On 78th Martyrdom Anniversary of MK Gandhi
THE ASSASSINS
OF GANDHIJI IDENTIFIED BY SARDAR PATEL
THE INHERITORS
OF THE IDEOLOGY OF THE ASSASSINS RULE INDIA TODAY!
The world is
mourning the 78rd anniversary of MK Gandhi's assassination by the Hindutva
terrorists on January 30, 1948. RSS, the most prominent flag-bearer of the
Hindutva politics and cadres of which rule India today react angrily whenever
the truth is spoken or written that the terrorists who assassinated Gandhiji
were not only shared the ideological world-view of Hindu Mahasabha (led by VD
Savarkar) and RSS brand of Hindu nationalism but were also connected with
these. Instead of being ashamed of such a heinous crime it resorts to lies ably
expressed in the proverb; the pot calling the kettle black!
Let us compare
the RSS claim of innocence in Gandhiji's assassination with the views of the
first home minister and deputy PM of India, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel on the
perpetrators of this crime. It needs no reminding that Sardar continues to be a
favourite of the RSS and the present PM Modi who got his statue in Gujarat, the
tallest in the world. He never thought of such a statue for Gandhiji. It will
be interesting to know that our PM, an 'atm-nirbhar Bharat' (self-relying
India) Messiah who never misses to utter prophetic words like Make in India,
got it moulded in an iron-foundry of China!
In the
following is the compilation in chronological order the communications of
Sardar Patel's home ministry, his letters to Jawaharlal Nehru, Syama Prasad
Mookerjee (the then head of Hindu Mahasabha) and MS Golwalkar (the then Supremo
of the RSS) on Gandhiji's assassination. THIS CHRONOLOGICAL PRESENTATION
CLEARLY SHOWS HOW SARDAR PATEL DEVELOPED HIS UNDERSTANDING (WHICH MUST HAVE
BEEN BASED ON FACTS SUPPLIED BY HIS OFFICIALS) OF THE ROLE OF THE ORGANIZATIONS
INVOLVED IN GANDHIJI'S ASSASSINATION.
(1) 4TH
FEBRUARY 1948 GOVERNMENT COMMUNIQUÉ BANNING RSS
The order of
banning RSS issued by the Sardar's ministry was unequivocal in holding the
former responsible for terror activities. It read:
"Undesirable
and even dangerous activities have been carried on by members of the Sangh. It
has been found that in several parts of the country individual members of the
RSS have indulged in acts of violence involving arson, robbery, dacoity, and murder
and have collected illicit arms and ammunition. They have been found
circulating leaflets exhorting people to resort to terrorist methods, to
collect firearms, to create disaffection against the government and suborn the
police and the military."
[Cited
in Justice on Trial, RSS, Bangalore, 1962, pp. 65-66.]
(2) SARDAR PATEL LETTER TO NEHRU:
FEBRUARY 27, 1948
In the early days of investigation
when all facts were not known Sardar told Nehru:
"All the
main accused have given long and detailed statements of their activities. In
one case, the statement extends to ninety typed pages. From their statements,
it is quite clear that no part of the conspiracy took place in Delhi...It
also clearly emerges from these statements that the RSS was not involved at
all. It was a fanatical wing of the Hindu Mahasabha directly under Savarkar
that (hatched) the conspiracy and saw it through. It also appears that the
conspiracy was limited to some ten men, of whom all except two have been got
hold of.” [Italics for emphasis]
The RSS and its supporters quote a
part of the above letter which read: "It also clearly emerges from these
statements that the RSS was not involved at all" but hides the following
text of the same letter which is very significant. The letter continues:
"In the
case of secret organization like the RSS which has no records, registers, etc.
securing of authentic information whether a particular individual is active
worker or not is rendered a very difficult task."
[Shankar, V., Sardar Patel:
Select Correspondence 1945-50, Navjivan Publishing House, Ahmedabad, 1977,
p. 283-85.]
HOW TO IDENTIFY
A MEMBER Of THE RSS?
Sardar Patel
raised a highly significant question about knowing whether a criminal or
terrorist is a member of RSS or not. Whenever a linkage between a criminal
activity and RSS is exposed, the latter comes out with the patent answer that
the criminal is not RSS member. How do we know it? Is there an authenticated
list of RSS members which can be perused for such an investigation by the
State? If it is not there, how RSS can file cases against those who find RSS
members indulging in the assassinations and terrorist activities. In such cases the police and judiciary should
demand from RSS proof that such persons were not its members.
(3) SARDAR
PATEL LETTER TO SYAMA PRASAD MOOKERJEE: JULY 18, 1948
As investigation progressed Sardar found that Hindu Mahasabha
and RSS were jointly responsible for the murder of Gandhiji which was
corroborated by him in a letter to a prominent leader of Hindu Mahasabha, Syama
Prasad Mookerjee. On July 18, 1948 Sardar wrote:
"As regards the RSS and
the Hindu Mahasabha, the case relating to Gandhiji’s murder is sub judice and I
should not like to say anything about the participation of the two
organizations, but our reports do confirm that, as a result of the activities of
these two bodies, particularly the former, an atmosphere was created in the
country in which such a ghastly tragedy became possible. There is no doubt in
my mind that the extreme section of the Hindu Mahasabha was involved in the
conspiracy. The activities of the RSS constituted a clear threat to the
existence of Government and the State. Our reports show that those activities,
despite the ban, have not died down. Indeed, as time has marched on, the RSS
circles are becoming more defiant and are indulging in their subversive
activities in an increasing measure. "
[Letter
64 in Sardar Patel: Select Correspondence1945-1950, volume 2, Navjivan
Publishing House, Ahmedabad, 1977, pp. 276-77.]
(4) SARDAR PATEL
LETTER TO GOLWALKAR: 19 SEPTEMBER 1948
By September 19
(1948), exactly 214 days after the murder of Gandhiji when Sardar wrote this
letter, the role of the organizations in the assassination of Gandhiji was
clearer to him. Without mincing words, he told Golwalkar:
"Organizing the Hindus and helping them is one thing but
going in for revenge for its sufferings on innocent and helpless men, women and
children is quite another thing…Apart from this, their opposition to the
Congress, that too of such virulence, disregarding all considerations of
personality, decency or decorum, created a kind of unrest among the people. All
their speeches were full of communal poison. It was not necessary to spread
poison in order to enthuse the Hindus and organize for their protection. As a
final result of the poison, the country had to suffer the sacrifice of the
invaluable life of Gandhiji. Even an iota of the sympathy of the Government, or
of the people, no more remained for the RSS. In fact opposition grew.
Opposition turned more severe, when the RSS men expressed joy and distributed
sweets after Gandhiji’s death. Under these conditions it became inevitable for
the Government to take action against the RSS…Since then, over six months have
elapsed. We had hoped that after this lapse of time, with full and proper
consideration the RSS persons would come to the right path." But from the
reports that come to me, it is evident that attempts to put fresh life into
their same old activities are afoot."
[Cited
in Justice on Trial, RSS, Bangalore, 1962, pp. 26-28.]
Do we need more
proof to prove the RSS involvement in the murder of Gandhiji?
Another contemporary, a senior ICS
(predecessor of IAS) who was the first home secretary of Uttar Pradesh
corroborated the fact that RSS was involved in this anti-national heinous
crime. According to him:
"Came
January 30, 1948 when the Mahatma, that supreme apostle of peace, felt to a
bullet fired by an RSS fanatic. The tragic episode left me sick at heart."
[Rajeshwar Dayal, A Life of Our
Times, Orient Longman, 94.]
HATRED FOR
GANDHIJI IS A FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENT OF THE HINDUTVA-RSS DISCOURSE
The RSS’ hatred for Gandhi is as old
as the formation of the RSS itself. Dr K.B. Hedgewar, the founder of the RSS,
was a Congress leader but parted company with the latter in 1925. After meeting
the Hindutva icon V.D. Savarkar, he realized that Gandhi was the biggest hurdle
in the Hindutva project of organizing Hindus separately. According to an RSS
publication, since Gandhi worked for Hindu-Muslim unity,
“Doctorji sensed danger in that
move. In fact, he did not even relish the new-fangled slogan of ‘Hindu-Muslim
unity”. Another RSS publication corroborates the fact that the main reason
behind Hedgewar’s parting with the Congress and formation of the RSS was
because the “Congress believed in Hindu-Muslim unity”.
[Seshadri, H.V. (ed.), Dr Hedgewar, the Epoch-Maker: A
Biography, p. 61. & Pingle, H.V. (ed.), Smritikan: Parm Pujiye Dr
Hedgewar ke Jeevan kee Vibhinn Ghatnaon kaa Sankalan, p. 93.]
The RSS launched its English organ, Organiser,
in July 1947 and a perusal of its issues till the murder of Gandhi on January
30, 1948 shows a flood of articles and sketches full of hatred for Gandhiji.
The RSS seemed to be competing with the Hindu Mahasabha leader, Savarkar, and
the Muslim League English organ, The Dawn, in denigrating Gandhi.
MODI AS CM OF GUJARAT SENT
CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE TO JANJAGRUTI HINDU SAMITI GOA CONFERENCE FOR TURNING
INDIA INTO A HINDU STATE WHICH CELEBERATED ‘VADH’ KILLING OF GANDHIJI.
Modi was in Goa in June 2013 for the
BJP executive committee meeting. He as Gujarat CM sent a message to the ‘All
India Hindu Convention for Establishment of Hindu Nation’ organized by the
Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) at Goa from June 7TH. Modi's message
lauding the conference for establishing a Hindu nation read:
“It is our tradition to remain alert and raise a voice against
persecution…Only by protecting our culture, can the flag of 'dharma' and unity
be kept intact. Organizations inspired by nationalism, patriotism and devotion
for the Nation are true manifestations of people's power.” [ORIGINAL LETTER
REPRODUCED AT THE END]
On the 3rd day from the
same podium in this convention from where Modi's felicitation message was read,
one of the prominent speakers, K.V. Sitaramiah, a seasoned RSS cadre
declared that Gandhi was 'terrible, wicked and most sinful'. Rejoicing
the killing of M.K. Gandhi, he went on to declare,
“As Bhagwan Shri Krishna said in the Gita, Paritranaya
SadhunamVinashaya Cha Dushkritam/ DharamasansthapnayaSambhavamiYuge-Yuge (For
the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked and for the
establishment of righteousness, I am born in every age) On…30th January 1948
evening, Shriram came in the form of Nathuram Godse and ended the life of
Gandhi.” [ORIGINAL DOCUMENT REPRODUCED AT THE END]
It is to be
noted that K.V. Sitaramaiah has also authored two books titled ‘Gandhi was
Dharma Drohi [anti-religion] and Desa Drohi [anti-religion]’ and ‘Gandhi was
Murderer of Gandhi’ in which the back cover text of the first book, quoting
from the epic Mahabharat, demands "Dharma Drohis must be killed",
"Not killing the deserved to be killed is great sin" and "where
the members of Parliament seeing clearly allow to kill Dharma & truth as
untruth, those members will be called dead".
It is
death-knell for the destiny of a democratic-secular India which was established
to fulfill dreams of Gandhiji that India is being ruled by a sectarian group
which was born out of hatred for him, played leading role in the assassination
of Gandhiji and continues to celebrate his 'vadh'; sacrifice done for a good
cause. Let us take a firm vow on the 78th martyrdom anniversary of
Gandhiji that all of us will rise up to challenge the Hindutva juggernaut.
Shamsul Islam
January 30, 2026
Link for some of S. Islam's writings
in English, Hindi, Urdu, Marathi, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, Punjabi,
Gujarati and video interviews/debates:
http://du-in.academia.edu/ShamsulIslam
Facebook:
https://facebook.com/shamsul.islam.332
Twitter: @shamsforjustice
http://shamsforpeace.blogspot.com/
Email: notoinjustice@gmail.com
DOCUMENTARY
EVIDENCE
=
Before Gandhi's
assassination, Hindutva organizations, in their publications, especially
through cartoons, portrayed him as anti-Hindu and a stooge of Muslims. This created an atmosphere of hatred and violence
against him, a fact Sardar Patel also mentioned in his letter mentioned above.
Some examples of these cartoons:
