The consequence is an immature democracy that gets uncomfortable when confronted with the question- Was Nathuram Godse a patriot? After all, the man was an ideologically driven assassin but could he be a terrorist? Was he an enemy of the Indian state?
As a necessary corollary, his assassin, Nathuram Godse is constantly vilified. Read More: Someday we will discuss Godse freely and fearlessly, but Indian Democracy is still to mature to that level Let’s debate Nathuram Godse’s civillyĭespite all his shortcomings, and a range of personal and public controversies, Mahatma Gandhi has successfully remained the ‘holy cow’ of India, criticising who is seen as blasphemous. While he continues to be hailed as the man who freed us from the British, factors like Bose-led Indian National Army’s role, the impact of World War II and the eventual decline of the British Empire have been traditionally ignored despite these factors being the immediate cause of Indian independence. While he is portrayed as the one who single-handedly led the freedom struggle, the fact remains that his campaign, or at least a substantial part thereof, was defeatist and lacked purpose. Gandhi’s role in the freedom movement has also been exaggerated to an unimaginable extent. Therefore, despite all controversies surrounding Mohandas Gandhi, he has been essentially seen as infallible.
He epitomises our obsession with seeking ‘holy cows’ in the larger national perception and then marginalising anyone who dares to speak against such an individual. The biggest obstacle in the maturity of Indian democracy is manifested in how Mohandas Gandhi, “the father of the Nation” has been eulogised to a God-like status and beyond criticism.
Why eulogies Gandhi, if we are a mature democracy? Although the movie completed production in 2017, it could not been released up until now. Now after the much awaited independence was the real test for Gandhi - a test that will make him or break him - as he started a fast unto death to try and stop the violence that was threatening to break out into a civil war.Thus, it doesn’t come as a surprise that he has taken up the challenging role of a complex personality. The World Wars of 19 having taken its toll on Europe, and on Britain in particular, the weary British finally decided to leave India in 1947 - not the India they had conquered - but an India that was ready to be divided in East Pakistan and West Pakistan. When Gandhi came to know about this, he pleaded with Jinnah to unite the Muslims, even take over as the first Prime Minister with his choice of Muslim candidates for Parliament, but separatist Jinnah had already made up his mind. Concerned over the inroads made by Gandhi to unite the Hindus, Muslims, and all others under a common umbrella, the British invited Jinnah for talks, and it is here that a seed was laid for a separate country called Pakistan. The British relied on these many facets as an excuse for their continuance as they wanted to ensure that the minorities are not oppressed.
Gandhi will soon realize that it is not enough to be just an Indian, for India has many facets - Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish, and Christian. Kripalani, Maulana Azad, and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to ensure first of all to get the British to quit India, and then run an Indian Government under the Congress party. His resolve was to work with stalwarts such as Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Sardar Valabhbhai Patel, Professor Gokhale, J.B. This resolve will lead him to shed his westerners clothing, don a simple loincloth, mobilize awareness of local industry, lessen dependence on imported clothing and material, the historic Dandee march for withdrawal of the salt tax, a fast unto death to stop the virtual slaughter of British troops, and be imprisoned several times. But in India, he realized that he had first to live the life of a peasant to understand what it is to be an Indian. When Mohandas Gandhi first set foot in British India, he had already been to Britain and South Africa, and had created quite a stir for the betterment of the people.
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