive and pro-poor.
The author writes, “Before the Mahatma
was murdered, he was a discredited leader, a proven failure, hated by
many millions of Hindus, including millions of Hindu and Sikh refugees.”
It is not a reality. The Congress party and the people of India were
with the Mahatma barring certain section of Hindu refugees who migrated
from then West Pakistan. Though author writes, “From the viewpoint of
Hindutva strategy, the murder was the worst possible blunder.”
The book will surely generate debate on
the assassination of Mahatma, an apostle of peace. People interpret
history differently. But, the fact is Mahatma Gandhi continues to
influence the road to peace. Youngest Nobel laureate Pakistani Malala
Yousafzai has repeatedly said she is inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s path
of non-violence.
