Nathuram Godse: Biography, Career, and Ideology

Nathuram Godse carried out the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi on January 30, 1948. In India, both Nathuram Godse and Gandhi remain topics of discussion in the political sphere for various reasons. Let’s delve into some aspects of Nathuram Godse’s biography in this article.

In India, many prominent figures have been born, some of whom are well-known while others are infamous. One such character is Nathuram Godse, who has both admirers and critics in India.

Nathuram Godse was born on May 19, 1910, in Baraṁti, Pune, Maharashtra. The personality of Nathuram, responsible for Gandhi’s assassination, has always been a subject of discussion in Indian politics. Let’s learn more about Nathuram Godse in this article.

Nathuram Godse’s Personal information

Full name	Nathuram Vinayak Godse
Date of birth	May 19, 1910
Place of birth	Baramati, Pune district, Bombay Presidency, Maharashtra
Father	Ramchandra Vinayak Godse
Mother	Lakshmi
Caste	Brahmin
Ideology	Hindu nationalist
Organizations	Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Hindu Mahasabha
Crime	Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi
Date of death	November 15, 1949 (age 39)
Cause of death	Hanging (Ambala Jail, Haryana)

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Early Life of Nathuram Godse

Before Godse’s parents, their first three sons passed away in childhood, and they had one surviving daughter. This led Godse’s parents to believe that perhaps there was a curse, causing their sons not to survive in their home.

In order to dispel this curse, they raised their next child, Nathuram Godse, as a girl for several years. They even adorned him with a nose ring (nath) so that the curse could be thwarted. It was only when another son was born that the nose ring was removed. It was due to this nose ring (nath) that he came to be known as Nathuram.

Education of Nathuram Godse

“Godse completed his education up to the fifth grade in Hindi medium and later went to Pune to study in the English medium. Godse was not good at studies and failed the matriculation examination, which was a compulsory qualification for a lower level government job at the time. In his school days, Nathuram Godse was a great admirer of Gandhi and was also influenced by his Non-Cooperation Movement.”

Political Career of Nathuram Godse

Nathuram Godse’s personality changed when he came in contact with Damodar Savarkar in 1929 at the age of 19, and he joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in 1932, along with being a member of the Hindu Mahasabha.

In January 2020, the ‘Caravan’ magazine published a news story stating that Godse was a member of the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) and the Hindu Mahasabha until the end. However, some reports suggest that before the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, Godse had left the RSS.

Why Nathuram Killed Gandhiji

The assassination of Gandhi involved Godse, along with six others including Narayan Apte. During his final speech in court, Godse stated that there were several reasons behind Gandhi’s assassination, but the main ones were:

1. Addressing the political needs of India’s Muslims.
2. Gandhi’s desire to make Hindustani (a blend of Hindi and Urdu) the national language of the country, which Godse strongly opposed.
3. The third and most crucial reason was Gandhi’s affection towards Muslims. Godse asserted that while Gandhi went on hunger strikes multiple times to secure rights for Muslims, he never did the same for Hindus.

How did Nathuram Vinayak Godse die

After shooting Gandhi with three bullets on January 30, 1948, Godse turned himself into the police. However, immediately after the incident, he was severely beaten by the crowd. A case was filed against Godse in the Punjab High Court.

It is important to note here that Gandhi’s two sons, Manilal Gandhi and Ramdas Gandhi, also requested a reduction in Godse’s sentence. However, Pandit Nehru, Deputy Prime Minister Vallabhbhai Patel, and Governor-General Rajagopalachari rejected it. Therefore, Godse and his associates were executed by hanging in Ambala Jail on November 15, 1949.

So, this was a glimpse into Nathuram Godse’s life. I hope you have gained some new insights about Godse.

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