Mahatma and the enduring power of his ideology
Humne Gandhi ji ki hatya nahin,unka vadh kiya tha (We didn’t murder Gandhi. We assassinated him)." I could never digest his justification, but Gopal wasn’t a person who got easily agitated.
Years of imprisonment had given him reservoirs of mental resilience. Today, when I look back and analyze what he said three decades ago, apart from absolute disagreement, one phrase that keeps recurring is: ideology.
Gandhi and Godse represented disparate ideologies. Had the Father of the Nation departed due to ill-health or any other cause a few years earlier, he would still have been as revered as Mahatma.
But his murder brought Godse into the public eye. This fundamental difference between Godse and Gandhi will remain forever.
Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan. Views are personal."Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels
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