1. Amity University Uttar Pradesh
Amity School Of Architecture & Planning
Assassination Of M.K.Gandhi
Jatin Garg
B.PLAN (2011-15)

2. disclaimer
The facts and events in this presentation does not
reflect any personal viewpoints. This presentation is
not meant to hurt or dishonour any religion or
followers of public figures mentioned in it.

3. the victim
 Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
was commonly known as
Mahatma Gandhi.
 In India he is generally regarded
as Bapu & even “Father of the
nation”
 He was an advocate and
pioneer of nonviolent social
protest and direct action in the
form he called Satyagraha.
 He was one of the Indian
politicians who witnessed the
struggle of India's
independence from British
colonial rule. (2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948)

4. the assassin
 Nathuram Vinayak Godse was a
Hindu nationalist activist from
Pune, and ex-member of
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
(RSS)
 He was a pre-eminent leader of
Indian nationalism in British-
ruled India and apostle of non-
violence.
 He was the sole assassin of
Gandhi, shooting him in the
chest three times at point blank
range on 30 January 1948 in
New Delhi.
(19 May 1910 – 15 November 1949)

5. previous attempts
Prior to Gandhi’s death, there had been five unsuccessful
attempts to kill Gandhi,
1. On 25 June 1934, when Gandhi was in Pune along with his
wife to deliver a speech at Corporation Auditorium, a bomb
was thrown near to his car which injured Chief Officer of the
Pune Municipal Corporation, two policemen and seven
others.
2. In May 1944, when Gandhi was at panchgani on a vacation,
Nathuram Godse rushed towards Gandhi (in a group of 15–
21 young men) with a dagger shouting anti-Gandhi slogans.
Although he was unable to reach Gandhi as he was
overpowered by proprietor of the lodge.

6. 3. On 9 September 1944, when Gandhi was leaving for Mumbai from
Sevagram Ashram, a group of Hindu activists stopped him. They did not
want him to go to Mumbai to hold talks with Jinnah, however, these
protesters were stopped by volunteers of the ashram. The leader of this
group, Nathuram Godse, was again found in possession of a dagger. The
policeman who found the dagger then looked up to him and joked, "Why
do you want to kill Gandhi? Let's leave it to the leaders themselves...
perhaps (Veer) Savarkar will finish off the job!" At which Godse retorted,
"Gandhi does not require such an honor. Even the jamadar (sweeper) is
enough for that”
4. On 20 January 1948, Nathuram Godse and Madanlal Pahwa, with 6 other
member came to Birla Bhavan (aka Birla House) in Delhi to carry out
another attack on Mahatma Gandhi. Except for Madanlal Pahwa and
Vishnu Karkare, everyone else reached the venue through the rear
entrance in a cab. Madanlal Pahwa tried to bribe Choturam, the driver at
Birla Bhavan, to let him go behind the podium to take pictures of Gandhi.
However, Choturam became suspicious and asked Madanlal Pahwa why
he needed photographs from behind, and inquired about the absence of a
camera. Madanlal Pahwa instead left, making Choturam think he was
going back to the taxi; however, he placed a cotton ball enclosing a bomb
on the wall behind the podium and ignited it. The bomb went off without
creating any panic. The team had left after abandoning Madanlal Pahwa.

7. assassination
 Gandhi was
assassinated on January
30, 1948 at 5:17 pm.
 Gandhi was outside on
the steps of a building
where a prayer meeting
was going to take place.
 He was surrounded by
a part of his family and
some followers when
Godse approached him.

8.  When Godse bowed, one of the girls flanking and
supporting Gandhi said to Godse, "Brother, Bapu is
already late" and tried to put him off, but he pushed her
aside and shot Gandhi in the chest three times at point-
blank range.
 Gandhi died almost immediately. Godse himself shouted
"police" and surrendered himself.
 There has been no explanation of why he was not
rushed to the hospital and was instead taken to Birla
House, where he later died.
 The FIR against Godse shows that the last words of
Gandhi were Hey Ram, although many witnesses
denied it

9. reasons (stated in trial)
According to Godse, Gandhi was a threat to nation. He believed
that it is better to vanish him because of the following incidences:-
 In 1919 people of India wanted General Dyer to be hanged for
the Massacre of innocent people at Jalianwalla Bagh. Gandhi
refused to support this demand.
 Whole of India wanted Gandhi to intervene and save Bhagat
Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev from the gallows. Gandhi
stubbornly refused on the grounds that they were misguided
freedom fighters, and theirs was an act of violence.
 Kerala Muslim league members killed over 1500 Hindus and
converted 2000 to Islam. Instead of protesting Gandhi
expressed that it was a brave act of Allah’s followers & asked
Hindus to sacrifice and not fight the members of Muslim League.

10.  On several occasions Gandhi called Shivaji, Maha Rana pratap
and Guru Govind Singh as misguided nationalists.
 On 15th June 1947 during congress conclave it was decided
to resist the partition of India but Gandhi went to the meeting
at the last minute and supported the partition. In fact it was
Gandhi who had declared earlier that “partition will take place
only over my dead body”.
 Sardar Vallabhai Patel was elected by majority as the first
Prime Minister but Gandhi insisted on Nehru.
 On October 1947 Pakistan attacked Kashmir, Gandhi went on
a fast and forced the Indian Government to pay Pakistan a
compensation of Rs.55 crore.

11. execution
 On November 8, 1949, Godse was sentenced to death.
 Jawaharlal Nehru as well as Gandhi's two sons opposed
to the death penalty as they felt that executing their
father's killer would dishonour his memory and legacy.
 Although after a trial that lasted over a year, Godse was
sentenced to death penalty on 8 November 1949 along
with Narayan Apte, a co-conspirator.

12. verdict
Nathuram was very much hinduism oriented. In order to
protect his religion he murdered gandhi. If he had not been
so aggressive (due to sacrifice of hindus & special benefits to
muslims), gandhi could have been saved.
However, many other decisions by Gandhi were also
responsible for his death, like :-
 The partiton
 Execution of Bhagat Singh
 Discrimination between Hindus & Muslims
 Excusing general dyer

13. thank you…