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Pradeep
Dalvi's play
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NATHURAM GODSE:
An Experience
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A play in English that forces the audience to experience the anguish of destiny: Gandhi and a humanized Godse.
What was the most important thing that Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi stood for? Freedom.
Freedom of thought, expression, ideas. That is why hefought for freedom so bravely, so relentlessly and
ultimately died for it. half a century later -- has become a hero for those whobelieve that Gandhi
made some unforgivable errors of judgement at the time India was struggling to find her new destiny,
as a free nation. it was Gandhi who taught us that there is no freedom greater than the right
to voice one's own political opinion without fear.
That is the basis on which we have built our democracyover the past half a century. The fact that the Father
of the Nation was convinced that in our dazzling differences lay our enormous strength as a nation. That
is why he so openly advocated the fact that every section of Indian society, every caste, community,
creed, religion had an inalienable right to hold its head high and live with dignity, pride and -- yes --
freedom. For, in his world, there was no place for intolerance and bigotry. For the sham and hypocrisy that
has, since, become such an inescapable part of our normal political life.
Gandhi does not need the Congress to defend him. He belongs to all of us. He belongs to India. His political
legacy is strong enough to fight back even the most ardent propagandists for Godse. But far more dangerous
than them are his hidden assassins, those who swear by the Mahatma and yet backstab all that he stood for.
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