Why did Nathuram Godse kill mahatma Gandhi?

Question

Answer

To fathom Nathuram Godse’s patriotism and love for India, we must delve
into aspects of his personal history. It is important to comprehend the
psychology of a boy who was named Ramachandra Godse but who came to be
known as Nathuram. Before he was born, in a small village of the
Bombay-Pune belt, his parents had three sons, all of whom died in
infancy. To ensure death did not claim Ramachandra as well, they brought
him up as a girl, had his nose pierced, and made him wear the nose ring
or nath until they had yet another son. It was because of the nose ring he wore that Ramachandra became Nathuram.

Godse
may have defied the jinx of death haunting his family, but the role of
girl he was made to play must have bred in him immense confusion and a
complex about his sexuality. In a fascinating psychoanalysis of Godse,
political psychologist Ashis Nandy in his book, At The Edge of Psychology,
wrote, “Perhaps it was given in the situation that Nathuram would try
to regain the lost clarity of his sexual role by becoming a model of
masculinity.”

This was, as Nandy showed in his book, most likely
the source from which sprang his opposition to the Gandhian ideas of
pacifism and nonviolence. Unable to vanquish the ideas which Godse
thought were emasculating the Hindus and turning them effeminate, he
killed the man who propagated them.
For Gandhi, though, politics was not so much about defeating the British
as it was about transforming the rulers, about making the colonial
ruler realise the sheer immorality of the power they exercised. It was
not about the end justifying the means. Then again, Gandhi did not
perceive Hindus as a religious group, in the way followers of Semitic
religions are, but a people spread over a land who believed in an
open-ended system that forever incorporated new elements or
reinterpreted the existing or old ones. There was no one book, no one
way of praying, no one body of rituals.

By contrast, Godse’s idea
of religion resembled that of Semitic faiths. Erroneously believing
that the unity, organising capacity and missionary zeal of Muslims and
Christians had enabled them to conquer India, he wanted Hindus to become
a rigidly closed religious group as the followers of those religions
were. However, the problem of caste had to be overcome to achieve this
unity. Godse sought this by participating in programmes such as
inter-dining. His second method of uniting Hindus was to identify and
define the other, the Christians and Muslims, by subjugating them for
the pain and torment their ancestors were supposed to have inflicted on
the Hindus. In other words, Godse’s anxieties were to be expressed and
overcome in the political-religious realm.

....please vote

Answer

Nathuram Vinayak Godse (19 May 1910 – 15 November 1949) was a right-wing advocate of Hindu nationalism who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi in New Delhi on 30 January 1948. He shot Gandhi in the chest three times at point-blank range.

Answer

Introduction:
Nathuram Godse, a Hindu nationalist, assassinated Mahatma Gandhi on January 30, 1948. Godse's motivations for killing Gandhi were rooted in political and ideological differences.

Political and Ideological Differences:
1. Hindu Nationalism: Godse was a member of the Hindu nationalist organization called the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He believed in the concept of Hindutva, which advocated for the dominance and protection of Hindu culture and values in India.
2. Partition of India: The partition of India in 1947 resulted in the creation of Pakistan as a separate Muslim-majority state. Godse vehemently opposed the partition and the idea of a separate nation for Muslims.
3. Gandhi's Support for Muslims: Gandhi, also known as the father of the nation, was an advocate for Hindu-Muslim unity. He supported the idea of a secular India where people of all religions could coexist peacefully. Godse saw Gandhi's efforts to protect the rights of Muslims as detrimental to Hindu interests.

Reasoning Behind the Assassination:
1. Failure of Non-Violent Resistance: Godse believed that Gandhi's principle of non-violence, as a means of resisting British rule, had failed. He saw it as a weakness that prolonged the struggle for independence and allowed Muslims to gain political power.
2. Gandhi's Role in Partition: Godse blamed Gandhi for the partition of India, viewing his support for Muslims during the negotiations as a betrayal of Hindu interests. He believed that Gandhi's actions led to the creation of Pakistan and the displacement of millions of Hindus.
3. Opposition to Gandhi's Views: Godse disagreed with Gandhi's advocacy for peace and tolerance towards Muslims. He believed that Hindus should assert their dominance and protect their interests, even if it required the use of violence.
4. Perceived Threat to Hindu Culture: Godse saw Gandhi as a threat to Hindu culture and values. He believed that Gandhi's emphasis on non-violence and religious tolerance undermined the Hindu identity and weakened the Hindu majority in India.

Conclusion:
Nathuram Godse's decision to assassinate Mahatma Gandhi was driven by his political and ideological differences with Gandhi. His opposition to Gandhi's support for Muslims, his belief in Hindu nationalism, and his perception of Gandhi as a threat to Hindu culture all contributed to his motivation to commit this heinous act.

Similar Class 7 Doubts

Guys can you please please answer this question: why did nathuram godse kill mahatma gandhi?

Who kill Mahatma Gandhi?

Mahatma Gandhi____ believe that truth and non-violence could defeat the Britishers.(does/do/di d) Fill up the blank?

Nathuram godse killed mahatma gabdhi

What was the full name of Mahatma Gandhi?

Top Courses for Class 7View all

Science Class 7

Mathematics (Maths) Class 7

Social Studies (SST) Class 7

English Grammar Class 7

Worksheets with solutions for Class 7

Top Courses for Class 7

Top Courses for Class 7

Suggested Free Tests

Related Content

Class 7 Study Material

Class 7 Subjects

Competitive Examinations for Class 7

NCERT Books

Reference Books for Class 7

NCERT Solutions

Other Popular Exams

Company