Nathuram Godse: The Hidden Untold Truth, by Anup SarDesai.

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Nathuram Godse: The Hidden Untold Truth

by Anup SarDesai

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First and foremost, the title is as apt as can be - there are facts here that were then known, but were since then hidden, with a complicity of media or otherwise, so that younger generations hardly ever knew truths about the situations, politics, horrors of genocides, and more; vague platitudes were all that was allowed, by successive governments of India since independence, mostly congress governments and allied ones. And such platitudes mostly worked to cover truths with a curtain, hide facts under a rug, and so forth. 

This was done just as much to demonise all differences of opinion, especially Hindus, as to build up congress and its idols into demigods, with homages paid to erstwhile colonial invaders of a millennium and half, but deliberately humiliating ignorance or neglect at best offered to any other Indians including freedom fighters, when they were not abused downright. 

One can now read the defence speech of Nathuram Godse, published under his name, to see what he was thinking, wondering just what could he say in his defence. That publication, so heavily censored as to fit in with congress attempts over decades, to portray him as a fanatic mad man, is a farce. But it serves a purpose, because when one reads it one does realise this much, and goes on to see if facts can be gotten hold of,  somehow, somewhere. 

Then there is the book by Koenraad Elst, which gives a good deal of background, analysis, and great many extracts from the defence speech of Nathuram Godse, apart from facts of the time. For the first time one gets actual numbers of people massacred during partition - over eleven million Hindus, and at most half a million muslims, is estimate by Koenraad Elst, reduced from ten times that number that Godse quotes. It might be as Elst said, that Godse said million instead of lakh, by mistake; or it could very well be that numbers were far higher than Elst is willing to agree, due to sheer horror of it. 

And then one comes across this book, wondering if one gets more extracts. Instead, the author tells us he interviewed families and painstakingly built up the untold story from everything he could access. And one is shocked with the facts he presents, facts that have been hidden so far. 

Those shocks, horror, and facts hidden so far, have nothing to do with Godse - or anyone actually involved in the case - except this; these people were normal people, with compassion for those that were subjected to massacres, and went out of the way to help them. They could, instead, have lived private little lives as most do, and ignored the victims, of massacres that were being perpetrated for over a year, by the time India was independent. After all, Pune is quite far enough from Lahore, Peshawar, Calcutta and Noakhali. Instead, they travelled to help, and did help. 

And here in this book one finds, too, actual facts about Noakhali, usually only vaguely referred to, and that only to glorify Gandhi, without facts being told. About Noakhali, NWFP and Hyderabad, about Gandhi and his support of Suhrawardy - after the latter had conducted massacre of ten thousand in Calcutta, as ordered by Jinnah; about Gandhi having agreed to partition, and later offered Jinnah a complete rule of India, to be handed over to Muslim league, without any representatives from any other party, community or faith; and much, much more. 

Most shocking of all, it's not just about the 550 million cash Gandhi forced India to hand over to the enemy attacking, but something far more horrible - Gandhi had demanded, amongst other demands of his, that India force the refugees back across borders into Pakistan, even if it meant that they'd all be massacred promptly. Most did have their families massacred before they had managed to escape, and Gandhi had repeatedly spoken and published his advice, his demand, that they return, no matter if it was only to die at hands of the muslims, but, he insisted, they should die loving the muslims who were killing them. 

Then he went on a hunger strike, and this return of refugees, to be enforced by India, was one of his demands, apart from the refugees in Delhi to be evicted from the shelters they'd found in the extreme cold winter of Delhi - evicted, old and young, babies and mothers, all. 

Government hadn't provided them shelters, food or anything else, dumping the partition victims as and where they could; now, government of India sent police to evict them, by thousands, out of those shelters, to satisfy Gandhi. He still demanded they be forced to go back. 

This was the background. 

And we've been lied to about Noakhali, about Calcutta, about massacres in Kerala - never mentioned - and much, much more. 

And about Savarkar too! His name was deliberately pushed by a congress politician, who, sitting in Bombay, kept demanding he was involved, even after one person who'd been caught - ten days before Gandhi was shot dead - had told every little detail of conspiracy, and given all names possible; those details were ignored, no one caught while it would have helped, but Savarkar was falsely persecuted, as were RSS and Hindu Mahasabha, fraudulently, because of congress politics. 

At no point while reading this does one come to a state of mind where one would feel one would have approved of such a decision beforehand if one knew; but one does understand why and how they came to it, and one does see how facts were falsified for ever afterwards by congress governments of India. 

When one reads about Noakhali, the demigod image of Gandhi, built up assidously by congress and congress governments of India, any difference of opinion treated pretty much as other religions are treated by - say - a church, well, that image, after facts are revealed, is forever an idol exposed in all its falsity; when one reads about refugees in Delhi evicted in a harsh winter, babies and all, out of shelters, and beaten up and forced to sign that they were happy to give up the shelters for a festival Gandhi wanted to celebrate with muslims, then, finally, image of the beloved fist PM of India too is revealed in its adolescent, inhuman reality, caring more for one old man's unreasonable demands than for the millions of Indians who'd arrived to find refuge in India, after their homes, their homeland and their families were gone for ever. 

Would he have forced them back across the border to be massacred, as demanded by Gandhi as part of his final hunger strike? Very possibly; after all, evicting them forcibly from the shelters into open parks or onto roads and then demanding they go tell Gandhi they were happy, was inhuman enough; that they were beaten brutally by police every time, whether while being evicted or when demanding they sign they were happy (to be evicted for the community massacring them), or when forced to go tell Gandhi that they bore no grudge (towards their killers), doesn't seem promising towards their bring allowed to remain, if Gandhi had insisted on yet another hunger strike asking they be transported to Pakistan. 

At the end the author gives excerpts from last speech of Nathuram Godse. And again, while few would go far enough to act as he did, or agree with his decision, one comes to realise clearly that the congress governments of India lied, about him and about their fraudulently erected images of their selected leaders elevated into demigods, not because they deserved the status, but because that was how they grabbed and kept power. 

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"On 22nd July 1946, the Viceroy of India, Lord Wavell, asked the Congress, led by Jawaharlal Nehru, to form an Interim Government of United India at the Centre. The Muslim League and their demand for a separate Pakistan were completely ignored.

"In protest against this decision, the Muslim League supremo, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, decided to launch a direct offensive and announced his intention to launch ‘Direct Action Day’ by observing protests all over India starting 16th August 1946 to achieve their goal of a separate state of Pakistan by violent means. 

"On 16th August 1946, the Muslim League held a rally in Ochterlony Monument in Calcutta. In his rally, the Muslim League leaders incited Muslims by declaring ‘Jihad’ (Holy War) against the Hindus. 

"Within minutes, a number of buses packed with Muslim hooligans, armed with brickbats and bottles as weapons arrived in Calcutta’s Hindu dominated areas. 

"In no time, the Muslims began attacking Hindus and looting their shops. Soon, the rioting turned into a wholesale massacre of the Hindus. This savagery, which continued for almost a week, claimed the lives of 10000 people, mostly Hindus. 

"On 2nd September 1946, the Interim Government, led by the Congress, took oath of office. The Muslim League decided to observe that day as a day of protest. Several Muslim League leaders held black flag demonstrations outside the Delhi Secretariat. 

"In the days to follow, the Muslim League leaders held a number of rallies in Muslim dominated areas and gave inflammatory speeches against the Hindu’s. 

"In Bengal, some Muslim leaders distributed long knives at railway stations and incited Muslims to butcher the ‘Mirjafri’ (Hindu Traitors) to avenge their betrayal at the hands of the British. The result of this was devastating. 

"On 10th October 1946, in the northern Noakhali District of Chittagong in East Bengal, while Hindus were celebrating ‘Kojagari Lakshmi Puja’, Muslim’s suddenly attacked their homes. 

"Home Minister, Sardar Vallabbhai Patel, immediately ordered the military to take action against the rioters. But, Gandhi, who was at the ‘Sevagram Ashram’ in Wardha when the riots in Calcutta and Noakhali broke out, objected to military action against the rioters. 

"While addressing a gathering in his evening prayer meet, Gandhi said “Let us be humble and confess that we have not got the strength today to meet all the expectations that the people entertain of us…If they had realized the principles for which the ashram stood, they should have rushed into the blaze and offered the purest sacrifice which might have conceivably quenched the flames”.5 

"Nathuram and Narayan were in their printing press when the evening newsfeed came on their teleprinter. 

"An outraged Nathuram said “What the hell does he mean by that? Is he saying that the Hindus should offer sacrifices just to make Muslims happy?” 

"Narayan responded by saying “I think this man has lost his mental balance. First he agrees to the partition of the country and now he is justifying a massacre” 

"Nathuram said “But …. Why is he doing all this?” 

"Narayan sarcastically said “Ahimsa …..” 

"Nathuram angrily said “I don’t need lectures on Ahimsa from this insane man. The Mahatma has conveniently distorted the whole meaning of the verse, Ahimsa Parmo Dharma” 

"“By telling only half the truth, he is giving sermons of self-sacrifice to Hindus. A few years back, he had said the same to innocent Jews who were being butchered by Hitler” 

"“Gandhi has given a complete new meaning to the verse from the Mahabharata by saying ….. If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer him the other but don’t retaliate ….. Whereas in the Mahabharata, Lord Shri Krishna has said,” 

“Ahimsa Parmo Dharma 

"Dharma Hinsa Tathaivacha” 

"“This means …. Never resort to unnecessary violence, but if someone resorts to violence, pick up arms to defend yourself”

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"The Noakhali riots went on to become the biggest genocide the country had ever seen. The twin districts of Noakhali and Tippera with a Hindu population of 150,000 was besieged for thirteen days. The devastation caused by widespread violence was unbelievable. 

"More than 100,000 Hindus were killed. Thousands of women were abducted and traded like cattle. The Hindu population in Noakhali and Tippera was completely annihilated. 

"On 26th October 1946, a Muslim leader in the Chapra district of Bihar celebrated the massacres in Calcutta and Noakhali by distributing sweets to his fellow Muslims. This news spread like fire all across the town."

"Gandhi was in Calcutta when the news of the Bihar riots broke out. Unlike Noakhali and Calcutta, this time he was quick to respond. Gandhi wrote to Nehru, threatening him that he would go on a fast if the riots in Bihar are not brought under control. 

"The Congress Government immediately sprang into action and dispatched the military to the riot affected areas of Bihar. Not just that, they even went to the extent of threatening to even bombard the homes of Hindus if they did not stop the violence. 

"Gandhi simply refused to acknowledge that the attacks by Hindus on Muslims were simply acts of reaction to the outrages on Hindus by the Muslims in Noakhali and Calcutta. 

"It is not that Gandhi did not know that the basic cause of these reactions was because most of the people massacred in Noakhali were migrant Bihari workers. Yet, Gandhi went on condemning the actions of Hindus only."

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"Thereafter, Vishnu left the shop and headed back to Ahmednagar where he organized a charity function to raise funds for the victims of Noakhali. 

"That day was ‘Bhaubij’ (Brothers Day), the next day after Diwali. On that day, it was customary for brothers to give presents to their sisters. 

"Vishnu called upon the people of Ahmednagar to come forward and donate generously whatever they could for their Hindu sisters in Noakhali. 

"The response to Vishnu’s call was phenomenal. People came out in large numbers and donated money, medicines, clothes and other essentials. Vishnu was overwhelmed by the response he saw. Within a day, he had collected more than Rs.30000 in cash. 

"Then, he gathered six volunteers of the ‘Hindu Rashtra Dal’ and came to ‘Pune’. There, he went to ‘Shastra Bhandar’ and purchased the six chain-mail jackets from Digambar Badge. 

"The next day, Vishnu left for Noakhali along with the six volunteers of the ‘Dal’. The same day, Gandhi too left for Noakhali from Wardha on his peace mission. 

"On 9th November 1946, Gandhi reached Noakhali. There, he set up his base in a half burnt house in the village of Srirampur on the outskirts of Noakhali, far away from the disturbed areas but, covered extensively by the press. 

"Vishnu too reached Noakhali in the first week of November. There, he travelled from village to village in the heart of the violence affected areas and opened a number of relief camps in the name of Savarkar. 

"One day, while Gandhi was addressing his prayer meeting, a Muslim youth arrived on the prayer grounds and screamed “Why have you hoisted the Indian flag here? Don’t you know this is Bengal, a part of Pakistan? Pull down this flag immediately” 

"Gandhi turned around and directed his volunteer to remove the Indian flag hoisted over his house without realizing that, by doing so, he was affronting the reverential sentiments of the Hindu victims only to please an isolated Muslim fanatic. 

"The volunteer did as he was told by his Mahatma much to the anguish and dismay of the large crowd of Hindu refugees who had gathered at the prayer grounds. 

"Gradually, the Hindus realized this farce by Gandhi and stopped visiting his prayer meetings. 

"Vishnu stayed there for two weeks. During this period, he and his men rescued many women who were abducted by Muslims and reconverted a number of men back to Hinduism. Some villagers showed Vishnu photographs of naked Hindu women made to march on the streets of Noakhali. 

"Vishnu kept informing Narayan and Nathuram regularly about the ground situation in Noakhali which they published in the ‘Agranee’. 

"Vishnu wrote “On the orders of the Bengal Government, the police would first disarm the villagers and then the Muslim mobs would attack them. Women were stripped and paraded in public. Then they were carried away by Muslims as a trophy. Children and infants were killed by smashing their heads on to brick walls. Men were burnt alive. It was one of the worst displays of barbarism the world has ever seen. Having said that, the situation in Bengal would not have been so bad if the Indian government had not been rendered incapable of defending the Hindus by incessant doses of Gandhi’s Ahimsa” 

"Vishnu did everything in his capacity to sincerely help the needy victims of Noakhali unlike Gandhi who was only trying to derive mileage at the cost of the helpless victims. 

"But, the problem was so vast that it was beyond his capacity. In just two weeks, Vishnu had exhausted all his money and had to return back to Poona."

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"After the Noakhali riots, the Government of India passed an ordinance prohibiting the press from publishing any information regarding any communal disturbances in the country. 

"Any statement, advertisement, notice, news or opinion mentioning the name of the place where the incident occurred, the way in which the victims were killed or injured, the name of the community to which the victim or the perpetrator belonged and the desecration of places of worship or shrines were prohibited. 

"Nathuram and Narayan decided to defy the ban and published every detail of the atrocities committed by Muslims on Hindus in Noakhali based on ground reports sent to them by Vishnu. 

"Nathuram and Narayan wrote strongly on the government’s inability to protect the Hindus and appealed to the Hindus to stand up to protect themselves. 

"As a result, the Bombay Presidency Government came down heavily on the ‘Agranee’ and ordered it to pay a penalty of Rs.6000 which was a huge amount at that time. Nathuram and Narayan did not have that much money. Thus, they had to raise the amount by desperate borrowing from friends."

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"“On 3rd March 1947, Congress leader, Maulana Azad informed Gandhi about the ‘Partition Plan’ while he was touring the riot affected areas of Bihar. 

"Gandhi responded by saying “What a question to ask. If the Congress wishes to accept partition, it will be over my dead body. So long as I am alive, I will never agree to the partition of India. Nor will I, if I can help it, allow the Congress to accept it” 

"That evening, at a prayer meeting Gandhi declared “Even if the whole India burns we shall not concede Pakistan, even if the Muslims demanded it at the point of sword” 6 

"Gandhi had conveniently forgotten that the ‘Partition Plan’ was his own idea that he had proposed during his talks with Jinnah in 1944. But, now that he had realized that the nation was aghast with the proposal to divide the nation, he began playing innocent. 

"Gandhi wanted the people to believe that both, the Congress and the Muslim League were hell bent on vivisecting the nation and he was the only one who wanted to avoid the partition of India. 

"The next day, Hindus and Sikhs staged demonstrations against the ‘Partition Plan’ in various parts of Punjab. In the Hindi dominated city of Lahore, Hinsus and Sikhs assaulted Muslims calling them ‘Traitors’."

"Two days later, the Muslims launched large-scale attacks on Hindus and Sikhs in Rawalpindi. The same day, there was a huge massacre of Hindus and Sikhs in Multan and Jhelum districts. 

"Soon, the violence had engulfed the entire state. The violence continued for over two weeks. Over 3000 Hindus and Sikhs, were killed and over 1200 were injured. 

"On 6th March 1947, the Congress passed a resolution in Delhi demanding the partition of Punjab along communal lines following which peace was finally restored."

"On 6th April 1947, Gandhi returned to Delhi after his tour of the riot affected areas of Noakhali and Bihar. The same day, while addressing a prayer meeting, Gandhi once again urged Hindus to sacrifice their lives to please the aggressor. 

"Gandhi said “We should with a cool mind reflect when we are being swept away. Hindus should never be angry against the Muslims even if the latter might make up their minds to undo even their existence. If they put all of us to the sword, we should court death bravely, may they, even rule the world, we, shall inhabit the world. At least we should never fear death. We are destined to be born and die; then why need we feel gloomy over it? If all of us die with a smile on our lips, we shall enter a new life. We shall originate a new Hindustan” "

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"The next day, Lord Mountbatten met Gandhi who requested Mountbatten to disband the Central Government and invite Jinnah to form his own government at the center which can be completely Muslim. 

"Gandhi further assured the Viceroy that the Congress would cooperate with Jinnah and not use its majority in the Central Assembly to block his ministry."

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"That day, Gandhi was addressing a prayer meetings in a Hindu temple in Bhangi Colony and persisted in reading passages from Koran as a part of the prayer in that Hindu temple, in spite of protests by the Hindu worshippers there."

"The protestors began shouting “Down with Gandhi …. Down with Gandhi …. Stop insulting our Gods. You have done enough harm to us. We shall tolerate no more of this injustice. Stop appeasing the Muslims. We want justice”

"Soon, people from nearby areas joined the protestors and the crowd grew to enormous proportions. Seeing the tumultuous protest that followed, Gandhi slyly took shelter behind the barricaded and guarded doors. 

"The police were called in and the protestors were driven away by the use of force, though at that time, the protestors had not the slightest idea of using any force."

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"On 9th August 1947, Gandhi arrived in Calcutta where he chose to stay at the Hydari House, an old abandoned Muslim house in the Beliaghatta area of South Bengal. 

"But, Gandhi was not alone. He stayed there along with Hussain Ali Suharawardhy, the Chief Minister of Bengal and the mastermind behind the murder of 100000 Hindus in Noakhali.

"The news of Gandhi living with Suharawardhy angered the people of Bengal. 

"By evening, thousands of Hindus gathered outside the Hydari House and began shouting slogans “Down with Gandhi ….. Gandhi go back ….. . Stop romancing with a mass murderer” 

"Suddenly, the situation took an ugly turn. The crowd turned violent and began pelting stones on the Hydari House. The panicked followers of Gandhi immediately called the police."

"One of the protestors charged towards Gandhi and questioned him “Where is that rascal Suharawardhy? Hand over that murderer to us” 

"Gandhi, in his usual style, answered “Listen, you people are agitated. Please calm down” 

"This further enraged the protestor who screamed “Enough of your sermons …. You Mahatma! We have had enough of your lectures on self-sacrifice” 

"Another protestor said “Your disciple has killed our people and we have come here to avenge the death of our loved ones” 

"A terrified Gandhi tried desperately to pacify the crowd when suddenly one person hurled a brickbat towards Gandhi. Fortunately for him, it narrowly missed its target."

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"Two days after India attained its independence, on 17th August 1947, the ‘Radcliffe Line’, the official borders for the new nations of Pakistan and India, was made public. 

"In Bengal, the Muslim majority areas like Malda and Murshidabad were given to India while the Hindu dominant Khulna and Chittagong Hills, which had only two percent Muslims, was given to Pakistan. 

"In Sindh too, some bordering districts like Tharparkar District, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar and Badin were Hindu dominated but were retained in Pakistan. 

"Similarly in Punjab, the Hindu dominated Lahore, with only 25 percent Muslims was given to Pakistan while, the Muslim dominated Gurudaspur was given to India. 

"It was later disclosed that the Hindu majority Lahore was originally a part of India. But Jinnah objected to the ‘Radcliffe Line’ stating that all the four metropolitan towns of Delhi, Calcutta, Bombay and Lahore were given to India. Finally, the Indian Prime Minister Nehru was convinced by Gandhi to let go Lahore and thus, Lahore was acceded to Pakistan."

"The inclusion of Lahore in Pakistan sparked massive protest in Lahore. Hindus and Sikhs gathered at the Shahalmi locality and Anarkali Bazaar area in Lahore held a protest march against the accession of Lahore to Pakistan.

"Without any warning, Muslim mobs swooped down on the protestors and began assaulting them with sticks and knives. Many people were killed in this attack. 

"By evening, the news of the Lahore attacks had spread all over East Punjab. Soon, the entire East Punjab buzzed with talks of retaliation." 

"At the same time in India, some Muslim leaders did not like the idea of a truncated Pakistan which came into existence. Muslims from Delhi, Agra, Ajmer and Aligarh were expecting themselves to be citizens of the Islamic State of Pakistan. 

"Thus, they held protests rallies shouting slogans like ‘Hanske liya Pakistan, Ladh ke lenge Hindustan’ (We took Pakistan with a smile; we shall take India with a fight). These acts further instigated the Hindus."

"The massacre of Muslims in East Punjab resulted in a backlash in Lahore where hundreds of thousands of Hindus were brutally killed. Muslim mobs in the thousands headed towards Hindu dominated areas and went on a killing spree. 

"The macabre dance of death that took place in Amritsar a day ago was now played out in Lahore and Montgomery more pitilessly and on a much grander scale. 

"Soon, as the violence began escalating throughout East and West Punjab, panic stricken minorities on both sides began fleeing their homes with whatever they could gather."

"The Wah camp in Pakistan was attacked by armed Muslim hooligans in which over 500 Hindus were brutally killed. A train carrying Hindu refugees to India was stopped at the Taxila station and all the passengers in the train were massacred."

" ... Indian government concentrated its energies in herding Muslims into camps where they could be safeguarded and then providing escorts for their onward journey."

"The Hindu refugees coming from Pakistan were settled in Delhi and East Punjab. Those arriving in Delhi were housed in locations like the Devan Hall, Red Fort and Kingsway Camp while those in East Punjab were housed in temporary shelters erected by the Indian Army. 

"The Kurukshetra camp near Panipat in East Punjab was one of the largest refugee camps in northern India housing more than 350,000 refugees.

"The magnitude of these massacres and migrations is without known historical parallel in any part of the globe. Over 3,000,000 innocent lives were lost. 

"Within two months, roughly 20 million had migrated in opposite directions, majority of them Hindus. In Pakistani West Punjab, Hindus and Sikhs were driven out to the last man out. In N.W.F.P. only 90,000 Hindus survived."

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"Meanwhile, the Hindus in West Bengal, who were already furious over the massacre of Hindus and Sikhs in West Punjab, got enraged when they saw Pakistani flags flying above the houses of residents of Murshidabad and Malda. 

"Thus, on 31st August 1947, the Hindus launched a scathing attack on the Muslims living in Calcutta, Murshidabad, Malda and surrounding areas. Thousands of Muslims were butchered and their houses were set on fire. 

"Finally, on 1st September 1947, Gandhi, who had turned a blind eye to the killing of Hindus in Punjab, was furious over the killing of Muslims and immediately decided to go on an indefinite fast if the attacks on Muslims do not end.

"That evening, Gandhi was visited by Dr. Prafulla Chandra Ghosh, the chief of West Bengal Congress, who was also the acting Premier of the State after its partition.

"Ghosh told Gandhi “You have been very unfair to the Ministry in undertaking this fast without taking them into your confidence…. You have launched your fast when a section of Hindus have begun to look upon you as your enemy” 

"Gandhi emphatically replied “The moment Hindus realize that they cannot keep me alive on any other terms, peace will return to Calcutta” 16 

"As expected, Ghosh returned back and ordered the military to take control of the situation. Several battallions of the Gorkha Regiment were sent to Calcutta, Malda and Murshidabad. 

"What followed was a brutal crackdown on the Hindu rioters. Many Hindus were killed in the firing that took place. Within two days, peace returned to Bengal. 

"On 4th September 1947, in a bid to glorify the Mahatma, the Congress sent leaders of the Hindu and Muslim Community to Hydari House and made them enact a pledge of brotherhood. 

"They began shedding crocodile tears and begged Gandhi to end his fast. Finally, Gandhi broke his fast sipping some Lime juice given to him by, none other than Suharawardhy."

"Meanwhile, huge influxes of Hindu refugees migrating from Pakistan were pouring into Delhi in thousands. They brought with them tales of gruesome savagery inflicted upon them by the Muslims. Their plight had infuriated the residents of the capital."

"The government converted the Purana Quilla (Old Fort), Arab-ki-Sarai, Jamia Milia Islamia University and Chandni Chowk into transit camps to house the displaced Muslims until arrangements were made to send them to Pakistan. 

"As soon as he heard the news of violence against Muslims in Delhi, Gandhi decided to rush to the national capital. He was warned about the delicate situation in Delhi and Punjab by the Congress leaders but Gandhi insisted on going to Delhi."

"From the railway station, Gandhi was taken to the Birla House instead of the Harijan Colony as the latter had been occupied by refugees from West Punjab. 

"The same evening of his arrival, Gandhi decided to undertake a tour of the refugee camps and riot affected areas in various parts of Delhi. 

"Gandhi started the tour by visiting the Arab-ki-Sarai camp. Then he visited the Jamia Milia Islamia camp. Both these camps had sheltered Muslims who were awaiting their removal to Pakistan.

"His next stop was the Devan Hall camp, where thousands of Hindu refugees from West Punjab had taken shelter. 

"As soon as the Hindu refugees saw Gandhi arriving, their blood began to boil. 

"They started shouting slogans against him “Gandhi get lost. Stop this drama. We all know you are an anti-Hindu and a well-wisher of Muslims. We don’t need your sympathies. Go back”

"The police immediately rushed to Gandhi’s aide and whisked him away. Gandhi left the camp without meeting anyone. 

"That evening at his prayer meeting, Gandhi delivered his usual lecture on self-sacrifice saying “The few gentlemen from Rawalpindi who coiled upon me today were sturdy, brave and absorbed in business. I advised them to remain calm. After all God is great. There is no place where God does not exist, mediate on Him and take His name; everything will be all right. They asked me what about those who still remain in Pakistan. I asked them why they all came here (in Delhi). Why they did not die there? I still hold on to the belief one should stick to the place where we happen to live even if we are cruelly treated and even killed. Let us die if the people kill us; but we should die bravely with the name of God on our tongue” 

"“Even if our men are killed, why should we feel angry with anybody, you should realise that even if they are killed they have had a good and proper end. May the heaven make us all so? May God send us the same way. This is what we should pray heartily for. I will advise you (and issue) as I did to the residents of Rawalpindi, that they should go there and meet the Sikhs and Hindu refugees, tell them politely to return to their places in Pakistan unaided either by Police or the Military” 18 

"In another prayer meeting, he said “Not one of those who have died in Punjab is going to return. In the end we too have to go there. It is true that they were murdered but then some others die of cholera or due to other causes. He who is born must die. It those killed have died bravely, they have not lost anything but earned something” 19"

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"By mid-September 1947, a group of over 10,000 refugees arrived in the outskirts of Ahmednagar. The government had made no arrangements for them whatsoever. They were simply dumped besides a railway track to fend for themselves. 

"It was a pitiable sight to watch women with small children, hungry for days, waiting desperately for food and medicines. Vishnu visited the site and took up the challenge of providing relief to these helpless refugees."

"Then, Vishnu and Ghanashyam loaded the refugees on those trucks and brought them to Ahmednagar town and set up temporary shelters for them by borrowing tents from the army. 

"Although, the first problem of providing shelters to the refugees was solved, the problem of feeding them was a big issue. Vishnu again took up the challenge and provided meals for the refugees. In one month, Vishnu had fed over 30000 meals to the refugees in his hotel.

"In a month, the government finally set up a refugee camp in an abandoned jail in Visapur, twenty miles from Ahmednagar where these 10,000 refugees were crammed inside a small premise. 

"In mid-October 1947, at the Visapur camp in Ahmednagar, anger began to show on the refugees when a rumour began to spread that the Indian government was making preparations to send them back to Pakistan. 

"In fact, this rumour was true. Gandhi was indeed pressurizing the government to send the refugees back to Pakistan so that the Muslims who have left could return back. 

"The refugees were further infuriated when the Muslims of that area carried out a procession on the day of ‘Ramzan Eid’ shouting slogans ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ (Hail Pakistan) waving Pakistani flags at them."

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"Following the invasion of Kashmir by Pakistani troops, the government of India decided to withhold the amount of Rs.55 crores payable to Pakistan until the Kashmir issue is resolved. 

"India feared that Pakistan would use the money to bankroll the war against India. Though the decision of the Indian Government was unanimously accepted by the Parliament, Gandhi, as expected, expressed his anguish over this decision of the government. 

"On 14th December 1947, massive riots broke out in Sindh where Hindus were systematically identified and killed under the pretext of housing Muslim refugees coming from India. 

"At the time of partition there were 1,400,000 Hindus in Sindh, though most were concentrated in cities such as Hyderabad, Karachi, Shikarpur, and Sukkur. But, within a fortnight, over 500,000 Hindus had left Sindh."

................................................................................................

"Sardar Patel was very upset with Gandhi for undertaking this fast as he had shown a trust deficit in his abilities as a Home Minister. He did not visit the Birla House that day and sent a message that he was going to Ahmedabad.

"That evening, as the Viceroy, Lord Mountbatten was hosting a function at the Government Guest House, shocking news came in. A train bringing Hindu refugees from Pakistan had been attacked in West Punjab. 

"Over 500 refugees were brutally massacred and women were abducted. It was immediately brought to the notice of Gandhi. He did not utter a word on the train massacre but reiterated his demand on vacating Hindu refugees from Delhi."

"In the evening, the Indian Cabinet met at the lawns of the Birla House to discuss the payment of Rs.55 crore to Pakistan. 

"Sardar Patel skipped this meet to express his displeasure and left for Ahmedabad without meeting Gandhi.

"Before leaving, he sent a letter to Gandhi offering to resign from the government. 

"In the presence of Gandhi, the Cabinet took the decision to pay Pakistan the said amount. 

"The Mahatma expressed his satisfaction at the decision taken by the government. 

"Thus, for the first and only time in world history, a country had financed its enemy who was waging a war against it and it was all due to the coercion of Gandhi."

................................................................................................

"In the evening, Nehru addressed a gathering of Hindu refugees in the national capital. He told them that the loss of Gandhi would mean the loss of India’s soul. He appealed to the refugees to vacate the mosques and Muslim houses which they were occupying in order to save Gandhi’s life. 

"Suddenly, panic gripped the refugees who were faced with a dilemma of vacating the only shelter above their heads in this chilling Delhi winter. 

"They got very angry with Gandhi for demanding their ouster and decided to raise their voice against the injustice meted out to them by the Mahatma. 

"Late that evening, the refugees marched towards the Birla House shouting slogans “Khoon ka badla khoon se lenge” (Blood will be avenged by blood) and “Marta hai to marne do, hamein ghar do” (If he’s dying, let him die, we want shelter). 

"Nehru, who was present at the Birla House at that time, charged towards the refugees hurling abuses at them. But, when he saw that the refugees were unrelenting, he ordered a police crackdown to disperse the crowds."

................................................................................................

"Meanwhile, in Delhi, on the orders of the Indian administration, the police stormed into the refugee camps and forced the refugees to sign on a declaration. 

"The declaration said “We, the refugees, who have come from Pakistan, agree to happily vacate the houses and mosques occupied by us so that our Muslim brothers can return back home” 

"The refugees pleaded “Saheb, it is very cold and chilly outside. Where shall we go along with our women and small children?” 

"The police replied “That’s not our concern. We have received orders from the government to take your signatures” 

"The police forcefully took thumb imprints of the refugees on the declaration. Those who resisted were brutally thrashed and beated with cane sticks. 

"The declaration signed by the refugees was then shown to Gandhi. The Congress leaders and the followers of the Mahatma present there, requested him to break his fast.

"But, instead of breaking his fast, Gandhi put forth a fresh new set of demands to break his indefinite fast much to the horror of the people present there."

................................................................................................

"Meanwhile, at the Birla House, Gandhi began complaining of stomach pain. The doctors attending him said that his vital organs were slowing down. His voice had become feeble and his kidneys were failing. 

"The doctors further stated that if the fast carries on any further, there is a danger of long lasting and irreparable damage to his vital organs. This message was immediately conveyed to Prime Minister Nehru who finally decided that it was time to take stern action on the refugees. 

"Nehru immediately summoned the top police brass and ordered a crackdown on the refugees living in mosques inside the national capital. 

"By sunrise, teams of Delhi Police arrived at various mosques. Without any warning, they stormed into the mosques and began assaulting the helpless refugees with cane sticks. Women were dragged out of the mosques by pulling them by their hairs. 

"By afternoon, every single mosque was cleared of the refugees. This included the Khwaja Qutub-ud-din’s ‘Dargah’ (Mausoleum) in Mehrauli, where Gandhi was eager to take part in the ‘Urs’ (annual fair), even if it meant, subjecting the helpless refugees to extreme sufferings. 

"The refugees were then loaded by the police in trucks and transported to Gurgaon, on the outskirts of Delhi where they were dumped besides a railway track and left to fend for themselves in the extreme cold weather."

................................................................................................

"Though Madanlal did not tell the police everything, he had given them enough information to act upon. Thus, the big question emerges that had the police acted with some sincerity, it is doubtful whether Nathuram would have been at the Birla House on 30th January, shooting Gandhi."

................................................................................................

"Morarji told Nagarvala "A person has just given me an information that the people who tried to kill Gandhi, hail from Bombay" 

"Nagarvala was shocked "What?" 

"Morarji added some spice by saying "The man further told me that Savarkar had given his blessings for this mission" 

"Thus Nagarvala, who had no idea about the nature of this conspiracy, concentrated all his energy on Savarkar. He ordered a 24 hour vigil on Savarkar’s residence and did not bother to go after Vishnu, Narayan and Nathuram. 

"This turned out to be the first lapse that resulted in the death of the Mahatma."

................................................................................................

"Nagarvala discarded the conspiracy theory of the Delhi Police and cooked up a theory of his own which seemed to be inspired from a Hollywood thriller that a big organization, comprising of around 400 men including 20 principal conspirators possessing large quantities of firearms, was planning to kidnap Gandhi in exchange for ransom. 

"Such was Nagarvala’s belief in his theory, that he simply dismissed Madanlal’s statement as senseless and decided not to investigate the matter any further. 

"This turned out to be the second lapse which would result in Gandhi’s death."

................................................................................................

"Meanwhile at the Birla House, a volunteer brought a newspaper which carried the official press release by the Government of Pakistan regarding a horrifying tragedy that took place at the Parachinar refugee camp near Peshawar in Pakistan on the night of 22nd January. 

"According to the official press release, over 200 Hindus were butchered and more than 100 women were abducted by Muslim mobs. 

"The women were later molested, raped and then bartered and sold like cattle. 

"When Gandhi was informed by the volunteer about this tragedy, he seemed uninterested in the news. 

"Gandhi simply deflected his attention from the topic as though the brutal murder of Hindus was not of much importance to him. 

"Instead Gandhi turned his attention to the Muslim Clerics who had gathered there and expressed his happiness that the annual ‘Urs’ at the Qutub-ud-Din ‘Mazar’ in Mehrauli was finally taking place although at the cost of human sufferings.

"Meanwhile in Bombay, in a strange development, the owner of Vassen Puspasen & Co, who was arrested in the police raid that took place in November, disclosed that ‘Shastra Bhandar’ in Pune was one of their customers for hand grenades. 

"An arrest warrant was immediately issued against Digambar Badge. However, the Pune Police, who were used to handsome tips from Badge in order to overlook his illegal activities, ignored the warrant and pushed it under a heap of files. It was a move which would eventually prove fatal for Gandhi."

................................................................................................

"Meanwhile, at Gandhi’s evening prayer meeting, an announcement was made “Attention everyone, the annual ‘Urs’ (fair) of the Qutub-ud-Din ‘Mazar’ would be starting from tomorrow. Bapu will personally be there to participate in the festival” 

"There was jubilation at the announcement by the followers of peace and non-violence. The 'Mazar' was the same place where, a week ago, hundreds of helpless Hindu refugees were thrown out by use of brutal force so that these celebrations could take place.

................................................................................................

"On Tuesday 27th January 1948, just after sunrise, Gandhi set off to attend the ‘Urs’ at the Khwaja Qutub-ud-Din’s ‘Mazar’ at Mehrauli. 

"In a shameless display of communal harmony, the Delhi administration had forcibly brought truckloads of Hindu and Sikh refugees to the ‘Mazar’ in order to show that Gandhi’s message of brotherhood was widely accepted by them. 

"Barely a week ago, these same refugees were mercilessly driven out by the Delhi administration from this ‘Mazar’ so that their Mahatma can celebrate the ‘Urs’ festival here."

................................................................................................

"Meanwhile, at 4.00pm, the Hindu Mahasabha held a public meeting in the busy Connaught Place area of Delhi to protest against the payment of Rs.55 crores to Pakistan."

"Since the post-independence riots, Delhi was put under Section 144 of the Indian Penal Code which empowered the authorities to disallow public gatherings. 

"However, some civic groups were allowed to hold public meetings in order to spread Gandhi’s message of brotherhood. 

"The Hindu Mahasabha took full advantage of this laxness on the part of the police and went ahead with their own agenda. 

"That evening, crowds gathered in thousands in the Connaught Place and began shouting slogans, ‘Long Live Hindu Unity’, ‘Turn Out Muslims’ and ‘Long Live Madanlal’ 35 

"Before the police could realize that something was wrong, the speaker got up and denounced Gandhi for paying Pakistan Rs.55 crores when it was at war with India. 

"Another speaker compared Gandhi with Hitler and said that he too would die a death like Hitler."

................................................................................................

"Meanwhile at the Birla House, some refugees from Bannu, a small town close to the India-Pakistan border near Gujrat, visited the Birla house and met Gandhi. 

"They were the survivors of the horrible train massacre which took place on 12th January. 

"The refugees complained to Gandhi “Gandhiji, despite the agonies twe have faced in Pakistan, we were now being thrown out of the places where we have taken shelter” 

"Another refugee screamed “We were not living in mosques for fun but, to survive in this winter. But, you went on a fast demanding our removal from there. Why did you do this to us? What crime have we committed?” 

"Gandhi tried to pacify them with his typical philosophical flourishes. 

"But, the refugees were embittered and angry and in no mood to listen to his lectures on secularism. 

"One of the refugees told Gandhi in an angry tone “You have done enough harm to us. You have ruined our lives. We owe our miseries to you. Why don’t you leave us to our own fate and retire to the Himalayas?” 39 

"Gandhi said “I cannot retire at anybody’s bidding. I have put myself under Gods sole command” 

"The man screamed “It is God who is speaking to you through us” 40. 

"But, before the situation could get embarrassing for the Mahatma, the refugees were hustled out of the Birla House by the policemen on duty there."

................................................................................................

"After the prayer meeting, Gandhi told his grandniece Manu “The pitiful cries of these refugees are like the voice of God. Take this as a death warrant for you and me. I have become what I have become at the bidding of God. God will do what he wills. He may take me away. I shall not find peace in the Himalayas. I want to find peace in the midst of turmoil or I want to die in the turmoil” 42 

"Again, before going to bed, he repeated this thought to his long-term associate Brij Krishna Chandiwala “You should take that as a notice served on me” 42"

................................................................................................

"Nathuram realized that the people were frightened to come near him as he was holding the pistol in his hands. They feared that he would resist arrest or try to open fire on anyone who tried to come closer to him. 

"Finally, Raghu, a gardener at the Birla House, sprang forward and hit Nathuram on his head with the blunt side of his sickle. He caught Nathuram’s wrist and released the pistol from his hands. 

"Immediately, people charged towards Nathuram and started abusing and hitting him. 

"To Nathuram’s horror, he saw the pistol being passed from hand to hand. 

"Nathuram shouted at a police officer “Please take possession of it and put on the safety catch before they shoot one another” 57 

"A policeman finally rushed forward and got hold of the pistol and turned off its safety catch."

................................................................................................

"By midnight, Sardar Patel met top officers of the Delhi Police to question them on their inability in protecting the life of the Mahatma. 

"There, one thing became crystal clear. The entire plot was revealed to them by Madanlal who had said ‘Woh Phir Aayega’ (They will come again) soon after his arrest. The police had the names of all the conspirators of this plot and had nine days to act. Yet, they failed to save the Mahatma. 

"In order to save their skin, the Delhi Police began a blame game pointing fingers at the lapses of the Bombay Police. 

"But, Sardar Patel had enough of all this mudslinging. He then issued an ultimatum to the police to act fast and nab all the conspirators at the earliest."

................................................................................................

"In Bombay, Morarji Desai simply could not come out of his cheap political mindset. He called on Nagarvala and ordered him to take immediate action on Savarkar. 

"Nagarvala responded to Morarji's orders by raiding Savarkar’s residence and seized 143 files containing over 10,000 letters. However, no incriminating evidence pertaining to the 'Gandhi murder' case was found there. 

"The Bombay Police tried desperately to find anything that could link Savarkar to the ‘Gandhi-Murder’ but could not find it."

................................................................................................

"At noon, IGP Sanjeevi received a letter on his desk. It was sent from Bombay by ACP Nagarvala and contained a detailed report of his kidnapping theory by an ‘international organization comprising of over 400 men’. 

"At this hour, when Sanjeevi was being questioned endlessly for his failure in protecting Gandhi, this was the last thing he wanted to hear. 

"Fortunately for him, this was the last time that Nagarvala had mentioned his mythical story."

................................................................................................

"In the evening, Dr. Jain entered Morarji Desai's chamber. He was fuming with anger. 

"Jain asked Morarji "Sir, despite the vital information given by me, nine days in advance, how couldn't you save Gandhiji's life?" 

"Morarji was outraged "How dare you speak to me in that tone? Don't you know who I am?" 

"Dr. Jain screamed “Oh yes indeed, you are a useless and an incompetent Home Minister" 

"Morarji was red with anger "You keep your mouth shut or else I will put you in jail as a co-conspirator in the Gandhi Murder Case" 

"Dr Jain roared "Oh really? Do it and see the consequences. I will tell the whole world that you are the person responsible for Gandhiji's death" and left his office."

................................................................................................

"On 1st February 1948, mass anti-Brahmin massacres sponsored by the Indian National Congress engulfed many parts of Bombay Presidency. 

"Goons hired by the followers of ‘Non-Violence’ swooped down on innocent Brahmins and burnt down their houses, offices and business establishments. 

"In Bombay, 15 Brahmins were killed while in Poona, 55 lost their lives in this violence. The rioting was severe in the South Bombay regions of Satara, Belgaum and Kolhapur where over 3000 Brahmins were killed. 

"In one incident in Bombay, three male members of one family were lynched to death just because their surname was Godse."

................................................................................................

"In Bombay around 1000 Congress supporters gathered outside Savarkar’s residence and began pelting stones on it. Fortunately, the police arrived just in time and took control of the situation. 

"However, a mile away, the police could not prevent the crowds from severely injuring Savarkar's younger brother Narayan who lived nearby. 

"Finally, Sardar Patel had to issue a public appeal “In this moment of tragedy, if we succumb to the feelings of revenge and counter violence, we will fail to be worthy of Gandhiji” 63 

"The army was finally called in and the riots were brought under control. However, the perpetrators were never brought to book nor were the victims given any compensation by the Congress government as they were a negligible minority in the region."

................................................................................................

"Nagarvala had a long chat with Badge and extracted every minute detail of the conspiracy. Badge told Nagarvala everything from Nathuram's visit to his store, the trip to Bombay, the stay at the Hindu Mahasabha office, the address of Joshi’s house in Thana, details of Narayan’s affair with Manorama right up to the details of their actions in Delhi. 

"Badge folded his hands and pleaded "Saheb, have mercy on me. I will do anything you say" 

"Nagarvala, who was just waiting for this opportunity, said "Ok. I agree to help you but, on two conditions. First, if you agree to turn state witness and second, if you name Savarkar as the main conspirator in this murder plot" 

"Badge said "Saheb, I agree to the first condition. But, I will do nothing that lands Tatyarao in trouble because I consider him as a ‘Devta’ (Divine)" 

"Nagarvala cursed his luck but, kept up the pressure on Badge with a hope that he would give in soon."

................................................................................................

"Although the Bombay Police had sufficient evidence against all the main conspirators in the murder of Mahatma Gandhi, they were still not satisfied as the police had not found the evidence against Savarkar. 

"Nagarvala called up his investigating team and told them in clear words "I want all of you to concentrate all your energy on implicating Savarkar in the Gandhi Murder Case. There is someone up there who will be highly gratified if we manage to implicate Savarkar in this case”."

................................................................................................

"Meanwhile, Sardar Patel was facing relentless pressure from the Nehru faction of the Congress, who were holding him responsible for lapses in security which led to the murder of Gandhi. 

"A few days before the assassination of the Mahatma, Sardar Patel had warned the Nehru faction against its efforts to crush the RSS. Patel had lauded the young RSS workers who protected Hindu women and children during the post partition riots. 

"Nehru, in a bid to embarrass Patel, had grabbed this opportunity to attack him. Finally, Patel had no choice but to take action. On 4th February 1948, the Home Ministry banned the RSS and the Hindu Mahasabha and ordered the arrest of all its leaders. 

"On 5th February 1948, Nagarvala finally decided to go ahead with the arrests of all the persons named by Badge. He had waited for five days hoping to find some evidence or create one that could nail Savarkar.

................................................................................................

"By late afternoon, the police arrested Savarkar even though they did not possess sufficient evidence to satisfy a magistrate that a prima facie case existed so that he could issue a warrant. 

"So, the Bombay police arrested Savarkar under the Preventive Detention Act — one of the most malignant pieces of legislation with which the British had armed themselves while they ruled India. Savarkar was detained at the Arthur Road Jail in Bombay. 

"The charges framed against Savarkar were ‘acting in a manner prejudicial to the public safety’ and blamed for the anti-Brahmin riots though the riots were sponsored by the Congress. 

"During the freedom struggle, the Congress had persistently condemned the British for this Act. But now, they themselves were using it to settle scores over their political opponents."

................................................................................................

"Parchure was planning a revolt against the newly formed Congress government in Gwalior. The Nehru administration seized the opportunity following Gandhiji’s murder and detained him under the charge of ‘distributing sweets after Gandhiji’s death’. 

"Following his arrest, Dr. Parchure was locked up in the dungeons of the Gwalior Fort where Moghul rulers used to torture their enemies.

"A day later, Deulkar was joined by DIG (CID) Rana and R.B. Atal, a first class magistrate from Gwalior. They interrogated Dr. Parchure and forcibly obtained his signatures on a confession statement in which Dr. Parchure confessed having helped Nathuram in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.

"The police then charged Dr. Parchure as a member of the conspiracy and transferred him to Bombay without completing the extradition formalities. 

"Thus, the entire gang was now behind bars. Only Gangadhar Dandavate and S.D. Sharma were on the run. They were eventually declared absconders and were never found."

................................................................................................

"In the end, Badge succumbed to pressure and gave in to the demands of Nagarvala. This was just the moment Nagarvala was waiting for. 

"Nagarvala picked up the phone and triumphantly informed his political masters “Sir …… The big fish has finally been caught” 

"As a token of appreciation for his glorious achievement, Nagarvala’s political masters handsomely rewarded him.

"On 17th February 1948, Nagarvala received an order from Delhi saying “ACP Jamshed Dorab Nagarvala is hereby appointed as the Superintendent on Special Duty, Delhi Police to conduct the investigation into the ‘Gandhi Murder Case’ in addition to his duty as the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Bombay” 

"This appointment letter was a mark of approbation for Nagarvala for pleasing his political masters. For them, convicting Gandhi’s assassins was less important than settling political scores with Savarkar who had become a nuisance for the Congress. 

"The same day, the process of implicating Savarkar as the mastermind of Gandhi’s murder began. The police carefully inserted words into Badge’s confession statement that would implicate Savarkar into this whole conspiracy. 

"According to the statement of Digambar Badge revised by the police, Badge stated “On 15th January 1948, Narayan Apte disclosed his plan to me in the compound of the Bhuleshwar Temple. Apte told me that Tatyarao has given him his blessings for this job”."

................................................................................................

"Many years later, in an interview to Manohar Malgaonkar, Badge confessed that he was pressurized to say these words. He also admitted that on 17th January 1948, they never met Savarkar on our way to the airport. In fact, their taxi never stopped at Savarkar’s residence."

................................................................................................

"Like Badge, Dr. Jain too was pressurized to name Savarkar in his statement. He was asked to state that “Madanlal told me, on 15th January, before leaving for Delhi, that Savarkar had given him his blessings for murdering Gandhiji” 

"But, Jain refused to do so. Nagarvala then threatened to arrest him as a co-conspirator for hiding information on the conspiracy to kill Gandhiji. Finally, Jain gave in and signed on the statement. 

"However, ten days later, Jain backtracked on his statement and denied the involvement of Savarkar in this conspiracy. Jain confessed that the statement was obtained from him under duress."

................................................................................................

"The Indian Government, by an official gazette, proclaimed that all the accused, including Savarkar, would be tried together. This was another move by the government to publicly humiliate him."

................................................................................................

"Nathuram stood up and told the court “Your Honour, we were not given water for washing and bathing for two to three days despite repeated requests” 

"Nathuram further said “Though I am expecting all this from the authorities, I was not asking for a favor but it is my right under jail rules”

................................................................................................

"One day, Bhopatkar received a phone call in his office. The other person on the line was none other than India’s Law Minister, B.R. Ambedkar who called Bhopatkar on the Delhi Mathura road. Bhopatkar did as he was told. 

"Ambedkar told Bhopatkar “Your client, Savarkar, is being unnecessarily dragged into this case though through fabricated evidence” 

"Ambedkar further told Bhopatkar “Several members of the Indian cabinet, including Sardar Patel, have strongly voiced their protest against it but, they are helpless against this man’s arrogance” 

"Bhopatkar asked Ambedkar “Who…..Jawaharlal Nehru? .....But why?” 65 

"Ambedkar could not answer that question. Thus, it was evident that a case was built against Savarkar only to humiliate him and destroy his political career. 

"The Government of India had rewarded a person, who had spent 27 years of his life in jail for the cause of his country’s freedom, with a public humiliation."

................................................................................................

"On 8th November 1948, the third phase of court proceedings began. Justice Atmacharan took his seat and asked Nathuram whether he had anything to say. 

"The time was 10.15am. Nathuram got up and started reading a ninety page long statement in the court. At 11.00am, he began feeling dizzy and collapsed. 

"Nathuram rested for a while and then continued reading. It took him five hours to read the statement. He took breaks in between by sipping water and resting for a few seconds. 

"At 3.30pm, Nathuram finally ended the statement by raising the slogan ‘Akhand Bharat Amar Rahe’ (Long Live United India) and ‘Vande Mataram’ (Hail Motherland).”

"But the Indian Government did not take it lying down. It did not yield to the supremacy of the judiciary. 

"With a stranglehold of authority it banned the statement for its reproduction or publication in part or in full. 

"The motive on the part of the Government was obvious. It did not want Gandhi to be exposed to the public. 

"The Government wanted the atmosphere of prejudice against Nathuram to continue and suppress the truth, probably, in its own fashion of thinking, as a befitting reverence to the Mahatma. 

"The Government's action remained unchallenged and the ban continued for years till the law was annulled. After a lapse of about five decades, in 1998, the statement finally reached the public."

................................................................................................

"Savarkar too filed a written statement in which he not only condemned the murder of Gandhi, but also gave a point to point rebuttal of the charges levied against him."

................................................................................................

"However, Savarkar was declared ‘Not-Guilty’ by the judge. 

"Justice Atmacharan. While reading the judgement, pronounced “The prosecution case against Vinayak D Savarkar appeared to rest just on the evidence of the approver and the approver alone” 

"Justice Atmacharan also said “The charges levied against Savarkar did not hold any ground” 

"Atmacharan further said “Even if the visit to his house by Nathuram as stated by Badge in his statement, was true, it cannot be assumed that it was a meet to discuss the murder of Gandhi” 

"Justice Atmacharan stated “The statement of Badge quoting Narayan Apte saying ‘Savarkar had given him his blessings for the murder of Gandhi’ could not be proved and it may have been said by Apte in his personal capacity”."

................................................................................................

"Savarkar’s acquittal was a huge embarrassment to the Indian Government, which had tried every trick in the book to nail him. 

"The celebration of Savarkar’s acquittal by his supporters was not taken lightly by the Indian Government. The Delhi District Magistrate immediately imposed a ban on Savarkar from entering Delhi and Punjab for three months under the Punjab Security Act. 

"Such was the amount of venom against Savarkar that the Delhi District Magistrate ordered him to leave Delhi by the first available train.

"In his judgment, Justice Atmacharan drew the attention of the Government of India towards one of the most criminal negligence and shocking inefficiency of the Bombay Police in preventing this ‘much avoidable murder’.

"What was even more appalling was the fact that these officers were not even asked to give an explanation for their lackadaisical approach towards saving the life of the Mahatma. Jamshed Nagarvala was even commemorated as a hero."

................................................................................................

"On 5th May 1949, Nathuram was asked to present his statement. He stood up and spoke for several hours."

"Finally, Nathuram ended his speech by reciting verses from the ‘Bhagwad Gita’. ‘Sukhdukhey samey kritva laabhalaabhau jayajayau Tato yuddhaaya yujyasva naivam paapam avaapsyasi’"

"Many years later, the presiding judge, G.D. Khosla, described this incident in his book ‘Murder of the Mahatma’ by writing 

"“The audience was visibly moved. There was a deep silence when he ceased speaking. Many women were in tears amd men were coughing and searching for their handkerchiefs.” 

"“The silence was accentuated and made deeper by the sound of an occasional subdued sniff or a muffled cough. It seemed to me that I was taking part in some kind of melodrama or in a scene out of a Hollywood feature film” 

"“Once or twice, I had interrupted Godse and pointed out the irrelevance of what he was saying, but my colleagues seemed inclined to hear him and the audience most certainly thought that Godse’s performance was the only worthwhile part of the lengthy proceedings…..” 

"“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” 66."

................................................................................................

"Inamdar came out with an ingenious idea and wrote the entire seventeen page confession statement sitting at his home. Next day, he showed it to the court and said that it took him three hours to write the confession statement. 

"Inamdar also informed the court that, as per the records of the Gwalior Fort, where Parchure was imprisoned, the magistrate was present for just three hours. 

"Thus, it was impossible to record a confession statement of this size within three hours in the prison. Inamdar convinced the court that the magistrate had brought a readymade statement and Parchure’s signatures on it were obtained by force. 

"Inamdar further presented evidences which showed that Parchure was kept in military custody which was illegal. He thus proved that Parchure’s confession was obtained by force. 

"The prosecution argued “If the confession was obtained by force, then where did the pistol come from” 

"Inamdaar pointed out to Nathuram’s statement in court where he had said that he got the pistol from a refugee camp. 

"The prosecution then presented the tree bark with bullet mark which the police had brought from Parchure’s backyard in Gwalior. 

"Inamdar rebutted this evidence by saying that if the police can obtain a confession by inhuman methods, they can surely carry the pistol from Delhi to Gwalior to make bullet marks on the tree in Parchure’s compound. 

"The prosecution was now falling short of evidence and they could not dig their feet any more as many more skeletons would have emerged if the history of the pistol was unearthed. 

"The Baretta 9mm pistol, bearing serial no. 606824, was manufactured in Italy and was a part of Mussolini’s army in the Second World War. It was brought to India by Lieutenant Colonel V.V. Joshi of the Gwalior Infantry 4th Division as a trophy of war. 

"As per the rules of the army, the pistol should have been preserved in the museum of the Gwalior Light Infantry which was then under the control of a Congress led government in Gwalior. 

"Dandavate, the man who gave Nathuram the gun, had got it form a man named Jagdish Prasad Goel. 

"How did the gun come out of the Gwalior Infantry museum and reach into the hands of Goel remained a mystery. 

"Nagarvala too did not investigate the chain of ownership of the pistol before it reached Nathuram’s hands by stating that it was of little importance. 

"Thus, the prosecution decided to put this issue to rest.

................................................................................................

"In his judgement, Justice Acchu Ram upheld the trial court verdict against Narayan, Vishnu, Madanlal and Gopal. As Nathuram had not appealed against the verdict of the trial court, his death sentence stood. 

"Shankar was acquitted as the judge found his lawyers argument satisfactory that he had acted merely as Badge’s servant and hence could not be charged as an accomplice. 

"Parchure too was acquitted as the judge believed that his confession statement was obtained by force and there was no other evidence to link him to the murder of Gandhiji."

................................................................................................

"However, in the case of Parchure, Justice Acchu Ram compared the police to ‘demons from hell’ and criticized them for using inhuman means to force Parchure into signing a confession. 

"The Judge compared the police with the ‘Nazis’ and condemned their actions. He also condemned the actions of Chief Magistrate R.B. Atal as ‘Deplorable’, ‘Absurd’ and ‘Doctored’. 

"Justice Acchu Ram pronounced “Who will believe it, think of a magistrate who says all this?” 67"

"There wasn’t much difference between Justice Khosla’s and Justice Bhandari’s judgements from Justice Acchu Ram’s judgement."

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"After the verdict of the Punjab High Court, Nathuram, Narayan, Vishnu, Madanlal and Gopal were moved to the Ambala Central Jail, Punjab to serve their sentence. 

"There, the Jail Superintendent, Arjundas, who was known to be a very strict and upright officer, treated them with utmost respect. Like many Indians, he too had a strong sense of patriotism in him. He had a deep political understanding of the events that occurred after partition. 

"Arjundas knew how the convicts felt for their motherland when it was torn apart by power hungry elements. He adored them because they had plunged themselves into fire for the sake of millions of his fellow Punjabis whom they did not even know. 

"In the twenty two weeks which Nathuram, Narayan, Vishnu, Madanlal and Gopal spent with Arjundas, they struck a good friendship with each other. 

"They would sit and talk with Arjundas for hours. The Superintendent had seen bloodshed of his own people during the partition. He cursed the hypocrites who uttered now and then of having achieved independence on their own by non-violence. 

"For Nathuram, Narayan, Vishnu, Madanlal and Gopal the days spent in Ambala Jail were just like life spent within the comfort of our home. 

"On 26th October 1949, Nathuram’s family members appealed before the Privy Council in London against the verdict of the Punjab High Court.

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"On 12th November 1949, Nathuram wrote a letter to his parents in which he stated 

"“My Most Revered Parents, 

"My last humble salutations to you, I have your photo with me. While offering adorations to your photo I will be absolved in Brahma (The Almighty). 

"There will be no doubt that due to the worldly and practical relationship that existed between us, my death will certainly give you a terrible grief. 

"But I am not at all writing this letter either due to the grief or to discuss about the grief. You both are acquainted with the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita and have thoroughly studied our Mythologies. Bhagavan Sri Krishna had preached the 'Gita'. 

"The name Sri Krishna with his powerful weapon 'Sudarshan Chakra' had decapitated 'Sishupal', an Aryan King; not in the battlefield but on the land of the Rajasuya Yagna. Who can dare call this very act of Sri Krishna a sin? Sri Krishna had killed so many persons both in wars and on other occasions for the sake of establishing universal happiness. 

"For the sake of one 'Seeta Devi' the Ramayana story was developed. Only for the sake of one 'Draupadi' the history of 'Maha Bharat' had been born. Today, in front of our own eyes the chastity of thousands of women is being violated. 

"The persons who are committing these monstrous atrocities on women, are being helped in all possible ways. In such horrible circumstances, either for fear of our lives or for fear of public criticism, it was not possible for me to be silent without doing anything. I strongly believe that the blessings of thousands of women are backing me and substantiate my act. 

"I am laying down my sacrifice at the feet of my beloved Motherland. My sacrifice may cause a bit of a loss to our own family. 

"But, the destructed, demolished temples, the heaps of decapitated heads, the cruel murders committed on boys and girls and the atrocities on women...are reeling every minute before my eyes. I felt it was my utmost duty to cut off the help that was being carried to the wicked committing these cruel deeds. 

"My mind is clean. Though many would entertain varied thoughts regarding my act, my mind is not perturbed even for the fraction of a second. If there is anything such as heaven, my place has been assured there and hence there is no necessity for me to offer a special prayer. 

"If at all there is anything as such salvation, I am eligible to it. I do not in the least wish to live at the mercy of amnesty. I feel that a life obtained by an act of mercy is the real death for me. Death has not come in front of me. 

"I myself have gone to the face of death. I am seeing with my smiling face, the Goddess of death. That Goddess of death also is so eagerly waiting to embrace me as a friend. Death has no power to distort the image of the 'realized ones', with sorrow. 

"To fulfill the dream of my ideal that, from the river 'Sindhu' to the seas, this whole land of Bharat should become independent...this body of mine must essentially die. 

"This self-sacrifice of mine, for which the eyes of lakhs of people of this country are shedding tears, will share your sorrow. 

"Akhand Bharat Amar Rahe! 

"Vande Mataram!! 

"Many Many Salutations to your feet, 

"Humbly Yours, Nathuram” 72

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Nathuram Godse's last letter to his brother Dattatreya Godse, where, after the greeting, and instructions about family concerns, he says:- 

“If it is a sin to love the motherland, I have committed a sin. If it is pious, I am proud to have done it. I am certain that, above the courts established by humans, there is a court which would not find me guilty. 

"I have done my duty towards my community which had to bear enormous sufferings due to Gandhiji’s policies. I have killed him and I do not consider myself guilty of any crime. I am sure that, one day in the future my sacrifice will be appreciated.

"I am breathing my last breath of the winds blowing over the sacred lands of kurukshetra and Panipat. Punjab is the Karma Bhoomi of Guru Gobind Singh, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev who have given their ‘Aahuti’ to this very soil. 

"This province has also produced great men like Lala Lajpat Rai and Bhai Parmanand. Therefore on this very sacred land of Punjab, I am laying down my body. 

"I wish that one day this country will re-unite once again. This is my last wish. 

"Humbly yours 

"Nathuram” 75

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"Nathuram's and Narayan's bodies were hurriedly taken away and cremated in an open ground outside the prison walls. The Assistant Superintendent of Ambala Jail, Ramnath Sharma performed the last rites before their bodies were cremated."

"Finally, when they were confident no one was following, they stopped and the ashes were hastily immersed in the Ghagar River from the top of a railway bridge. 

"Meanwhile, the authorities at the Ambala Jail ploughed the land on which Nathuram's and Narayan's bodies were cremated and planted grass on it. 

"All this was done with precision and in a carefully calculated way only to ensure no one could identify the location and thereafter build memorials of them in the future."

"Although the police had taken every precaution not to be spotted while immersing the ashes, their entire effort would soon go in vain. One of the prison guards, after returning home from duty, mentioned this incident to a shopkeeper later in the day who in turn whispered the information to Indrasen Sharma, a local Hindu Mahasabha volunteer employed by ‘The Tribune’. 

"Sharma, accompanied by two fellow Mahasabha activists, immediately left for the spot. They entered the river which was just six inches deep and managed to retrieve half an urn of the ashes. The urn was then handed over to Om Prakash Kohal, a lecturer in a local college, who in turn passed it on to Dr L.V. Paranjape in Nasik. There it lay in safe custody until it was handed over to Gopal after his release in 1965. 

"It is now preserved in a silver urn and kept in Gopal’s residential flat in Pune. Every year, on 15th November, ‘Balidaan Diwas’ (Martyrdom Day) is observed in Poona and an ‘Aarti’ (Tribute) is offered to the urn."

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"After their release, Vishnu, Gopal and Madanlal were given a hero’s welcome by the Hindu Mahasabha which celebrated their release by organizing a ‘Satya Narayan’ Pooja at the Udyan Karyalaya in Poona on 12th November 1964 which was attended by around 200 people. 

"People garlanded Nathuram's photograph and paid floral tributes to the saffron flag, the map of undivided India and the ‘Bhagwad Gita’ which he was holding while climbing the gallows.

"One of the prominent personalities who attended the function were G.V. Ketkar, the grandson of Bal Gangadhar Tilak. Addressing the function, Ketkar roared "I knew all about the plot to kill Gandhiji around six months in advance. Nathuram had told me all about this conspiracy when we had met at the Shivaji Mandir on the eve of India’s independence"."

"On 25th November 1964, Ketkar, Gopal and the organizer of the event, Ghasias were arrested under the dreaded Public Detention Act. They were kept in jail for over a year with no offence registered against them. They were finally set free on 30th November 1965."

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"On 22nd March 1965, under pressure of 29 members of parliament, the Home minister, Gulzarilal Nanda, appointed a commission of inquiry headed by Gopal Swarup Pathak, former judge of Allahabad High Court and a member of the upper house of Parliament. 

"However, a year later, Pathak became a Union Minister of Law in the Central Government headed by Indira Gandhi. 

"Thus, on 21st November 1966, Justice Jeevanlal Kapur, former Supreme Court judge, was appointed in his place. 

"In order to assist the commission, R.B. Kotwal was engaged by the Government of Maharashtra while B.B. Lal was engaged by the Government of India. The commission examined 101 witnesses and 407 documents were produced.

"As the investigation progressed it became obvious that the sole agenda of the Kapur Commission was to implicate people who were no longer alive as ‘Dead Men Don’t Talk’ and a malicious attempt to please 'someone up there'."

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"Nagarvala was summoned by the commission and questioned on his inaction on the information provided to him by Sanjeevi. 

"But, Nagarvala vehemently denied before the commission that Sanjeevi had not provided him with information which Madanlal had revealed. 

"Surprisingly, the Home Secretary R.N. Bannerjee seconded Nagarvala’s claims by saying "Sanjeevi never gave us any information about it" 82. 

"In fact, Bannerjee was the very person who had appointed Nagarvala as the head of investigation in the ‘Gandhi Murder Case’. 

"Nagarvala further denied Rana meeting him on 27th January with the report sent by Sanjeevi. 

"Surprisingly, the commission blindly believed in Nagarvala’s side of the story and indicted Sanjeevi, for unpardonable criminal negligence in protecting Gandhi's life. 

However, a deep study in the ‘Gandhi Murder’ reveals that Sanjeevi was the only police officer who had honestly tried his best to save Gandhi’s life. 

"After Sanjeevi’s soul was tarnished, the next target of the commission was V.D. Savarkar, who was also dead. 

"The day after Gandhi’s death, Nagarvala had arrested Savarkar’s bodyguard Appa Kasar and his secretary Gajanan Damle along with many Hindu Mahasabha activists."

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"Thus, it was evident that, once again, efforts were being made by ‘someone up there’ to drag Savarkar into this whole mess. The Congressmen simply could not bear the humiliation of seeing Savarkar die an honourable death and were hell bent on convicting him posthumously so that they could at least smile in triumph."

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"The commission concluded that the murder of Gandhiji was nothing but a ‘conspiracy of Savarkar and his group in the murder of Gandhiji’. It also blamed Sanjeevi for ‘criminal neglicence’. 

"But, the commission never raised any questions on the role of Nagarvala, Rana and Morarji Desai whose callousness had resulted in the death of the Mahatma. 

"Thus, it was obvious that the Kapur Commission report, just like Jamshed Nagarvala’s investigation report, was only a farce whose sole intention was not to uncover the truth behind the Mahatma’s murder, but to please ‘someone up there’."

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"Gopal Vinayak Godse spent the rest of his life in his residential flat in Poona. After his release, he appealed against the ban, on publishing Nathuram's statement, in the Bombay High Court. In a landmark 217-page judgement delivered in 1968, the court said, "We think that the claim of the publisher that 'Gandhi's assassination is now a matter of history' ... is fairly justified" 84. 

"Although the court lifted the ban on publishing the statement, the government responded by threatening the publishers of indicting them under Section 153 (Imprisonment for inciting communal hatred) if they published the book. It was only after 1983 when the court ruled that Section 153 cannot be cannot be misused to thwart historical research, the statement was published under the name ‘Why I assassinated Gandhi?’ 

"Thereafter, Gopal wrote a number of books on the murder of Gandhiji namely ‘Gandhi Hatya Kyon’, ‘It May Please Your Honour’ and many others. But, due to threats from left wing hooligans, reputed publishers became reluctant to publish the books."

"A few days before his death, he said in an interview to India Today "It took the Jews 1,600 years to recover Jerusalem. Each year they took the pledge to do so. Then, suddenly one day, there was Jerusalem" 85 Gopal Godse died on 26th November 2005."

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"Today, Nana Godse proudly proclaims "My uncle was not a lunatic or contract killer, but a devout nationalist" 91." 

"Each year on 15th November, the Godse family gathers at their residence to read Nathuram's final speech. The centrepiece at these congregations is an outline of ‘Akhand Bharat’ that includes modern-day Pakistan and Bangladesh, fashioned out of glowing bulbs with garlanded pictures of the Mahatma’s assassins. This event is attended by 300 to 400 people, many of them uninvited."

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"These are extracts from Nathuram's last speech read in the Punjab High Court on 8th November 1948. 

"Reading quietly from a typed manuscript, Nathuram sought to explain why he had killed Gandhi. The original statement covered ninety-pages, and Nathuram was on his feet for five hours.

"Nathuram's statement, excerpted below, provides a deep insight into his personality and his exhaustive knowledge and deep understanding of the concept of ‘Indian Nationhood’

"YOUR HONOUR …… 

"“Born in a devotional Brahmin family, I instinctively came to revere Hindu religion, Hindu history and Hindu culture. I had, therefore, been intensely proud of Hinduism as a whole. As I grew up I developed a tendency to free thinking unfettered by any superstitious allegiance to any isms, political or religious” 

"“All this thinking and reading led me to believe that it was my first duty to serve Hindudom and Hindus both as a patriot and as a world citizen. To secure the freedom and to safeguard the just interests of some thirty crores (three hundred million) of Hindus would automatically constitute the freedom and well-being of all India, one fifth of the human race” 

"“This conviction led me naturally to devote myself to the Hindu Sanatanist ideology and programme, which alone, I came to believe, could win and preserve the National Independence of Hindustan, my Motherland, and enable her to render true service to humanity as well” 

"“Since the year 1920, that is, after the demise of Lokmanya Tilak, Gandhi's influence in the Congress first increased and then became supreme. His activities for public awakening were phenomenal in their intensity and were reinforced by the slogan of truth and non-violence, which he paraded ostentatiously before the country. No sensible or enlightened person could object to these slogans”

"“But Gandhi developed a subjective mentality under which he alone was to be the final judge of what was right or wrong. If the country wanted his leadership, it had to accept his infallibility; if it did not, he would stand aloof from the Congress and carry on in his own way. Against such an attitude there can be no halfway house. Either Congress had to surrender its will to his and had to be content with playing second fiddle to all his eccentricity, whimsicality, metaphysics and primitive vision, or it had to carry on without him” 

"“Thus the Mahatma became the judge and the jury in his own case. These childish insanities and obstinacies, coupled with a most severe austerity of life, ceaseless work and lofty character made Gandhi formidable and irresistible. Many people thought that his policies were irrational, but they had either to withdraw from the Congress or place their intelligence at his feet to do with as he liked. In a position of such absolute irresponsibility, Gandhi was guilty of blunder after blunder, failure after failure, and disaster after disaster”

"“The official date for the handing over of power was fixed for June 30, 1948, but Mountbatten with his ruthless surgery gave us a gift of vivisected India ten months in advance. This is what Gandhi had achieved after thirty years of undisputed dictatorship and this is what the Congress party calls 'freedom' and 'peaceful transfer of power' to India”

"“The Hindu-Muslim unity bubble was finally burst and a theocratic state was established with the consent of Nehru and his crowd and they called it 'freedom won by them with sacrifice' - whose sacrifice? When top leaders of Congress, with the consent of Gandhi, divided and tore the country - which we considered a deity of worship - my mind was filled with direful anger” 

"“I stoutly maintain that Gandhi has failed in his duty. He has proved to be the Father of Pakistan. His inner-voice, his spiritual power, his doctrine of non-violence of which so much is made of, all crumbled against Jinnah's iron will and proved to be powerless”

"“After having fully considered the question, I took the final decision in the matter, but I did not speak about it to anyone whatsoever. I took courage in both my hands and I did fire the shots at Gandhiji on 30th January 1948, on the prayer-grounds in Birla House” 

"“I do say that my shots were fired at the person whose policy and action had brought rack and ruin and destruction to millions of Hindus. There was no legal machinery by which such an offender could be brought to book and for this reason I fired those fatal shots. I bear no ill will towards anyone individually, but I do say that I had no respect for the present government owing to their policy, which was unfairly favourable towards the Muslims. But at the same time I could clearly see that the policy was entirely due to the presence of Gandhi” 

"“I thought to myself and foresaw that I shall be totally ruined, and the only thing I could expect from the people would be nothing but hatred and that I shall have lost all my honour, even more valuable than my life, if I were to kill Gandhiji. But at the same time I thought that the Indian politics in the absence of Gandhiji would surely be practical, able to retaliate and would be powerful with the armed forces. No doubt, my own future would be totally ruined, but the nation would be saved from the inroads of Pakistan. People may even call me or dub me as devoid of any sense or foolish, but the nation would be free to follow the course founded on the reason, which I consider necessary for sound nation-building” 

"“There was no enmity between Gandhi and myself on any personal grounds. To those who speak of Gandhi's honest motive in supporting Pakistan, I have only to say that I had nothing but the purest interest of our nation at my heart in taking the extreme step against the person of Gandhi, who was the most responsible and answerable person for the terrible event culminating in the creation of Pakistan” 

"“It is stated in some quarters that the people could not have got the independence unless Pakistan was conceded. But I took it to be an utterly incorrect and untrue view. To me it appears to be merely a poor excuse to justify the action taken by the leaders. This event of Pakistan had upset the tranquility of my mind”

"“But even after the establishment of Pakistan if this Gandhian Government had taken any steps to protect the interests of Hindus in Pakistan it could have been possible for me to control my mind which was terribly shaken on account of this terrible deception of the people.” 

"“Every day that dawned brought forth the news about thousands of Hindus being massacred, hundreds of women torn of their clothes being made naked and taken into procession and those Hindu women were being sold in the market places like cattle. Thousands and thousands of Hindus had to run away for their lives and they had lost everything of theirs. How was this terrible happening counter-acted by the Union Government, by throwing bread to the refugees from the air?” 

"“But, the Government which was under the thumb of Gandhi, resorted to absolutely different ways. If the grievances of the minorities in Pakistan were voiced in the press, it was dubbed as an attempt to spread disaffection amongst the communities and made an offence and the Congress Governments in several Provinces started demanding securities under the Press Emergency Powers Act, one after the other. Thus there was total disappointment in my attempt to bring pressure by peaceful means upon the Congress Governments guided by Gandhian creed.” 

"“When all these happenings were taking place in Pakistan, Gandhiji did not even by a sings word protest and censure the Pakistan Government or the Muslims concerned. The Muslim atrocities resorted to in Pakistan to root out the Hindu culture and the Hindu society have been entirely due to the teachings of Gandhiji and his behaviour. If the Indian politics had been handled in a practical manner there would never have been the terrible human slaughter as has taken place-a thing without any precedent in history.”

"“I am prepared to concede that Gandhiji did undergo sufferings for the sake of the nation. He did bring about an awakening in the minds of the people. He also did nothing for personal gain; but it pains me to say that he was not honest enough to acknowledge the defeat and failure of the principle of nonviolence on all sides. I have read the lives of other intelligent and powerful Indian patriots who have made sacrifices even greater than those done by Gandhiji. I have seen personally some of them. But whatever that may be, I shall bow in respect to the service done by Gandhiji to the country, and to Gandhiji himself for the said service.”

"“But I do maintain that even this servant of the country had no right to vivisect the country-the image of our worship-by deceiving the people. But he did it all the same. There was no legal machinery by which such an offender could be brought to book and it was therefore that I resorted to the firing of shots at Gandhiji as that was the only thing for me to do.”

"“Really speaking, my life also came to an end simultaneously with the shorts fired by me at Gandhiji. Since then I spent my days as if in trance and meditation. Whatever I have seen and observed during this time has given me complete satisfaction. Had this act not been done by me, of course it would have been better for me” 

"“But circumstances were beyond my control. So strong was the impulse of my mind that I felt that this man should not be allowed to meet a natural death so that the world may know that he had to pay the penalty of his life for his unjust, anti-national and dangerous favouritism towards a fanatical section of the country” 

"“I decided to put an end to this matter and to the further massacre of lacs of Hindus for no fault of theirs. May God, now pardon him for his egoistic nature which proved to be too disastrous for the beloved sons of this Holy Land.” 

“There now remains hardly anything for me to say. If devotion to one's country amounts to a sin, I admit I have committed that sin. If it is meritorious, I humbly claim the merit thereof”

"“I fully and confidently believe that if there be any other court of justice beyond the one founded by the mortals, my act will not be taken as unjust. If after the death there be no such place to reach or to go, there is nothing to be said” 

"“I have resorted to the action I did purely for the benefit of the humanity. I do say that my shots were fired at the person whose policy and action had brought destruction to lakhs of Hindus.” 

"“I now stand before the court to accept the full share of my responsibility for what I have done and the judge would, of course, pass against me such orders of sentence as may be considered proper. But, I would like to add that I do not desire any mercy to be shown to me, nor do I wish that anyone should beg for mercy on my behalf” 

"“May the country properly known as Hindusthan be again united and be one, and may, the people be taught to discard the defeatist mentality leading them to submit to the aggressors” 

"“This is my last wish and prayer to the Almighty.” 

"`AKHANDA BHARAT AMAR RAHE' 

"`VANDE MATARAM'"

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December 01, 2021 - December 14, 2021. 

Borrowed November 25, 2021. 

Purchased December 05, 2021. 

Kindle Edition, 301 pages

Published February 17th 2017 

by Pegadas Criacao Private Limited

ASIN:- B06WD79MJ4

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ISBN: 9788193345504 

Printed by: LOKMANYA PROCESS 

Corlim, Ilhas,, Goa, India 

lokmanyaprocess@gmail.com

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              QUOTES ON ISLAM BY EMINENT INDIANS

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Rabindranath Tagore 

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A very important factor which is making it almost impossible for Hindu-Muslim unity to become an accomplished fact is that the Muslims cannot confine their patriotism to any one country. I had frankly asked many Muslims whether, in the event of any Mohammedan power invading India, they would stand side by side with their Hindu neighbours to defend their common motherland, I was not satisfied with the reply I got from them. 

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Rabindranath Tagore 

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We want to draw a veil over our past to appease the Muslims…. We have done it for a long time. It is time we lift the veil from our eyes. 

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Lala Lajpat Rai 

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I have devoted most of my time during the last six months to the study of Muslim History and Muslim Law and I am inclined to think that Hindu-Muslim unity is neither possible not practicable… I do honestly and sincerely believe in the necessity and desirability of Hindi-Muslim unity. I am also fully prepared to trust the Muslim leaders, but what about the injunctions of the Koran and Hadis. The leaders cannot override them. 

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Sarat Chandra Chatterji 

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> If we go by the lessons of history we have to accept that the goal of the Hindu-Muslim unity is a mirage. When Muslims first entered India, they looted the country, destroyed the temples, broke the idols, raped the women and heaped innumerable indignities on the people of this country. Today it appears that such noxious behavior has entered the bone marrow of Muslims. Unity can be achieved among equals…. I am of the view that Hindu-Muslim unity, which could not be achieved during the last thousand years, will not materialize during the ensuing thousand years. 

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 Annie Besant (The founder of the Congress Party) 

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The inner Muslim feeling of hatred against ‘unbelievers’ has spring up naked and unashamed…. We have seen, revived, as guide in practical politics, the old Muslim religion of the sword…. In thinking of an independent India, the menace of Mohammedan rule has to be considered. 

 

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Sri Aurobindo 

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I am sorry they are making a fetish of this Hindu-Muslim unity. It is no use ignoring facts; some day the Hindus may have to fight the Muslims and they must prepare for it. Hindu–Muslim unity should not mean the subjection of the Hindus. Every time the mildness of the Hindu has given way to barbarism of Islam. The best solution would be to allow the Hindus to organize themselves and the Hindu-Muslim unity would take care of itself, it would automatically solve the problem. 

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Sri Aurobindo 

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You can live amicably with a religion whose principle is toleration. But how is it possible to live with a religion whose principle is ‘I will not tolerate’? You cannot build unity on such basis. Perhaps the only way of making the Mohammedans harmless is to make them lose their faith in their religion. 

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Dr. B.R. Ambedkar 

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To talk about Hindu-Muslim unity from a thousand platforms or to give it blazoning headlines is to perpetrate an illusion whose cloudily structure dissolves itself at the exchange of brickbats and desecration of tombs and temples….Nothing I could say can so well show the futility of Hindu-Muslim unity. Hindu-Muslim unity up to now was at least in sight although it was like a mirage. Today it is out of sight and also out of mind. 

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Dr.B.R. Ambedkar 

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The brotherhood of Islam is not the universal brotherhood of man. It is brotherhood of Muslims for Muslims only. There is a fraternity but its benefit is confined to those within that corporation. For those who are outside the corporation, there is nothing but contempt, slavery and enmity. 

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Ram Swarup 

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Religious harmony is a desirable thing. But it takes two to play the game. Unfortunately such a sentiment holds  no position in Islamic theology. 

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Shiv Prasad Roy 

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Pakistan and Bangladesh are their fixed deposits. Those are Islamic states. No one else can lay claim on them. India is a joint account. Plunder it as much as you please. 

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Francois Gautier  

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This is a profession of faith of a Muslim: ‘I certify that there is no God other than Allah, of whom Mohammed is the only prophet’, which means in effect: After and before Mohammed, there is nobody else…’Thus the whole religion of Islam is based on negation: nobody but us, no other religion but ours’. And if you disagree, you shall die. This puts a serious limitation to tolerance and from this strong belief sprang all the horrors of the Muslim invasion of India. 

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Francois Gautier 

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Let it be said right away: the massacres perpetrated by Muslims in India are unparalleled in history, bigger than the holocaust of the Jews by the Nazis; or the massacre of the Armenians by the Turks; more extensive even than the slaughter of the South American native populations by the invading Spanish and Portuguese in early days of America. 

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Will Durant 

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The Mohammedan conquest of India was probably the bloodiest story in history. 

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Alain Danielou 

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From the time Muslims started arriving, around 632 AD, the history of India becomes a long, monotonous series of murders, massacres, spoliations, and destructions 

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Rizwan Salim 

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Their minds filled with venom against the idol-worshippers of Hindustan, the Muslims destroyed a large number of ancient Hindu temples. This is a historical fact, mentioned by Muslim chronicles and others of the time. 

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Rizwan Salim 

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Savages at a very low level of civilization and no culture worth the name, from Arabia and west Asia, began entering India from the early century onwards. Islamic invaders demolished countless Hindu temples, shattered uncountable sculpture and idols, plundered innumerable palaces and forts of Hindu kings, killed vast numbers of Hindu men and carried off Hindu women..….. But many Indians still do not seem to recognize that the alien Muslim marauders destroyed the historical evolution of the earth’s most mentally advanced civilization, the most richly imaginative culture, and the most vigorously creative society. 

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Dr. Younis Shaikh 

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 ….eighty million were slaughtered and millions of women were raped…..it was standard practice for Islamic warlords like Ghori and Ghazni to unleash the mass rape and enslavement of hundreds of thousands of women after the slaughter of all males. 

     An extremely large percentage of Muslims in South Asia today are the progeny of forcible conversions and systematic rape campaigns by marauding Muslim invaders. 

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Koenraad Elst 

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..the number of victims of the persecutions of Hindus by Muslims is easily of the same order of magnitude as that of the Nazi extermination policy, though no one has yet made the effort of tabulating the reported massacres and proposing a reasonable estimate of how many millions exactly must have died in the course of the Islamic campaign against Hinduism (such research is taboo). On top of these there is a similar number of abductions and deportations to harems and slave-markets, as well as centuries of political oppression and cultural destruction…… 

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Dr K D Prithipal 

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Muslims will only live as an oppressive majority and a turbulent minority. 

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Sardar Ballavbhai Patel 

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A nationalist Muslim is only a contradiction in terms.

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