INDIAN INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH INTO TRUE HISTORY

NEWSLETTER NO. 52 OF 16 FEBRUARY 2009

1. NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS
1.1 An Apology
We apologise for not sending you Newsletter in October as Shree Godbole's computer crashed and he lost all his data.

1.1 Package offered.
Godbole now offers a package of his books and a CD. The books are -
Taj Mahal: Simple Analysis of a Great Deception. (2nd edition 2007)
Why Rewrite Indian History (2nd edition 2007).

The CD has nine PowerPoint presentations: -
1st is on historical arguments on Taj Mahal (125 slides)
2nd is called Unseen Taj Mahal (91 slides)
3rd is called How the Taj legend grew (240 slides)
Taj Chronology 1/2/3/4 (information in tabular form)
Taj Mahal - a PPT presentation (useful for a one hour programme)

Special London Tour (see below)

Packages were sent to -
Akila Ramarathinam of Australia

Yellojirao Mirajkar, New Jersey, USA
S Persaud of Florida, USA
Dinesh Agarwal of State College, PA, USA
Dhiru Shah of Georgia, USA

On 13 November 2008 S Persaud wrote - "Both books are wonderful--I am reading both and I will be in touch again!"

Dhiru Shah is interested in making public performances on the subject.

A request for a set has been made by a retired Captain of Indian Army from Bangalore.

1.2 Public performance of PowerPoint presentations
On 20 September 2008 Godbole made a public show at Geeta Bhavan in Manchester. 80 people attended. It was well received.

1.3 Publicity
1.3.1 In June 2008, Shree Suneel Kotte from Bhagyanagar (Hyderabad) wrote to us asking to see the url:
http://satyameva-jayate.org/2005/11/07/the-biggest-whitewash-in-indian-history/

Godbole visited the URL and made some suggestions. These are added to the blog as "comments received."
1.3.2 Check this interesting url

http://www.stephen-knapp.com/was_the_taj_mahal_a_vedic_temple.htm
Collection two - 52 photos of Godbole. This is addition to original collection.

1.3.3 Taj Article
* A small article by Godbole on Truth behind Taj Mahal (in English) was circulated by Ajay Kumar Sharma of Slough to 400 of his friends.

* Marathi translation of the same article is also available. On 6 September 2008, at the Ganapati festival in Birmingham, Dr Shreedhar Vaidya distributed 200 copies to the participants.

1.3.4 Badshahnama - translation of two pages
During discussions with Godbole, two friends have suggested that we should get Badshahnama, Volume I pages 402/403 translated by a white scholar in Persian as many of our own people do not believe in translation given by P N Oak. Godbole replied, "I personally do not see need for such action. But there is nothing preventing YOU from getting such translation done." This has been accepted and that friend is getting the translation done.

1.4 Beijing Olympics August 2008

Did you notice that both - Ho Jin Tao, the Chinese President and the President of Chinese Olympic committee, addressed the opening and closing ceremonies in Chinese? They were NOT ashamed of not speaking in English, but in Hindusthan? Even a road-sweeper will try to speak in at least broken English.

Also, did you watch the opening parade? All the participating countries sent their representatives for a parade. But the countries were arranged according to Chinese alphabet, NOT according to Roman one.

There was a team representing Great Britain. But the term 'Great Britain' does not include Northern Ireland. How come?

1.5 'India' does not exist any more
India Office Library and Records was started after the unsuccessful Indian war of Independence 1857-59. It became part of India Office of Secretary of State for India behind Downing Street. In early 1970s the Library and Records were transferred to Blackfriars. When the construction of British Library was completed in 1998 India Office Library and Records were transferred to 3rd floor of this new building. And now you do not even find the word 'India'. It is called 'Asia Pacific and Africa collection'.

1.6 Thanks giving day in America

In 2007 a Doctor Friend from America wrote to Godbole, "We had our Thanks Giving day. Our grand-daughter organised the function."
Godbole replied - why are YOU celebrating that day? It has nothing to do with you.
White Americans mercilessly exterminated several Indian tribes. They should have a day of repentance.

1.7 Godbole's Website
All of Godbole's research is now on the following web-site www.satyashodh.com.
We have now added summaries of ALL newsletters.

1.8 Web-site on Savarkar
This was launched on 26 February 2008, the day of self sacrifice by Veer Savarkar. Please visit www.savarkar.org and let Godbole have your reactions.

2 Visit to Hindusthan
2.1 Public engagements
During December 2008 / January 2009 Shree and Sau Godbole made a short visit to Hindusthan. Due to death of Sau Godbole's mother Godbole had only 3 public engagements. These were as follows-

PUNE
* On 10th January, Godbole delivered a lecture on the book Gandhi-hattya-ani-mee at Vartakashram. About 70 people attended. Dr Nene wrote an article on the lecture which was published in Dharmabhaskar magazine of Mumbai in its February 2009 issue. Godbole's notes are given at the bottom of this newsletter.
30 copies of Godbole's article on Taj Mahal were distributed at the meeting.

* On 11th Godbole attended IT Milan, a RSS shakha of IT Engineers. He made a PowerPoint presentation of his Special London Tour. The audience was about 50 youngsters. Again 30 copies of Godbole's article on Taj Mahal were distributed at the meeting. If Godbole had been informed that there would be non-Marathi speaking Engineers in the audience, he could have taken some copies of article in English for distribution.

* On 25th January Godbole delivered a lecture on Taj Mahal at Kothrud shakha of RSS. Some 50 workers attended. Again 20 copies of Godbole's article on Taj Mahal were distributed.

2.2 Irritated by corruption in Government of Maharashtra, Avinash Dharmadhikari resigned from Indian Administrative Service (IAS) some five years ago. He however prepares candidates for IAS, IPS and other services. In January 2009 Godbole went to his office and left his books for him. Dharmadhikari's secretary contacted Godbole and said that Dharmadhikari wants to see Godbole. She promised to fix a date. But this did not happen. Let us see if E Mail contact is maintained.

2.3 Godbole made acquaintances with the following -
Rajesh Patil and Ajit Deshpande, both RSS workers and IT Engineers.
Sau Vinita Apte, who makes stage performances on life of Savarkar.
She is working with UNEP as a consultant. Her web-site is www.vinitaapte.com

Prashant Dixit who works for the Marathi daily paper Sakal.
Ninad Bedekar - well known for his conducted tours of forts in Maharashtra
Gopal Ashtekar - an old RSS worker
Wing Commander (Retd) Parasnis
Ashok Athawale - old friend who has been working for the cause of True Indian History for last 35 years.

They all copied Godbole's CD on Taj Mahal on their computers

2.4 In 2004 James Lane, an American, wrote a biography of Shivaji and made some nasty remarks about him. This raised anti-Brahmin feeling in Pune and there was vandalism at Bhandarkar Institute and many valuable documents were destroyed. Brahmins were in no way involved in James Lane's work. It was merely an excuse for anti-Brahmin outburst. Alarmed by this, H M Marathe a well-known writer wrote a booklet entitled - Brahmanana ajun kiti zodapnar? (How long is this anti-Brahmin agitation going to carry on?). Public response was huge. Godbole called on Marathe, gave him his book Savarkaranchya Buddhivadachi Vaishitye (Rationalism of Veer Savarkar in Marathi). The chapter Savarkar the social reformer would be particularly useful for further write ups.

2.5 In Pune, from 19th to 22nd January there was a series of lectures on various aspects of Veer Savarkar's life. This was to coincide with birthday of Bal Thakare the Shiva Sena chief. Godbole became aware of this only when he read about it in local papers. He attended the lecture on 20th and was honoured on stage for his research on Savarkar.

On 26th January, watched the Republic Day Parade in New Delhi. Indian President Pratibha Patil took the salute and made a pathetic appearance. She is Supreme Commander of India's armed forces. Would she lead them into battles dressed like this? Is this how Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi would have dressed when fighting the English in 1857?

It was surprising to hear the songs - Sare jahanse accha Hindusthan hamara
And Kadam kadam badhaye ja khushike geet gaye ja
(Dear oh dear, Nehru and Gandhi spent all their lives removing the word Hindusthan and here they were saying of all the lands, Hindusthan is the most beautiful one!!
Again Gandhi and Nehru did their best all their lives to wipe out memory of Subhash Chandra Bose. And the famous song of Bose's Azad Hind Sena was sung on 26th January?? )

2.6 Falsity of Indo-Saracenic Architecture
While in Pune, Godbole visited the famous Fort named Pratapgad. At the bookstall he purchased a small booklet which showed a bridge on river Krishna built by Shivaji the Maratha King. The builder had used pointed arches. We have been repeatedly told that Pointed Arches was a prerogative of the Islamic invaders!!

2.7 Influence of Urdu
Muslim terrorists from Pakistan came to Mumbai in November 2008. The police officers who were killed in action immediately became Shahids and not Hutatmas.
We can understand secularists using the word Shahid but why were VHP posters using that word?

3 How History gets falsified today.
In the 1970s Sau Kamal Vaidya did extensive research on life of Sambhaji, son of Shivaji. This aspect of Maratha history had been ignored till then. She was awarded a Ph. D for her efforts. Her biography of Sambhaji in English was published in 1978. An excellent work.

However there are two mistakes.
(i) Dr Vaidya refers to Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal.
That society was never 'Royal'. It remained Asiatic Society of Bengal.
(ii) Siddi Jauhar of Janjira
The author says that Sambhaji had some fights with Siddi but neither he nor the Peshwas could defeat Siddi. It was only after Indian independence that Janjira became part of India.
This is wrong. In 1736 Siddi was defeated by Chimaji Appa, younger brother of Peshawa Bajirao I. It is surprising that such statements were made by a Ph D student when Datto Vaman Potdar the well-known historian was the examiner.

4 Who owns the media in India?
It is well-known that the Indian mass-media is now owned by Anti-Hindu forces. But one must remember that when foreigners were not allowed to own press and TV in India most of the press was anti-Hindutva, anti-Savarkar. Daily Sakal of Pune is one such paper. Why did it survive? Because it deals with issues of daily importance to the readers. For example -

(1) Career opportunities - most school leavers are worried about career prospects. They are worried about the costs of further education. Everyone cannot become Engineer or Doctor. So, what can the students do? Sakal had been in the forefront of giving vital information. I remember that in the 1950s paper started publishing special supplements on the subject. People were so poor that they flocked to public library on Laxmi Road (Pune) and waited in queue to read Sakal supplement. Once you find the paper providing such useful service you stick to the paper, whatever its political stance.
Even today it publishes deadlines for making various applications

(2) Health problems
With increased prosperity there has been massive increase in health problems. Sakal issues a weekly supplement for this and all the advice is from Ayurveda doctors. This is most surprising.

(3) There is problem with auto-rickshaws in Pune. Police have been given powers to take away rickshaws if the driver is not in. There are many reasons for this. The driver may be seeking change or have a cup of tea. This leads to lot of tensions. Sakal highlights this problem and pleads that more stands need to be provided for rickshaws to wait and seek customers instead of just running around and wasting diesel.

(4) Sakal highlighted problem of traditional weavers of blankets who face starvation due to competition from Mills.

(5) Sakal exposes breaking of laws. For example it publishing photos of parked vehicles under NO PARKING sign, people crossing railway lines even when a train is approaching, overloaded vehicles. With the advent of digital cameras readers can immediately send pictures of such incidences to Sakal.
Road widening being misused by hawkers and also by people parking their cars

(6) Sakal also reviewed functioning of Public Hospitals.
In many cases the infrastructure was there but staff was not recruited. In some cases the right kind of staff was not recruited. As a result expensive machines were lying idle.
(7) Sakal also carried out a review of functioning of local government. In many cases minimum number of attendees at relevant meetings was not there and these had to be postponed

(8) The paper publishes new Government rules and regulations and also when they come into operation

(9) It also deals with conservation issues.

Hindutavadis must make a note of these. It is no use merely cursing others.

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5. AROUND LONDON TOUR OF PLACES ASSOCIATED WITH INDIAN FREEDOM FIGHTERS

5.1 In November 2008, Sunil Khedkar from Pune was in London for a short visit. Though he could not visit all the places on Godbole's list he managed to see houses where once Veer Savarkar and Lokamanya Tilak lived.

5.2 Godbole proposes to conduct a tour on 17th May 2009.

6. BEHAVIOUR OF CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS TODAY

Muslims in China

It is very interesting to see how China handles its Muslim problem
On 27 October 2008, Shridhar Damle wrote to us from Chicago -
Wary of Islam, China Tightens a Vise of Rules by EDWARD WONG
N Y Times Oct 19, 2008

KHOTAN, China- The grand mosque that draws thousands of Muslims each week in this oasis town has all the usual trappings of piety: dusty wool carpets on which to kneel in prayer, a row of turbans and skullcaps for men without headwear, a wall niche facing the holy city of Mecca in the Arabian desert.
But large signs posted by the front door list edicts that are more Communist Party decrees than Koranic doctrines.

The imam's sermon at Friday Prayer must run no longer than a half-hour, the rules say. Prayer in public areas outside the mosque is forbidden. Residents of Khotan are not allowed to worship at mosques outside of town.
One rule on the wall says that government workers and nonreligious people may not be "forced" to attend services at the mosque - a generous wording of a law that prohibits government workers and Communist Party members from going at all.

"Of course this makes people angry," said a teacher in the mosque courtyard, who would give only a partial name, Muhammad, for fear of government retribution. "Excitable people think the government is wrong in what it does. They say that government officials who are Muslims should also be allowed to pray."
To be a practicing Muslim in the vast autonomous region of north-western China called Xinjiang is to live under an intricate series of laws and regulations intended to control the spread and practice of Islam, the predominant religion among the Uighurs, a Turkic people uneasy with Chinese rule.

The edicts touch on every facet of a Muslim's way of life. Official versions of the Koran are the only legal ones. Imams may not teach the Koran in private, and studying Arabic is allowed only at special government schools.
Two of Islam's five pillars - the sacred fasting month of Ramadan and the pilgrimage to Mecca called the hajj - are also carefully controlled. Students and government workers are compelled to eat during Ramadan, and the passports of Uighurs have been confiscated across Xinjiang to force them to join government-run hajj tours rather than travel illegally to Mecca on their own.

Government workers are not permitted to practice Islam, which means the slightest sign of devotion, a head scarf on a woman, for example, could lead to a firing.

The Chinese government, which is officially atheist, recognizes five religions - Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Taoism and Buddhism - and tightly regulates their administration and practice. Its oversight in Xinjiang, though, is especially vigilant because it worries about separatist activity in the region.
Some officials contend that insurgent groups in Xinjiang pose one of the biggest security threats to China, and the government says the "three forces" of separatism, terrorism and religious extremism threaten to destabilize the region. But outside scholars of Xinjiang and terrorism experts argue that heavy-handed tactics like the restrictions on Islam will only radicalize more Uighurs.

Many of the rules have been on the books for years, but some local governments in Xinjiang have publicly highlighted them in the past seven weeks by posting the laws on Web sites or hanging banners in towns.
Those moves coincided with Ramadan, which ran from September to early October, and came on the heels of a series of attacks in August that left at least 22 security officers and one civilian dead, according to official reports. The deadliest attack was a murky ambush in Kashgar that witnesses said involved men in police uniforms fighting each other.

The attacks were the biggest wave of violence in Xinjiang since the 1990s. In recent months, Wang Lequan, the long-serving party secretary of Xinjiang, and Nuer Baikeli, the chairman of the region, have given hard-line speeches indicating that a crackdown will soon begin.
Mr. Wang said the government was engaged in a "life or death" struggle in Xinjiang. Mr. Baikeli signalled that government control of religious activities would tighten, asserting that "the religious issue has been the barometer of stability in Xinjiang."

Anti-China forces in the West and separatist forces are trying to carry out "illegal religious activities and agitate religious fever," he said, and "the field of religion has become an increasingly important battlefield against enemies."

Uighurs are the largest ethnic group in Xinjiang, accounting for 46 percent of the population of 19 million. Many say Han Chinese, the country's dominant ethnic group, discriminate against them based on the most obvious differences between the groups: language and religion.

The Uighurs began adopting Sunni Islam in the 10th century, although patterns of belief vary widely, and the religion has enjoyed a surge of popularity after the harshest decades of Communist rule. According to government statistics, there are 24,000 mosques and 29,000 religious leaders in Xinjiang. Muslim piety is especially strong in old Silk Road towns in the south like Kashgar, Yarkand and Khotan.

Many Han Chinese see Islam as the root of social problems in Xinjiang.

"The Uighurs are lazy," said a man who runs a construction business in Kashgar and would give only his last name, Zhao, because of the political delicacy of the topic. "It's because of their religion," he said. "They spend so much time praying. What are they praying for?"

The government restrictions are posted inside mosques and elsewhere across Xinjiang. In particular, officials take great pains to publicize the law prohibiting Muslims from arranging their own trips for the hajj. Signs painted on mud-brick walls in the winding alleyways of old Kashgar warn against making illegal pilgrimages. A red banner hanging on a large mosque in the Uighur area of Urumqi, the regional capital, says, "Implement the policy of organized and planned pilgrimage; individual pilgrimage is forbidden."

As dozens of worshipers streamed into the mosque for prayer on a recent evening, one Uighur man pointed to the sign and shook his head. "We didn't write that," he said in broken Chinese. "They wrote that."
He turned his finger to a white neon sign above the building that simply said "mosque" in Arabic script. "We wrote that," he said.

Like other Uighurs interviewed for this article, he agreed to speak on the condition that his name not be used for fear of retribution by the authorities.

The government gives various reasons for controlling the hajj. Officials say that the Saudi Arabian government is concerned about crowded conditions in Mecca that have led to fatal tramplings, and that Muslims who leave China on their own sometimes spend too much money on the pilgrimage.

Critics say the government is trying to restrict the movements of Uighurs and prevent them from coming into contact with other Muslims, fearing that such exchanges could build a pan-Islamic identity in Xinjiang.
About two years ago, the government began confiscating the passports of Uighurs across the region, angering many people here. Now virtually no Uighurs have passports, though they can apply for them for short trips. The new restriction has made life especially difficult for businessmen who travel to neighbouring countries.
To get a passport to go on an official hajj tour or a business trip, applicants must leave a deposit of nearly $6,000.

One man in Kashgar said the imam at his mosque, who like all official imams is paid by the government, had recently been urging congregants to go to Mecca only with legal tours.

That is not easy for many Uighurs. The cost of an official trip is the equivalent of $3,700, and hefty bribes usually raise the price. Once a person files an application, the authorities do a background check into the family. If the applicant has children, the children must be old enough to be financially self-sufficient, and the applicant is required to show that he or she has substantial savings in the bank. Officials say these conditions ensure that a hajj trip will not leave the family impoverished.

Rules posted last year on the Xinjiang government's Web site say the applicant must be 50 to 70 years old, "love the country and obey the law."

The number of applicants far outnumbers the slots available each year, and the wait is at least a year. But the government has been raising the cap. Xinhua, the state news agency, reported that from 2006 to 2007, more than 3,100 Muslims from Xinjiang went on the official hajj, up from 2,000 the previous year.

One young Uighur man in Kashgar said his parents were pushing their children to get married soon so they could prove the children were financially independent, thus allowing them to qualify to go on the hajj. "Their greatest wish is to go to Mecca once," the man, who wished to be identified only as Abdullah, said over dinner.
But the family has to weigh another factor: the father, now retired, was once a government employee and a Communist Party member, so he might very well lose his pension if he went on the hajj, Abdullah said.

The rules on fasting during Ramadan are just as strict. Several local governments began posting the regulations on their Web sites last month. They vary by town and county but include requiring restaurants to stay open during daylight hours and mandating that women not wear veils and men shave their beards.

Enforcement can be haphazard. In Kashgar, many Uighur restaurants remained closed during the fasting hours. "The religion is too strong in Kashgar," said one man. "There are rules, but people don't follow them."
One rule that officials in some towns seem especially intent on enforcing is the ban on students' fasting. Supporters of this policy say students need to eat to study properly.

The local university in Kashgar adheres to the policy. Starting last year, it tried to force students to eat during the day by prohibiting them from leaving campus in the evening to join their families in breaking the daily fast. Residents of Kashgar say the university locked the gates and put glass shards along the top of a campus wall.
After a few weeks, the school built a higher wall. Huang Yuanxi contributed research.
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Gandhi-hattya ani mee - a review of the book

Notes on lecture delivered by Godbole at Vartakashram in Pune on 10th January 2009

Background
Nathumam Godse shot and killed Gandhi on 30 January 1948. There was a trial at Delhi Red Fort, a year later, followed by an appeal to Punjab High Court. In the end, in 1949, Nathuram Godse and Nana Apte were executed in Ambala jail. Gopal, Nathuram's younger brother, Madanlal Pahwa and Vishnupant Karkare were sentenced to Transportation for Life.

Gopal Godse was released from prison in October 1964, but jailed again just 40 days later under Emergency which was declared when the Chinese invaded North-East and North-West India in 1962. He was released in 1965 and started writing his memoirs in the Marathi weekly Sobat of Pune. They were published in a book form in 1969, but banned immediately by Government of Maharashtra. The ban was overturned by Bombay High Court.

Several editions of the book were published in Marathi and also in other Indian languages.

It was the purpose of my review to see if the book throws any light on the terrible events of 1948 and the treatment meted out to Gopal Godse.
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Who am I?
I was born in Pune in 1941. I remember the 1946 Noakhali massacre of Hindu men, women and children. From what little was allowed to be published and discussed by my brothers and sisters, made my blood boil. I was furious at the Congress leaders.

In 1948 Gandhi was killed. I remember that evening. One of my elder brother's friends was coming on a bike. He stopped in the street to give news to my brother. Even after 60 years I still remember that spot. Next day I saw angry mob on the street. They chanted anti-Brahmin slogans and went on rampage, looting and burning Brahmin properties.

Morarji Desai was then Home Minister and shielded the hooligans who attacked and looted Brahmin properties. No action was taken even against culprits involved in murders of Brahmins.
On top of this many Brahmins lost their government jobs because they were RSS workers. Some had written anonymously criticising Gandhi and Nehru's policy of perpetual appeasement of Muslims. Editors of Newspapers and Magazines were forced to disclose the names of such writers. If they refused they faced closure. One can get some idea in the book Puneri.

In 1949, Nathuram Godse and Nana Apte were executed. One of my elder sisters read the editorial in the Marathi paper Kesari. I listened to her very carefully.
At the time of Gandhi's assassination, I was 6 ½ years old, my wife 2 ½ years, one of her younger brothers was only 6 months old; while her other two brothers were not even born. Today, their sons and daughters are married and in their 30s. Will they understand the events of 1948? Unfortunately Gopal Godse's book fails to do that.

I asked many men 10 to15 years older than me, "Why was Gopal Godse released by Government?" I did not find a single person who could answer. One friend said, "Gopal Godse was sentenced to life imprisonment which is usually for 14 years. He was released at the end of that term."
I replied - "Gopal Godse was sentenced by Special Judge Atmacharan in February 1949. If you add 14 years it comes to February 1963. Was Godse released then? NO." (I will provide answer towards the end.)
So, what did Gopal Godse achieve by publishing this book?

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Gopal Godse and I
I read Godse's book in early 1980s and had some correspondence with him. He wrote, "Mr Godbole, you have read my book thoroughly and your questions are pertinent." I gave him lot of information but he made no changes to his book. I can say this from the 1997 Hindi edition of his book. Over the years I have noted that Hindutvavadis consider it insulting to make any changes to their writing.

Gopal Godse's book Gandhi-hattya ani mee is a hodgepodge of bits and pieces of events. Nothing is clear-cut. Here are some examples -

(a) Take the case of Nana Apte's ashes. He had willed that these should be preserved till India is united again. At that time the ashes are to be immersed in the Sindhu river.

Gopal Godse asked	Nana, why Sindhu river? We usually immerse our ashes in Ganga river.
Nana Apte replied	Do you remember what happened to Gandhi's ashes?
Gopal Godse said	Portions were immersed in various rivers. No one objected to that.
Nana replied	But Pakistan refused permission. Jinnah said, "We cannot allow pollution of our waters by Gandhi's ashes." That is a great insult to our Gandhi. Those thoughts are in my mind and therefore in my blood and bones and hence will remain in our ashes. Whenever Akhand Hindusthan is achieved and our ashes are immersed in the Sindhu River, it will also wipe out the insult meted out to Gandhi by Pakistan.

Very powerful stuff. But how many readers remember having read these lines?

(b) There is mention of correspondence between Nathuram and Ramdas, second son of Gandhi. But important lines are carefully hidden.
Nathuram wrote, "My Dear Ramdas. I am open to arguments. You are welcome to see me along with any of Gandhi's followers. You may argue rationally or emotionally and convince me that what I did was wrong, BUT there is also a possibility that I will convince you that I was right."
After reading the last line Ramdas chickened out and did not meet Nathuram in Ambala jail.
But how many readers remember this line?

(c) English version of the book was made available some time around 1990 (when Virat Hindu Sammelan was held in Milton Keynes). The translator was one S T Godbole of Borivali, Mumbai (no relation of mine). And the title is astonishing. It reads - Gandhi murder and after.
We are slaves of the English at heart. If the translator did not know the difference between Murder and Assassination why did he not consult others? Independent Television (ITV) Company of England had published a volume entitled World History of the 20th century. There is detailed information of important events year by year. In it we find
- American President J F Kennedy was assassinated
-- Black Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr was assassinated
-- R F (Bobby) Kennedy, younger brother of JFK was assassinated.
But only Gandhi was murdered.

(d) Bombay High Court ruling (6 September 1969)
Godse only gives a brief summary of his case. There is no reference. Government of Maharashtra had argued that Godse's book should be banned because it twists the history. Very important words!! These would have been extremely useful to P N Oak. But without proper reference these cannot be used.

(e) In the 1940s Gandhi did say, "If the Congress Party wants to partition India, first the Congressmen must partition me." Godse provides no reference. Readers are simply supposed to believe in him.
Details are found in Major General Shahid Hamid's book The Disastrous Twilight. He was Lt Col in the Indian Army and Personal Secretary to Field Marshall Auchinleck. He does quote Gandhi's words.
Another book Gandhi : A detailed chronology gives details Gandhi's whereabouts and movements day by day (1915 to 1948).
From these two books we can say where Gandhi uttered those words which misled millions of Hindus. They believed that as long as Gandhi was alive there will be no partition.
Godse did not make use of this vital information is subsequent editions.

(f) There is difference between "aiding and abetting a murder" and "Conspiracy to murder." Aiding and abetting a murder is regarded as an individual act and is not regarded as a threat to establishment. Conspiracy, on the other hand, is regarded as a threat to society / authority of the government, and carries severe sentences. It also requires less rigorous proof. Nehru and Patel wanted to implicate Savarkar. Hence their choice of the charge - Conspiracy to murder.

(g) There was no jury. What difference would it have made? Quite a bit. Having served as a Juror in two trials in England I say the following -
It is the jury of 12 people and NOT the Judge who decide whether the accused is guilty or not.
The Judge merely makes notes of all the evidence and arguments. He/ She asks questions for clarifications while jurors keep quiet. At the end the Judge summarises the evidence. Jurors hear the arguments for prosecution and defence and retire for deliberation. They decide if the accused is guilty or not based solely on evidence. Judge then passes the sentence or acquits the accused.

In this particular case the 12 member Jury would have to conclude that there was a conspiracy to murder. If they concluded that there was no conspiracy the accused will have to go free. For such an eventuality these is a provision in the prosecution of pleading for a lesser charge.
In 1988 we had to decide whether the accused was guilty of causing grievous bodily harm (GBH). If not, was the person guilty of a lesser charge under "offences against persons act 1893, section 20"?
Thus there is quite a difference between trial by a Judge and trial by jury

Gopal Godse, not only does not provide such pieces of information but gives some unbelievable information.

FALSE INFORMATION

(i)Why Nathuram started Hindu Rashtra
In 1999, i.e. 50 years after execution of Nathuram, Gopal Godse published a book entitled Execution and Nathuram. In it Gopal tells us -
During the Second World War there was shortage of various raw materials. So it was forbidden to start new newspapers. Nathuram therefore re-started an old paper Agrani which had stopped publication. But later on permission was granted to start new newspapers. Nathuram therefore started the paper HinduRashtra.
What a travesty of facts!! Morarji Desai, the then Home Minister of Bombay Province hated Nathuram. So, he demanded deposits after deposits from Nathuram and eventually ordered closure of Agrani and confiscated the deposited money. Nathuram, had no option but to start a new paper called HinduRashtra. Secret Reports kept by the British in London (but destroyed in India before 15 August 1947) mention this clearly. Why does Gopal Godse give false information?

(ii) Justice Achhuram
Gopal Godse has published a small booklet called Na Bhito Maranad asmi
(I am not afraid of death, only my reputation). It bears no date. Gopal describes the proceedings of Punjab High Court where appeal of Nathuram and others was being heard. Gopal says -
Judge Achhuram was constantly asking questions to Nathuram. He said, "Nathuram, you may fear that my constant questioning will interrupt your line of thinking, but these questions are essential for clarifications."
Nathuram replied - "Thank you your honour."

This is unbelievable!! Truth is exactly the opposite. Gopal does not say why ONLY Achhuram was asking questions and not the other two judges?

What is the truth? We find full information in G D Khosla's book Murder of Mahatma Gandhi and other court cases and P L Inamdar's book Story of the Red Fort Trial.
Khosla was one of the judges of Punjab High Court and Inamdar of Gwalior defended Dr Parchure, one of the co-accused.

Usually two judges are appointed for hearing an appeal. But in case of Nathuram and others it was decided to appoint three judges because of the volume of paperwork involved. Bhandari was the senior judge and Khosla and Achhuram were the other two judges.

And what do we know about Achhuram? He was a Punjabi, a staunch Aryasamaji. He had witnessed the bloodbath following partition and was one of the lucky ones who were transferred to East Punjab (which remained in India). And yet he had no sympathy for Nathuram. Not only that, he wanted to show his knowledge of legal cases. As soon as the Defence lawyer put forward an argument he would interrupt and quote a case in the past. The proceedings were coming to a halt.

During lunch time Khosla felt uneasy and saw Bhandari in his chamber. He said, "What Achhuram is doing is against all the norm of court proceedings. The lawyers must be allowed to put forward their case. We simply make judgements afterwards. Achhuram is creating an impression that we do not want to listen to arguments of defence lawyers and that have already made up our mind. Moreover you being the Senior Judge it is up to you to decide whether particular evidence is admissible / relevant or not. Achhuram is not even referring to you."
In the end it was decided that Bhandari should have a word with Achhuram. He did not like it one little bit. He showed utter contempt for Bhandari in the court-room. His interruptions continued. Defence lawyers were getting frustrated. It was decided that next day the lawyer should put on a muffler around his neck and make excuses. Nathuram started his arguments. Still Achhuram continued with his interruptions. One lady said loudly in Punjabi, "Why does he (Achhuram) not allow Nathuram to speak?" So incensed were the spectators. But Nathuram was more than a match for Achhuram. He made counter arguments. And soon there were hardly any interruptions!! So, what the Barristers could not do was done by Nathuram.
And yet Gopal Godse tells us - Achhuram was merely seeking clarifications.

(iii) How Savarkar was treated
Godse says - "Savarkar was declared innocent by Judge Atmacharan. Savarkar came out of the court and was cheered by a large crowd of supporters."
This is totally false. Do you remember Sardar Patel? That iron man? He made sure that Savarkar was not cheered by his supporters. As soon as the Judge Atmacharan retired, two warrants were issued against Savarkar. One prohibited him from going out of the Red Fort and the other prevented him from entering Delhi area for three months!! When the police escort was ready, Savarkar was taken to Delhi railway station and put on a train to Mumbai.
(See Sangata Parva by Balarao Savarkar, 1986, p56)
Why does Godse tell lies?

(iv) Police brutality in India
Godse dismisses this aspect by brushing it aside. He justifies police tactics by saying, "If the police wait till the accused makes a confession they will never get it. Certain amount of intimidation and use of force is of course necessary. But the Police also have the fear that if they exceed their limits they will be subject to disciplinary action. We hear that in the Jalamandir case the accused were un-necessarily beaten up."
I wrote to Godse - "Do to live on a different planet? As a school boy I remember details of the case."
In Satara (Maharashtra) there is a temple named Jalmandir devoted to a Goddess. In around 1953 it was discovered that ornaments of the goddess have been stolen. The police held and tortured two Brahmins belonging to the RSS. The details of their torture would have shamed even the white supremacist of South Africa. As the case developed in court three Mahars (untouchables) voluntarily confessed that they were forced by the police to testify against the two Brahmins who were innocent. The case collapsed. Later, the ornaments were found so were the culprits.

So, I asked Godse, "What was the punishment meted out to the police? Was there an apology by Government of Bombay Province? (Morarji Desai then the Chief Minister) Was any compensation paid to the Brahmins whose lives were ruined?"
Godse had to admit that the culprit policemen got away with torture. But in his book he does not even say that victims of police brutality were Brahmins and they belonged to RSS.

Now who remembers the case today? Godse lost an excellent opportunity to expose anti-Brahmin hatred in Maharashtra.

(v) Past history of India forgotten by Godse
Godse's interview to reporter Meenakshi Ganguly of TIME magazine was even more astonishing.
Full details are seen on web-site
http://www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/2000/0214/india.godse.html

(February 14, 2000, volume 155 No.6)

Meenakshi Ganguly - Is there anything you admire about Gandhi?
Godse - "Firstly, the mass awakening that Gandhi did. In our school days Gandhi was our idol. Secondly, he removed the fear of prison. He said it is different to go into prison for a theft and different to go in for Satyagraha (civil disobedience). As youngsters, we had our enthusiasm, but we needed some channel. We took Gandhi to be our channel."

This astonishing. Gopal Godse is implying that before advent of Gandhi there was no mass-movement and that nothing happened before Gandhi that made people fearless of imprisonment.
This is Congress inspired propaganda evident in the writings of Pattabhi Sitaramayya and Subhash Chandra Bose. In 1937, after his release from internment Savarkar said, "How dare you say such things when persons like me are present?"

Gopal Godse was born in 1920. Is he saying that as soon as he was born he found that Gandhi had removed fear of prison from minds of people? Surely not. He talks about school days. Children become aware of events in the outside world as they finish schooling by the age of 16. Let us say Gopal Godse was aware at much earlier age of 10. That brings us to 1930. Given below are the events before 1930.

In 1882, Tilak and his colleague Agarkar went to jail for their principles. It was an act of great courage. On their release, both were garlanded and paraded through streets of Pune. This was a year before Savarkar was born.

During the years of famine Tilak was sending volunteers in villages asking the farmers to pay crop-taxes only according to the crops cultivated. He said - "This is according to the Famine Code. It is your right. You fight for it."

In 1897 Tilak was sentenced to 18 months hard labour for sedition. As soon as the news of his pending prosecution spread, there was sympathy for him all over India. In Bengal funds were raised for his defence. Even Tagore contributed to the defence fund.
A few months after Tilak's sentencing Chaphekar brothers were executed for killing Rand, the officer responsible for atrocities in the name of anti-plague measures. A letter for clemency to be shown to Tilak was signed by Dadabhai Naoroji and R C Dutta. This is how the whole country was getting united.

In 1905, Lord Curzon partitioned Bengal despite stiff opposition from Indian leaders. This led to country-wide public anger. Tilak started his movement of Swadeshi and boycott of British goods. Singing of Bande Mataram was banned but it was openly flouted, protesters risking flogging and imprisonment. Some Moderates who said that Partition of Bengal was a regional issue and NOT a national problem were swept aside. Eventually Moderates had to support Swadeshi and Boycott of British goods.
Soon bombs started to explode. Revolutionaries like Khudiram Bose went to the gallows fearlessly making profound impression on Indian masses.

In 1907, Tilak was sentenced to Transportation for six years to Mandalay (Burma). This led to Mill workers strike in Mumbai for 6 days (One day for each year of sentence). These workers were supposed to be illiterate and not interested in politics. But by their action they proved that they regarded Tilak as their mass leader. Even the Moderates were furious by the sentence and held a public meeting of all Indians in London (Caxton Hall) condemning the sentence.

In 1910, Savarkar was sentenced to Transportation for Life, twice, to be served in succession, a sentence of 50 years. He was sent to Andaman Islands. Two years later Hotilal Varma, another revolutionary managed to smuggle out a letter from Andaman. It was fearlessly published by Bengali moderate leader Surendranath Banerjee in his paper Bengalee. This was copied in many Indian newspapers and made people aware of the horrific prison conditions in Andaman. Savarkar's annual letters from Andaman also started to appear in all Indian newspapers.

1911 December
In view of rising public anger, King George V annulled the partition of Bengal at Delhi Durbar. This was the victory of mass movement when names of Gandhi and Nehru were not even heard of.

1918 November
Savarkar's younger brother Narayanrao launched a petition campaign for early release of Savarkar on similar lines to British policy in Ireland and S Africa. Bombay National Union took up the cause and collected 75,000 signatures. The petition was submitted to Governor of Bombay.
1920
Tilak died on 1 August. On hearing the news, hundreds of youth went to Bombay to pay homage. At the time of public cremation Gandhi asked the youth to raise their right hands and take a vow not to serve the British. My father also raised his right hand. Gandhi happened to at the right place at the right time. That's all we can say. Mass movement had already started. People were no longer afraid of jail sentences due to above history.

1921
Savarkar brothers were sent back to mainland India from Andaman Islands.

1924
Savarkar was released from prison on the conditions that
(a) he would live in the District of Ratnagiri and
(b) he would not take part in politics.

1930
Gopal Godse's father working for Indian Post office was posted to Ratnagiri. Godse family stayed very near to Savarkar's house. Nathuram was much influenced by Savarkar and helped him in making copies of articles, getting reference books etc.
But this firebrand patriot, who had survived the horrors of Transportation to Andaman Islands, did not inspire Gopal Godse. His idol was Gandhi!!

In many places Godse offers no explanations whatsoever. So, ordinary reader gets lost.

NO EXPLANATIONS

(1) Why did Apte demonstrate against Gandhi?
After the failure of 1942 movement Gandhi was released from prison and went to stay in Panchgani to recover his health. Nana Apte made demonstrations against Gandhi. That is true. But why did Apte demonstrate? That Godse does not say.
During his internment in Aga Khan Palace from 1942 to 1944 Gandhi was allowed to see only Rajaji (Rajagopalachari) even though he had resigned from Congress party. Why? Because Rajaji was anxious for partition of India. Savarkar was so incensed that he remarked - "These pro-Pakistan Hindus are more dangerous than Pro-Pakistan Muslims!!"
The danger was that after his release from prison, Gandhi would give consent to Rajaji formula which meant partition. That is why Nana Apte demonstrated. And their fears were realised by Gandhi's acceptance of Rajaji Formula two days later. But without this explanation it is meaningless to say that Nana Apte demonstrated against Gandhi.

(2) Ashes of Nathuram
Gopal Godse claimed to have ashes of Nathuram in his possession to be kept until Akhand Hindusthan is established. But how did he get them?

In his book Gopal tells - Sindhutai (wife of Gopal) asked the prison authorities, "Can you please show me the place where the bodies of Nathuram and Nana Apte were cremated? I would like to take a handful of earth from that place in reverence." They refused.
This raises many questions -
What was the usual custom for cremation of executed prisoners? Were the dead bodies handed over to the relatives for cremation or were they, without exception cremated within prison grounds?

Nathuram and Nana Apte were executed on 15 November 1949. Just a day before all the close relatives came to see them for the last time in Ambala jail. Did they ask for the dead bodies of the two to be handed over to them for cremation? Yes or No.

If the request was made did the prison authorities refuse to hand over the dead bodies of the two?

Were the relatives and Gopal Godse allowed to be present at the cremation? Or were they denied permission?

It is strange that no-one had raised these questions before. The question remains - How did Gopal Godse get ashes of Nathuram?

We have no direct answer. From what little information is found in some books it seems that the Prison Authorities did not hand over the ashes to the relatives and had asked a junior staff member to immerse them in the nearby river which did not have much water. Some one felt ashamed of this state of affairs, informed the relatives and they collected the ashes.
(Ref - Sangata Parva by Balarao Savarkar, 1986; pp63/64)

It is astonishing that Gopal Godse offers no explanation whatsoever.

(3) Nathuram's statement in the Court of Appeal was not banned by Government of India. So, where is it? No reader asks this question and Gopal Godse kept quiet all his life.

(4) Bombay Public Security Measures Act 1947.
Gopal Godse tells us that above act was made applicable to Delhi Area with retrospective effect for the purpose of trial of Nathuram and others. What does this mean? No reader had asked this question and Godse offers no explanation.

In December 1911 King George V annulled partition of Bengal at Delhi Durbar. He also declared that capital of British India would be shifted from Calcutta to New Delhi in 1912. But then 'Delhi Area' was created as a separate administrative unit under a Chief Commissioner. There was no legislative assembly. So, how was the area to be governed? Well, Government of India Act 1912 made a provision. Laws in existence in other Provinces could be made applicable to Delhi Area, with the approval of the Governor General.
But the British rulers never thought that in future the Congress Party administration will make a law applicable with retrospective effect. It is simply not done. Let us take the case of white supremacist regime. They enacted Group Areas Act by which people were restricted to where they could live according to their race. But even they did not prosecute any Indian family for having lived in past, in a "White" area.

Bombay Public Security Measures Act 1947 was passed on 23 March 1947. In the same month Lord Wavell was replaced by Lord Mountbatten as Viceroy of India. On 3 June, Nehru publicly accepted partition.
These dates are suspicious. It seems that having won the general elections on the promise that there would never be a partition of India, Nehru and Patel had decided to accept partition without going back to the electorates!! They knew the atrocities on Hindus that will follow partition. They knew what reaction of Hindus would be and all they wanted to do was to keep Hindus in check. Hence the Bombay Public Security Measures Act 1947. Similar acts were passed in other provinces ruled by the Congress Party. It was impossible to protest against partition.

If one looks at these laws one is shocked to find that these throw away even the provisions of the Indian Penal Code. Every clause says - "Notwithstanding clause …… of the Indian Penal Code, the following will apply."

One should remember that the British Rulers did not need such repressive laws during World War II and even at the height of 1942 movement. Secret papers in British Library reveal what laws they did have. It is astonishing that in those papers there is even a mention of Newspaper Editors conference in Delhi. The editors of Indian papers had argued that they should be allowed to criticise government's failings and should not be gagged giving excuse of the War.
Such a demand was impossible under Congress Rule. Their rulers were far more intolerant and mean-minded than the British. This is evident from comments in the pro-Congress papers.

Why did the British Rulers consent to such oppressive laws by the Congress Governments? Well, they were saying - "your own Congress Party is more oppressive and you prefer to be ruled by them. So, why should we bother?"

Even Senapati Bapat was saying - "I would prefer Pakistan to continuation of the British Raj." It seems that Dr Moonje of Nagpur was appreciative of changing circumstances. He advised Bengali dangers of serious dangers and said - "for your own interest you praise the British and they will not allow your massacres by Muslims."

Let us take two examples -
In Savarkar's biography we find him pleading with Governor of Sind province to stop the menace of Hurrs in the 1940s. What happened afterwards? The British did crush the Hurr rebellion just as they crushed the Moplas. Some Hurrs were killed during military action, some were executed, and some were sent to Transportation. Details of operations are kept in British Library
Can you think of Congress Govt having courage to take such an action?

In 1942, Dr Ambedkar published his book Thoughts on Pakistan in which he suggested that Hindus should give away Pakistan. He explains the mentality of Muslims by quoting examples. In the 1930s an Aryasamaji was sitting in the High Court of Sind. Suddenly, a Muslim fanatic fatally stabbed the Aryasamaji in front of the Judge and all the court officials. In his defence a Muslim Barrister from Lucknow argued that such killing is NOT a crime according to Koran-e-Sharif. It is religious duty of a Muslim to kill a Kafir.

Ambedkar does not say what happened afterwards. I read the files in British Library. The judge ruled that Indian Penal Code was the law of the land and NOT Koran. The Muslim was found guilty, sentenced to be executed. When the sentence was carried out the question was what to do with the dead body of the Muslim. His supporters wanted to take out a procession in Karachi. Police Commissioner was alarmed. He knew that this would lead to attacks on Hindu homes and properties. He refused permission to procession. There was angry mob outside his office. He summoned British troops stationed nearby. They fired on the angry mob and some 30 to 40 Muslims were killed. The police then escorted the coffin to the burial ground.
Would this have happened under a Congress Raj? Never.

I read about Bombay Public Securities Act (BPSMA) 1947 in the Special issue of the magazine WORD of Guy Aldred, one of the few sympathisers of Veer Savarkar. He published the full transcript of Gandhi Murder Trial in 1950. In 1986 this issue of WORD was discovered by Bhaskar-rao Gadre, RSS Chief of Pune
I was horrified to read the provisions of above act. It stated - death sentence passed by the Special Judge is NOT subject to confirmation by the High Court. And an appeal against any other sentences must be made within 15 days (instead of 60 days in Indian Penal Code). Government took one year to build its case but the accused must make their appeal within 15 days.
Gopal Godse says - Nathuram did not appeal against the death sentence. The truth is that he just could not make such an appeal. That was the horror which Gopal Godse fails to point out

And how long was this BPSMA going to last? Six years according to records held in London. I do not know whether the Congress Party got the limit extended even further.

(4) Act of Bombay Province declared illegal
On 26 January 1950 India adopted a new constitution and became a Republic. The constitution provided for a Supreme Court. Any citizen can ask the Supreme Court if a particular legislation or action of government is in accordance with provisions of Indian Constitution.

Gopal Godse tells us - "some years later BPSMA was declared illegal by the Indian Supreme Court." He gives no clue about how he learned of this ruling. Did he read it in the papers? Did a lawyer inform him? The date of judgement? Names of Judges? Nothing.

Godse says further - "The Supreme Court declared BPSMA as illegal but did not declare that the judgement to have retrospective effect. That was also not possible."

How on earth did Godse know this? If he did know he must have known other details too!!

In English there are two words - null / null and void. They do not have the same meanings. When an act is nullified, it is NO LONGER valid in future, but the persons affected have to suffer punishments (consequences). If, on the other hand, an act is declared null and void, those who had suffered consequences get compensation.

Typical cases are those related to Car Parking / Speed restrictions offences.

(5) The sentence - Transportation for Life
The sentence passed on Gopal Godse, Vishnu Karakare and Madanlal Pahwa was Transportation for life. These words are beyond comprehension for an average Hindu. They just cannot be translated into any Indian language. We Hindus are the only people in the world who are worried about how our enemies will survive and prosper. Others just can't understand our mentality. The more barbarian the aggressor, the more concerned we are. Be it Muhammad Ghori, Nizam, Hyder Ali, Tipu Sultan or the English.

After killing Ravana, Rama put the crown of Lanka on the head of Bibhishana and asked him to arrange for cremation of Ravana. Rama said, "Maranantani vairani." Our feuds end at death. We do not carry them beyond death.

But others do not follow that. Madanlal Dhingra (1909) and Udham Singh (1940) were executed in Pentonville Prison, London. Both were denied cremation!! When I tell this to our visitors they are astonished. Now, let us look at some British actions.

Vasudev Balwant Phadke of Pune wanted to drive the British out by force of arms. He was captured and sentenced to Transportation for Life to Aden, which is 2,000 miles across the sea from Mumbai. Compared to this, the distance from Paris to Moscow is 1,450 miles. The British ensured that Phadke would never ever come back. At the same time his compatriots were sentenced to Transportation for Life to Andaman Islands. Thus, even in the destitution they were kept 4,000 miles away from each other. Phadke was denied even the comfort of company of his friends.
I visited Andaman Islands two years ago. Even if a prisoner escapes from jail, what would he do? How will he survive? How will he ever cross 1,000 miles of sea which separated the islands from mainland India?

Transportation can be for a limited period. Tilak was sentenced to Transportation to Mandalay (Burma) for six years.

What is Transportation for life? It does NOT mean Ajanma Karavas as was translated by Gopal Godse. That is a great fallacy.

Veer Savarkar, in his book My Transportation for Life says, "In countries like England "Life" is regarded as 14 years (useful working life), but in India, according to Penal Code, it is 20 or 25 years depending on the offence."
Savarkar was sentenced to Transportation for Life, twice. Thus a total sentence of 2 x 25 = 50 years. He was given a badge showing the dates of sentencing and possible release. Was Gopal Godse given a similar badge? Was there a date of release? Did other prisoners have badges giving such dates? Godse says nothing!!

During the British Raj our forefathers were sent to Aden, Burma or Andaman for Transportation. By the Government of India Act 1935 Aden (governed from Mumbai) and Burma were separated from British India. But Andaman was still there in 1949. So, why were Godse, Karakare and Pahwa not sent there? Godse gives no answer. And if they were not sent to Andaman, what would happen to their sentence? No explanation in the book.

In 1955 Government of India removed the sentence of Transportation from Indian Penal code. But then how would the prisoners already sentenced, to be treated? And what about those who were sentenced to Transportation for Life but not sent to Andaman? Godse gives no explanation.

(6) Remissions and final release
It is common for prisoners to be granted remissions for various reasons. Savarkar tells us that on Andaman Islands prisoners were given remission on the occasion of Delhi Darbar in 1911 and also when the British won World War I in 1918.

Prisoners like Gopal Godse were also given remissions on paper. For example, when India became a republic in 1950 and Maharashtra was formed in 1960.
Government of Maharashtra seems to be working for release of prisoners on the basis that they were sentenced to life sentences of 14 years. So, prisoners who had earned remission of 4 years were released after serving 10 years. But in case of Gopal Godse, government argued that remission does not give prisoner any right to demand release - that is entirely at the discretion of government. Godse waited till 14 years less remission came up. But when reviewing his case government said - "The question of release will be considered after completion of 15 years actual imprisonment." That was cruel. There seem to be no end in sight. Godse's appeals to Supreme Court were not having any effect.
Gopal Godse was told that he will be released only if government shows clemency. But Godse did not seek clemency. He wanted justice.

Then came 1964. Nehru died in May. Lal Bahaddur Shastri succeeded as Prime Minister. On 10 October, Nanda the Union Home minister met Godse in Delhi jail. Godse's appeal was due to be heard by the Supreme Court on 19th. Government of India released him from jail on 13th October. Why were they in such a hurry???

If a prisoner is sentenced to Transportation for Life, but in practice was not sent anywhere what happens to that sentence? There are provisions both in Indian Penal Code and Indian Criminal Procedures Code for cases like Godse's. According to both codes that sentence becomes a life sentence of 14 years. Therefore even without remissions Gopal Godse should have been released in February 1963. The Supreme Court would have asked - why is Godse still in jail in October 1964? For this neither the Government of Maharashtra nor Government of India had any answer. So, they decided to release him immediately. When the court hearing began the governments argued that Godse was no longer a prisoner and the case should be dismissed. So it was.

----------------
It is astonishing that despite this history of persecution Gopal Godse went to testify before Kapoor commission, set up in 1965/66 to enquire into Gandhi's killing!! Unbelievable.

What a pity that Gopal Godse missed an excellent opportunity to explain his persecution. We fail to see any reason behind it.