The Hindu : Front Page : "Please don't get angry with your shishya"

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 20, 2004

Front Page

"Please don't get angry with your shishya"

By Jyotirmaya Sharma

PUNE, SEPT.19. During the Gandhi murder trial, the Mahatma's assassin, Nathuram Godse, spoke of his casual visits to Savarkar Sadan and the nature of these visits being restricted to access to the Hindu Sangathan office on the ground floor of the Savarkar residence in Bombay. Likewise, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar distanced himself from Nathuram by telling the Court on November 20, 1948 that he was introduced to Godse and Apte, co-conspirator in the Gandhi assassination, as Hindu Sabha workers. Recently, the news weekly, Outlook, carried excerpts from a letter dated February 28, 1938 that establishes, to an extent, the close bond shared by Godse and Savarkar.

The Hindu now has in its possession copies of five hitherto inaccessible letters written by Nathuram Godse to Savarkar between 1938 and 1946. They conclusively establish Savarkar's mentorship of Godse — and the latter's acknowledgement of Savarkar as his guru.

These letters reveal another aspect of a relationship that has, until now, gone unnoticed. Godse felt that Savarkar was not doing enough to consolidate the Hindu Mahasabha into a viable political organisation. The letters contain startling material about Godse's barely concealed impatience over this. His tone is often beseeching, but also takes on the quality of a harangue. Significantly, Nathuram strongly advocates that Savarkar and the RSS founder, Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, ought to make common cause to consolidate the efforts for achieving a Hindu Rashtra.

The letter dated April 2, 1944 is revealing. It begins by describing the work being done by Godse's Marathi daily Agrani (which in 1946, following a ban, became Hindurashtra). Godse promises Savarkar an article on the Kasturba Nidhi the following Tuesday. Barely a month later, on May 14, 1944, Savarkar issued a statement asking Hindu Sanghatanists not to contribute to the Kasturba Gandhi Memorial Fund (quoted in A.G. Noorani, Savarkar and Hindutva: The Godse Connection, pp. 92-93).

Is this too much of a coincidence? The 1944 letter then shifts to an unrelated but equally interesting topic.

Savarkar is to visit Shimoga. Godse says he wants to travel there with Savarkar. Not only does Godse want to travel with Savarkar, he asks his mentor to get a berth reserved for him for the journey. More importantly, he wants the reservation done in the same compartment as Savarkar. Why? Because he wishes to discuss some "issues" with him. "I need to consult you and apprise you of certain `data'," he says. He assures Savarkar that he will pay for a third class fare himself and not from the Agrani account; and he requests Savarkar to pay the difference, if any. The rest of the letter deals with Godse's efforts to collect money for an ailing Rajabhau Rajwade, and he requests Savarkar to contribute.

An undated letter, written in 1946 (since Godse mentions the upcoming second anniversary, in March, of Agrani, which was founded on March 28, 1944), is the most significant. The letter ends thus: "Whether your answer is yes or no, do not get angry with your shishya or hold it against him. This is my entreaty to you."

The word Godse uses for signifying himself is `shishyavar', meaning a disciple. The word for entreaty used is `abhyarthana', a Sanskrit derivative that means `request', `entreaty' or `petition'. The context: the fate and fortunes of Godse's newspaper.

The first part of the letter is devoted to listing the financial constraints under which Agrani is operating. It speaks of Savarkar's handsome donation to the paper. "You have given me a large sum of Rs. 15,000 for the purpose," says Godse, adding that this shows "how close this cause is to your heart." There is a detailed account of the way Agrani managed to survive in the face of newsprint shortages, a ban, and a lack of funds. Godse also mentions the hostility of some Hindu Mahasabha leaders who, he claims, are working for the demise of the paper. He asks Savarkar for an additional "loan" of Rs.10,000, promising to repay the amount at an interest of 3 per cent a month. Later in the letter, Godse tells Savarkar that the terms of repayment signify that Agrani does not want to use his intellectual wealth free of cost.

Godse assures Savarkar that Agrani is the only newspaper in Maharashtra that is working towards disseminating Savarkar's thought: "In Maharashtra today, the only paper that works towards disseminating your ideas is this, and your contribution of Rs. 15,000 is testimony of your association with it. This is common knowledge and requires little proof." In Harijan, notes Godse, there are at least ten articles contributed by Gandhi. He remonstrates with Savarkar for not writing regularly and enough for Agrani. Citing the example of Gandhi and Tilak in relation to Harijan and Kesri respectively, Godse wants Savarkar to emulate their example by writing for Agrani. Savarkar must write not only about politics, but also about Hindutva, revolution, technology, science, psychology, literature, history, philosophy, and poetry. Such writing, Godse feels, will be beneficial to "pudhil peedhi" (the younger generation) and also help in making "avatirna" ("immanent") Savarkar's "vaicharik sampatti" ("vast intellectual wealth").

Godse makes it clear that Agrani and other matters need to be discussed with Savarkar in person. "These matters, and some other matters need to be discussed with you in person," writes Godse, "but I desisted from doing so because of your indifferent health." He fears that in the absence of a discussion, there might arise a "distance" between the two. He asks his mentor to read the letter carefully and adds that he intends to visit him, in the company of Apte, at Walchandnangar the following week to discuss all matters.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

News Update

Stories in this Section

"Please don't get angry with your shishya"

'India to carry forward economic reforms'

Terror must be checked for talks with Pakistan: Manmohan

Pakistan asserts supremacy

Congress, NCP finalise seat-sharing agreement

Hu acquires commanding presence

EDUSAT: turning homes into classrooms