Why I killed the Mahatma; Uncovering Godse’s Defense

Book review

Author:  Koenraad Elst

It was on 30^th of  January 1948, on the way to his daily public prayer session in the garden of Birla House, Delhi, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, leader of the movement that had presided over India’s independence from Britain in August 1947, was shot dead by three  revolver shot by a Hindu fanatic Nathuram Vinayak Godse. The news spread to east and west with shocked in irony that man who fought for freedom with non-violence was shot in violence. Well, Nathuram Godse was hanged to death but during his trial he gave the statement and at this time the statement was prohibited to publish.

About the Author

Koenraad Elst is a Flemish indologist (Anti-muslim ideologist), known for support of the Out of India theory and the Hindutva movement. He has also engaged himself with the Flemish movement, for direct democracy and Flemish secession. He has also written articles on anti-Islamism where he support the strong criticism on Muslim ideology which has a strong connection with terrorism.

The Book discovers the Godse’s defense on why he had to kill Gandhi. Elst has not only talked on the defense made by Godse but also made a critical review on the outcome of Godse’s act and also what led to end of Gandhism.

 

In Godse’s Defense India after the partitioned majority of the Muslims were clustered towards Lahore, Pakistan and Hindu many of them migrated towards India where most of the Hindu resides. Due to the contrasting belief system India was divided by secularism. Godse truly believed that Gandhi was in most of the time in favour of Muslims, who were never the true fan of Gandhi. Example Hindu immigrant were asked to vacant from the mosque, Gandhi even read the Quran in the temple but never read any Bhagawat Gita in Mosque saying all religion are equal, after the partition India was to give Rs. 550 million to Pakistan as their share from treasury from British but Pakistan started terrorism which Indian government stopped but Gandhi threated the government eventually India had to give.

Muslims were killing Hindus and women and girls were raped, Gandhi replied with unrealistic statement, “Telling people to score a moral victory at the price of their lives is not the advice which many people would receive gladly.” Almost everywhere Hidus became the communal orgies at the hands of Muslim. People became perfectly cynical about any possibility of unity between Hindus but Mahatma kept on repeating his barren formula all the time.

Godse thought that Gandhi had become an obstacle to the wellbeing of the nation to which both of them were devoted.

Godse’s best said “The accumulating provocation of 32 years culminating in his last Pro-Muslim fast goaded me to the conclusion that the existence of Gandhiji should be brought to an end immediately.”

 

Godse’s Farewell

”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, antinational and dangerous favoritism towards a fanatical section of the country. I decided to put an end to this matter and to the further massacre of lakhs 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.”

This book is overall a good compilation of different perspectives not only from the point of Godse but the book also sometimes criticize Godse.