1.The day on which I decided to remove Gandhji from the political stage, it was clear to me that personally I shall be lost to everything that could be mine. I am not a moneyed per. eon but I did have a place of honor and respect amongst those known as middle class society. I have been in the public life. of my Province and the service that I have been able to render so far has given me a place of honor and respect amongst my people. Ideas of culture and civilization are not strange to me.
- I had in my view before me some schemes of constructive work to be taken in hand in my future life and I felt I had enough strength and enthusiasm to undertake them and carry them out successfully. I have maintained robust health and I do not suffer from any bodily defect and I am not addicted to any vice. Although I myself am not a much learned man, I have a great regard and admiration for the learned.
- Since the year 1929-30 when the Congress launched its first campaign of the Civil Disobedience Movement, I entered the life of a public worker. I was merely a student then. But the lectures relating to this movement and the accounts thereof published in the news-papers had greatly impressed me and I resolved to join the movement and take the career of a public worker. Just after when this movement was over the problems relating to Muslims assumed grave appearance and a movement to bring about the unification of the Hindus was being taken in hand more intensely by the Hindu Sabha leaders like Dr. Mbonje Bhai Parmanandji, Pandit Madan Mohun Malaviya as also by some leaders of the Arya Samaj and by the workers of the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangha. The question of Communal Award was under hot discussion amongst all the political bodies and it is also noteworthy to mention here that in the Session of the Hindu Mahasabha which was held at Poona in the year 1935, it was decided to contest the elections for legislatures against the Congress as the views of the latter were un-fairly in favor of the Muslim and detrimental to the Hindus. This contest against the Congress was decided by the Hindu Mahasabha under the auspices of the late Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya who was also a veteran leader of the Congress.
About the year 1932 late Dr. Hedgewar of Nagpur founded the rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangha in Maharashtra also. His orations greatly impressed me and I joined the Sangha as a sworn volunteer thereof. I am one of those sworn volunteers of Maharashtra who joined the Sangha in its initial stage. I also worked for many years as an officer of the intellectual side of that organisation in the Province of Maharashtra. I always felt and still feel that the ideals of the Sahgha and the guiding principles laid down for its work by Dr. Hedgewar would be of great use and help to the country. The work I did for the Sangha in Maharashtra brought me in contact with many people in a number of villages and places and thus my ‘contact with the general public was…increased. Having done the work in the Sangha, I. felt it necessary to take part in. the political activities of the country for the protection of the just rights of Hindus.
In the year 1933, I led the first batch of volunteers who marched into the territory of the Hyderabad State when the passive resistance movement was started by the Hindu Mahasabha with a demand for responsible Government in the State. I was arrested and sentenced to one year’s imprisonment. I have a personal experience of the uncivilized, nay, barbarous rule of Hyderabad, and have undergone the corporal punishment of dozens of cane slashes for the offence of singing the “Bande Matarm” song at the time of prayers. In the year 1943, the Bihar Government had issued a proclamation prohibiting the holding of the Hindu Mahasabha session at BhagalPur. The Mahasabha resolved to defy this ban as it felt that the action of the Government was unjust and illegal. The session was held in spite of all the precautions taken by the Government for its prevention. I took a leading part in the preparations for the sessions keeping myself underground for nearly a month.
To be read after the 3rd paragraph ending with words “direful anger” on page 55.
I wish to make it clear that I am not an enemy of the Congress. I have always regarded that Body as a premier institution which has worked for the political uplift of the country. I had and have any differences with its leaders. This will be clearly seen from any letter addressed to Veer Savarkar on 28th February 1938 (Ex.D/30) which is in my hand and signed by me and I admit its contents.
During this period while reading news-papers I have come across items of news appreciating my work. I have also heard people expressing their approval of my part in public life.
Dy nature I am not a person of violent temperament. The approver badge in his deposition at page 225 has stated that I took out a knife to stab Mr.13hopatkar. This statement is totally false. Mr. Bhopatkar is at present leading the lawyers defending the accused. Had I made any such assault as described by the approver could he have come forward to render us assistance in defence? If that alleged incident were true, I should have least thought of taking the help of Mr.3hopatkar. Those, who personally know me, take me as a person of quiet temperament. but when the top-rank leaders of the Congress with the consent of Gandhiji divided and tore the country – which we consider as a deity of worship – my mind became full with the thoughts of direful anger.
There was no enmity between Gandhiji and myself on any personal grounds. lo those who speak of Gandhiji’s honest motive in supporting the Pakistan, I have only to say that I had nothing but the purest interest of our nation at my heart in taking the extreme step against the person of Gandhiji, who was the most responsible and answerable person for the terrible events culminating in the creation of Pakistan. I could forsee the result of my action against the life of Gandhiji and did very well realise that the moment the people came to know about it they would change their view about me inspite of the circumstances. My status and honour in the society and the sympathies which the people entertained for me will be smashed completely fully realised that I would be looked upon as the most despicable fellow in the society. I had a very good idea about fiery attacks that would be launched against me in the Press. But I never thought that I could be cowed down by the fire poured against me by the Press. For had the Indian Press impartially criticised the anti-national policy carried on by Gandhiji and had they impressed upon the people that the interest of the nation was far greater than the whim of an individual howsoever great he may be, Gandhiji and his followers could never have dared concede Pakistan to the Muslims as easily as has been done. The Press had displayed such weakness and submission to the High Command of the Congress that it allowed the mistakes of leaders pass away freely and unnoticed and made vivisection easy by their policy. The fear about such Press – weak and subservient as it was – could not therefore dislodge me from my resolve. It is stated in some quarters that the people could not have got the independence unless Pakistan was conceded. But I took it to be an utterly incorrect and untrue view. To me it appears to be merely a poor excuse to justify the action taken by the leaders. The leaders of the Gandhian creed often claim to have conquered “Swarajya” by their strength. If they had conquered 5warajya, then it would be clearly seen that it is most ridiculous to say that those Britishers who yielded, were in a position to lay down the .condition of Pakistan before the grant of independence could be effective. To my mind there could be only one reason for Gandhiji and his followers to give their consent to the creation of Pakistan and it is that these people were accustomed to make a show of hesitation and resistance in the beginning and ultimately to surrender to the Muslim demands.
Pakistan was conceded on the 15th of August 1947 and how? Pakistan was conceded by deceiving the people and without any consideration for the feelings and opinions of the people of Punjab, Bengal, N.W.F. Province, Sind h, etc. Indivisible Bharat was divided into two and in one of its part a theocratic State was established. The Muslims obtained the fruit of their anti-national movements and actions in the shape of Pakistan.
The leaders of the Gandhian creed ridiculed the opponents of Pakistan as traitors and communal minded, while they them-selves helped in the establishment of a Muslim State in India yielding to the demands of Mr. Jinnah, This event of Pakistan has upset the tranquility of my mind. But even after the establishment of Pakistan if this Gandhian Government had taken any steps to protect the interests of Hindus in Pakistan it could have been possible for me to control my mind which was terribly shaken on account of this terrible deception of the people. But after handing over crores of Hindus to the mercy of the Muslims of Pakistan, Gandhiji and his followers have been advising them not to leave Pakistan but continue to stay on. The Hindus thus were caught in the hands of Muslim authorities quite unawares and in such circumstances series of calamities followed one after the other. When I bring to my mind all these happenings my body simply feels a horror of burning fire, even now. Every day that dawned brought forth the news about thousands of Hindus being massacred, Sikhs numbering 15,000 having been shot dead, hundreds of women torn of their clothes being made naked and taken in procession and that Hindu women were being sold in market places like cattle. Thousands and thousands of Hindus had to run away for their lives and they had lost everything of theirs. A. long line of refugees extending over the length of 40 miles was moving towards the Indian Union. How was this terrible happening being counter-acted by the Union Government? 0! by throwing bread to the refugees from the air!! These atrocities and the blood bath would have to some extent been checked if the Indian Government had. lodged strong protests against the treatment meted out to the minorities in Pakistan or even if a cold threat had been held out to the Muslims in India being treated in the same manner as a measure of retaliation. But the Government which was under the thumb of Gandhiji resorted to absolutely different ways. If the grievances of the minorities in Pakistan were voiced in the Press, it was dubbed as an attempt to spread ..dis-affection amongst the Communities and made an offence and the Congress Governments in several Provinces started demanding securities under the Press emergency Powers Act, one after the other. I was alone served with notices demanding securities to the extent of Rs.16,000/-, and in the Bombay Province alone nearly 900 such cases have occurred, as is stated by the Home Member Mr. Morarjibhai Desai in this Court. Nothing was done to redress the grievances of the Press even though Press deputations waited upon the Ministers. Thus there was total dis-appointment in my attempt to bring pressure by peaceful means upon the Congress Governments guided by Gandhian creed. When all these happenings were taking place in Pakistan Gandhiji did not even by a single word protest and censure the Pakistan Government or the Muslims concerned. The Muslim atrocities resorted to in Pakistan to root out the Hindu culture and the Hindu society have been entirely due to the teachings of Gandhiji and his behavior. If the Indian politics had been handled in a practical manner there would never have been the terrible human slaughter as has taken place – a thing without any precedent in History. The most noticeable and important thing is that Gandhiji never cared for the opinion of the people so far as Muslims were concerned. His theme of non-violence had now been deeply soaked in human blood and it was impossible for people to entertain any idea in, favour of Pakistan. So long as there is a theocratic State and Government by the side of Indian Union, the peace and tranquility of the Union shall ever remain in danger. But inspite of all these facts, Gandhiji has taken in his hand the task of a propaganda which even the staunchest adherent of the Muslim League would scarcely have been able to do for stopping the spread of unfavourable opinion about Pakistan in the minds of the people. About this very time he resorted to his last fast unto death. Every condition given by him for giving up the fast is in favour of Muslims and against the Hindus. One of the seven conditions imposed by Gandhiji for the breaking of his fast unto death related to the mosques in Delhi occupied by the Refugees This condition was to the effect that all the mosques in Delhi which were occupied by the Refugees should be vacated or got vacated and be made over to the Muslims. Gandhiji got this condition accepted by the Government and a number of leaders by sheer coercion brought to bear upon them by his fast. On that day I happened to be in Delhi and I have personally seen same of the events that have occurred in getting this condition carried out to its full. Those were the days of bitter or extreme cold and on the day Gandhiji broke his fast it was also raining. Owing to this unusual weather conditions, the pricking atmosphere made even persons in well-placed positions shiver. Families after families of refugees who had come to Delhi for shelter were driven out and while doing so no provision was made for their shelter and stay. One or two families taking with them their children, women folk and what little belongings they had with them and saying “Gandhiji de give us a place for shelter” even approached and came to Birla House but was it ever possible for the cries of these poor Hindu people to reach Gandhiji living in the palatial Birla House. I witnessed with my own eyes this scene which would have melted the heart of even a hard-hearted person. but thoughts even deeper than this began to come to my mind. Was it out of fun that the Refugees found these mosques to be better than their own houses from which they were ousted? Was not Gandhiji aware of the reasons and circumstances that compelled the refugees to occupy the mosques? No temple and no Gurudwar existed in the part of the country that has become Pakistan. These refugees had seen with their own eyes, their temples and Gurudwars being desecrated by filthy use made of them simply for the purpose of insulting the Sikhs and Hindus. The Refugees had come – fled to Delhi having had to leave everything belonging to them and there was no place of shelter for them in Deihi. What wonder there could be if the refugees brought to their minds again and again their own hearths and .homes in the Punjab and N.W.F. Province while they were either taking shelter at the sides of the streets or under a tree somehow? It was under such circumstance that these refugees had resorted to and occupied the mosques. They were living under the roof in mosques and in doing so were not these mosques being used for the benefit of humanity? While Gandhiji imposed the condition of evacuating the refugees from the mosques occupied by them, had he also asked the Government and the people concerned to provide some alternative arrangement for their shelter before getting the mosques evacuated it would have shown some human touch in his demand. While Gandhiji made a demand for the evacuation of the mosques by the refugees had he also imposed a condition to the effect that the temples in Pakistan should be handed over to the Hindus by the Muslims, or some other similar condition, that would have shown that Gandhiji’s teaching of non-violence, his anxiety for the Hindu-MuSlim Unity and his belief in soul force would have been taken or understood as being impartial, spirited, and non-communal. Gandhiji was dhrewed enough to know that while undertaking a fast unto death, had he imposed for its break some condition on the Muslims in Pakistan, there would have been found hardly any Muslim who could have shown some grief if the fast had ended in the death of Gandhijj.. It was for this reason that he purposely avoided imposing any condition on the Muslims. It was already in his past experience, that Mr. Jinnah was not at all purturbed or influenced by his .fast and that the Muslin League hardly attached any value to the “inner voice” of Gandhiji.
It would not be out of place to state here that the remains ashes of Gandhiji were distributed in large towns and many rivers in India and abroad but the said ashes could not be immersed in the Holy Indus passing through the Pakistan Write of the endeavors of Shri Shree Prakash, the Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan. Let us then take the case of 55 crores. Gandhiji him. self has said about these 55 crores that it is always very difficult to make any Government to alter its decisions. But the Government have altered and changed their original decision of withholding the payment of Rs.55 crores to Pakistan and the reason for doing so was his fast unto death. (Gandhiji’s sermon at Prayer-meeting held on or about the 21st of January 1948). The decision to withhold the payment of Rs.55 crores to Pakistan was taken by our Government which claims to be the people’s Government. But this decision of the people’s Government was reversed to suit the tune of Gandhiji’4fast. It was evident to my mind that the force of public opinion was nothing but a trifle when compared with the leanings of Gandhiji favourable to Pakistan.
The creation of Pakistan is the result of the Muslim hostility to the national movement of India. A number of people who showed their allegiance to Pakistan have been clapped in Jail a fifth columnists by this very Government. But to my mind Gandhiji himself was the greatest supporter and advocate of Pakistan and no power could have any control on him in this attitude of his.
In these circumstances the only effective remedy to relieve the Hindus from the Muslim atrocities was, to my mind, to remove Gandhiji from this world.
Gandhiji is being referred to as the father of the nation an apithet of high reference. But if so, he has failed in his paternal duty in as much as he has acted very treacherously to the nation by his consenting to the partitioning of it. Had Gandhiji really maintained his opposition to the creation of Pakistan, the Muslim League could have had no strength to claim it and the Britishers also could not have created it inspite of all their utmost efforts for its establishment. The reason for this is not
