Many years back, a struggle to get my dues held up by corrupt government employees taught me a few lessons.
First, do not underestimate the power of the corrupt because they are well connected, influential and can make your life miserable. Initially, I undermined those government employees and took them head on, quite literally using muscle-power, and consequently ended up complicating the problem.
Second, the corrupt compelled me to think out of the box and made me an ardent student of the history of freedom movement. I found that the nexus between corrupt officials, businessmen, politicians, police, and criminals make India more or less like the British Raj where the stake holders allow the rotten system to continue. Consequently, most of the participants in the movement could not sustain the struggle for more than 2-3 years; some were hanged and killed, some suffered rigorous imprisonment, few escaped to distant lands to carry on the armed struggle and perished. Finally, there was only one group left that took the struggle to a logical conclusion.
This group taught me how one can take the struggle to a logical conclusion and I won.
However, as a student of history of this unique movement, many questions came to my mind regarding the role of Mr. Savarkar and his party men, which I found a bit strange. The more I read about them and watch their movies – Savarkar and Godse Gandhi Ek Yudh – those questions crop up.
I believe that those who appreciate their (Mr Godse’s and Mr Savarkar’s) efforts, can answer these few questions. I have grouped the two gentlemen together because their followers are the same.
- We all know Mr Savarkar sought mercy from British, which appears to be a desperate plea. His supporters justify this plea. However, a pertinent question arises; which movement he launched or supported for the freedom of India, after his release in 1924 and up till 1947? For instance, Gandhiji during the period launched Civil disobedience movement, Non-Cooperation movement, Swadeshi movements to Boycott British cloth, foreign liquor, spread the Khadi movement, launched number of farmers’ movements, Champaran movement, Salt Satyagraha, and supported many movements for the entry of Dalits in temples. What did Mr. Savarkar do for the freedom of his country during almost two decades after he was released by the British?
- Congress and Gandhiji are called by the supporters of Mr. Godse and Mr. Savarkar as British stooges. But then why did the Hindu Mahasabha leader along with Jinnah and Ambedkar attend the roundtable conference in the 1930s on the invitation of the British government when Congress had boycotted the conference? The Cong leaders were under arrest due to the civil disobedience movement for India’s freedom at the time and it was widely known that this conference was called by the British to pursue their agenda and not freedom. What purpose did the Hindu Mahasabha leader serve in attending a roundtable conference, which was not convened to give independence to India?
- After this Conference, the Muslims’ demands, called as Communal award, were accepted by the British. This award guaranteed separate electorate to them and thereafter, the British announced separate electorate for backward Hindus. What did Mr Savarkar and Hindu Mahasabha do to compel the British to take back this award? For instance, when British government granted separate electorate to backward Hindus in 1932, Gandhiji set on a fast unto death to make sure that the British were unable to divide the Hindu society. This led to the signing of the Poona Pact. What did the Hindu Mahasabha do to stop this division of the Hindu society?
- Why did the Hindu Mahasabha form Provincial governments in alliance with the Muslim League who was demanding partition of India? On the one hand, Mr. Savarkar was opposing the demand of partition and on the other aligning with League for power. Is this not blatant hypocrisy on the part of the Hindu Mahasabha?
- Why did Mr Savarkar and his party oppose the Quit India movement and wrote a letter to the British Government to take stringent action against the participants. This movement called ‘Do or Die movement’ was launched by Gandhiji after the British had failed to secure the Indians’ support for World War-II. This was a golden opportunity, because Subash Chandra Bose’s INA was fighting the British from outside and from within, the entire country had risen. Then why did Mr. Savarkar let it go and instead resorted to petty politicking and gleefully announce that Quit India was a failure?
- As soon as Gandhiji announced the Quit India movement the British acted swiftly and arrested the entire Congress leadership. Nonetheless, hundreds of railways stations and police stations were burnt and one lakh Indians were imprisoned. So was it not Mr Savarkar’s responsibility as a patriot to take up the leadership of the movement burying all the political differences?
- During the Quit India movement, Mr. Savarkar once again stood alongside Muslim league which supported the war. What does that indicate about Savarkar’s character?
- It does not take much time to understand the true nature of our bosses or senior managers, so by that logic how could Sardar Patel, C RajagopalaChari, Dr Radhakrishnan etc be so naïve and stupid that even after working with Gandhiji for so long they could not understand that Gandhiji was a British stooge and a characterless man, as accused by Mr Savarkar and his supporters. There are hundreds of pictures of Sardar Patel sitting next to Gandhiji, as late as January 1948 listening to Gandhiji with apt attention.
Do these pictures and even the written correspondence indicate that Sardar considered Bapu a characterless man and a British stooge? No they don’t. - For a solid 23 years, between 1924 and 1947, all Mr. Savarkar did through his writings and speeches was to create more divisions between Hindus and Muslims, thereby making impossible to attain unity which was very essential to keep India united. The question then arises - was he not helping the British cause of DIVIDE AND RULE and making Jinnah’s task easier? Perhaps accusing Gandhiji for being a British agent became a political necessity primarily to hide their own embarrassment.
- So, was it finally the frustration of Mr Savarkar, Godse and many of their supporters that led to the murder of Gandhiji? It appears that all their efforts including to defame the old man and to derail the freedom movement had failed and the old man finally took the movement to its logical conclusion.
- Why did Dr Ambedkar write in his book ‘Thoughts on Pakistan’ that Savarkar’s suggestions on Muslims’ issues are strange and dangerous for India’s safety and security as both Jinnah and Savarkar are saying the same thing that there are two nations in India?
- Why Mr. Savarkar and his party, mainly composed of Brahmins, did not support Dr Ambedkar’s non-violent movement for Dalit’s entry in Nasik’s Kalaram Mandir?
- Why did the Hindu Mahasabha never launch a movement like Gandhiji and Dr Ambedkar to force upper caste Hindus to open temples for Dalits? Was it because Mr Savarkar did not wish to disturb the Upper caste members of Hindu Mahasabha?
It is not understood why this movie been named -Gandhi Godse ek Yudh. A difference of opinion cannot be termed Yudh. Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bose, Sardar Patel, Nehru and many others including Bhagat Singh had difference of opinion with Gandhiji on many aspects, but they did not treat that as Yudh and resorted to his murder. They all rather continued in their common mission to fight against British.
So, it apparently looks that some people deliberately want this to be turned into a Yudh in order to justify a murder done in National interest.
However, the above questions clearly indicate that Mr Savarkar and his partymen hardly ever acted in National interest.
Honesty, integrity, nonviolence, justice, fair play, and love, are the values that are the bedrock of any society and those leaders who uphold those values need to be our role models and not those who indulge in conspiracies and murders. If we as a society are ready to welcome and celebrate rapists (see what happened in Gujarat) and murders, then be prepared for the worst.
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