Nathuram Vinayak Godse (Marathi: नथूराम विनायक गोडसे) (May 19, 1910 – November 15, 1949) was the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi.

Early life

Group photo of people accused in the murder of Mahatma Gandhi. Standing: Shankar Kistaiya, Gopal Godse, Madanlal Pahwa, Digambar Badge (Approver). Seated: Narayan Apte, Vinayak D. Savarkar, Nathuram Godse, Vishnu Karkare

Nathuram Godse was born in Baramati, Pune District. His father, a post office employee, was Vinayak Vamanrao Godse; his mother was Lakshmi (Godavari before marriage). Upon birth, he was named Ramachandra by his parents.

Nathuram attended the local school at Baramati up through the fourth standard. Then he was sent to live with an aunt in Pune so that he could study at an English-language school. During his school days, Gandhi was an idol to him.

In 1930, Nathuram's father was transferred to the town of Ratnagiri. While staying with his parents at Ratnagiri, the young Nathuram first met Veer Savarkar, a proponent of Hindutva.

Godse's political career

Godse dropped out of high school and became an activist with the Hindu Mahasabha. Godse was an RSS activist who left the organisation in 1932. They were particularly opposed to the separatist politics of the All India Muslim League. Godse started a Marathi newspaper for Hindu Mahasabha called Agrani, which some years later was renamed Hindu Rashtra.

The Hindu Mahasabha had initially backed Gandhi's campaigns of civil disobedience against the British government.

However, Godse and his mentors later rejected Gandhi. They felt that Gandhi was sacrificing Hindu interests in an effort to appease minority groups. They blamed Gandhi for the bloody Partition of India, which left hundreds of thousands of people dead.

The assassination of Mahatma Gandhi

Godse assassinated Gandhi on January 30, 1948, approaching him during the evening prayer, bowing, and shooting him three times at close range with a Beretta semi-automatic pistol. Immediately after this, he surrendered himself to police, instead of running away. He said, "No one should think that Gandhi was killed by a madman".

Motive

The immediate motive for the assassination is typically ascribed to Gandhi's decision to fast to the death unless the Indian central government allowed the transfer of 55 crore (550 million) rupees to the government of Pakistan. The transfer had been specified in the partition agreement, but the Indian government had refused to complete it, complaining of continued Pakistani rebel occupation of disputed parts of Kashmir.

The Indian government instantly reversed its decision to withhold the funds, which infuriated Godse and his fellow Hindu radicals.

The trial and execution

Following his assassination of Gandhi, he was put on trial beginning May 27, 1948. During the trial, he did not defend any charge and openly admitted that he killed Gandhi. On November 8, 1949 Godse was sentenced to death for the killing. He was hanged at Ambala Jail on November 15, 1949, along with Narayan Apte, the other conspirator. Savarkar was also charged with conspiracy in the assassination of Gandhi, but was acquitted and subsequently released.

Aftermath

Millions of Indians mourned Gandhi's assassination. Massive anti-Brahmin riots spread, particularly across Maharashtra state, as Godse was a Brahmin. The Sangli and Miraj regions were hit harder. Houses of Brahmins were burned, and a number of people died. The Maratha protagonists were largely supposed to be behind the arson. The Hindu Mahasabha was vilified and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the RSS, was temporarily banned. However, later investigators could find no evidence that the RSS bureaucracy had formally sponsored or even knew of Godse's plot. The RSS ban was lifted by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in 1949.

The RSS to this day denies any connection with Godse and dispute the claim that he was a member; they say that Godse was definitely a member of the Congress Party, and that if any party should be blamed, it should be the Congress, not the RSS.

A film Nine Hours to Rama was made in 1963 and was based on the events leading up to the assassination, seen mainly from Godse's point-of-view. The film Hey Ram made in 2000 also briefly touches the events related to the assassination. The popular Marathi language drama Mee Nathuram Godse Boltoy ("This is Nathuram Godse Speaking") was also made from Godse's point of view.

A marathi play Mi Nathuram Godse Boltoy (This Is Nathuram Godse) was produced, based on Godse's life. The role of Godse was played by Shyam Ponkshe.

Historian Y.D. Phadke has written the book Nathuramayan on this chapter in Indian history, debunking many myths concerning Godse.

List of accused

Main article: Attempts to assassinate Mahatma Gandhi

List of people accused of involvement in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi:

Nathuram Vinayak Godse

Narayan Dattatraya Apte

Vishnu Ramkrishna Karkare

Madanlal Kashmirilal Pahwa

Shankar Kistaiya

Gopal Vinayak Godse

Digambar Badge

Dattatraya Sadashiv Parchure

Gangadhar Dandavate

Gangadhar Jadhav

Suryadev Sharma

Notes


Time (14 February 2000). "His Principle of Peace Was Bogus". Retrieved 3 July 2007
The Hindu (18 August 2004). "RSS releases 'proof' of its innocence". Retrieved 26 June 2007
TIME (9 February 1948). "Of Truth and Shame". Retrieved 26 June 2007
Rediff on the NeT. "Mee Nathuram Godse Boltoy - The Transcript".