To counter the ‘Gandhiji vs Godse’ debate by Hindutva groups, Gandhians and civil society activists launched the “ Gandhi hum sharminda hain (Gandhi, we are ashamed)” campaign in Meerut on Saturday.
While launching the campaign at the Gandhi statue, Faisal Khan of Khudai Khidmatgar said civil society could not afford to remain “silent” in the “Gandhiji vs Godse” fight, which he said was a “fight of ‘People versus anti-people.’”
Mr. Khan, who revived Khudai Khidmatgaar, an initiative of Frontier Gandhi Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, said the campaign which would go on till January 30 would also involve spreading awareness of Gandhian values among the youth. Civil society activists will distribute leaflets and booklets spreading Gandhi's message. They would also take to social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to counter the right-wing propaganda.
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Major Himanshu of Jal Biradari said the “appreciation” of Godse’s politics — though muted and rare — was “always there.”
“During the past few years, Pradeep Dalvi’s play in Marathi Mee Nathuram Godse Boltoy [I Nathuram Godse speaking], attacking Gandhi and upholding Godse, drew packed houses in various places in Maharashtra. However, extreme reactionary outfits now feel emboldened to come out in the open with a vengeance. The paperback issue of Godse’s book is already running into its second reprint,” he said. Terming the ‘bhumi pujan’ for the proposed Godse temple in Meerut by the Hindu Mahasabha as “highly publicised,” Surendar, a social activist, said support for Godse would ultimately “weaken” India’s fight against terrorism.