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Govt magazine editor in MP removed for article allegedly glorifying Godse
The article titled ‘Mahatma Zinda Hain’ (Mahatma Is Alive) written by one Shweta Rani talks about how Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated by Nathuram Godse on the evening of January 30, 1948.
The Madhya Pradesh government has removed the editor of the magazine of its directorate of public relations (DPR) - Madhya Pradesh Sandesh from his post and served a show cause notice over the alleged glorification of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse in one of the articles in the January edition of the magazine, officials said.
The action was taken against the editor Manoj Khare who is also an official with the DPR, at the instructions of the minister for public relations PC Sharma on February 22 but it came to light on Tuesday.
The article titled ‘Mahatma Zinda Hain’ (Mahatma Is Alive) written by one Shweta Rani talks about how Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated by Nathuram Godse on the evening of January 30, 1948.
The article gives a sketch about Godse’s family background and says, “For some Godse is an assassin but for some he is a martyr holding religion in esteem….According to Godse, Gandhi was right in some matters but very unfair in some others.”
Quoting excerpts from a book ‘Why I killed Gandhi’ written by Nathuram Godse’s brother Gopal Godse the article says, “It was etched in Godse’s mind that Gandhi ji strangled Hindus interests repeatedly. He was of the view that Mahatma Gandhi played a key role in partition of the country. Godse felt that the only aim of his life was to protect Hindus and Hindutva. And it was only with this that a complete freedom could have been achieved…..After that he resolved to kill Gandhi alone.”
The article also says it was only Mahatma Gandhi’s body which was riddled with bullets. “His great soul is still alive in people in the country. Mahatma Gandhi didn’t fight only against the British rule but also against poverty, illiteracy and untouchability.”
In the concluding remarks the article says, “If people think Gandhi died on January 30, 1948 or Godse died on November 15, 1949 then it’s not so. Neither Godse has died nor Gandhi. Both exist in our mind. It’s we who have to decide if we have to carry forward Gandhi’s ideology or Godse’s.”
A DPR official who didn’t want to be quoted said, “The officer was removed from the post of editor at the instructions of the minister after some people complained to the minister. In fact it’s not a case of glorification but an interpretation of Godse being glorified. Also, the magazine gives a disclaimer that it’s not necessary that government agrees to the writers’’ views.”
The minister who was out of Bhopal could not be reached for his comments. Shweta Rani, the writer, who is said to be a Hyderabad-based research scholar too couldn’t be reached for her comments despite efforts.
However, acknowledging the action against him Manoj Khare said, “The article is based on Mahatma Gandhi, not Nathuram Godse. The writer has clearly stated how Mahatma Gandhi and his ideology are still relevant for the country and how Nathuram Godse represented negative aspects of society.”
Last summer, BJP’s Pragya Thakur stoked controversies before and after Lok Sabha elections after she described Godse as a patriot.
