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E-mail from readers the world over
Date sent: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 11:11:47 -0400 The reactions in Parliament over Godse's play are typical of our 'imaginary democracy.' This is what happens when uneducated characters are voted to Parliament through dubious means. Whatever Gandhi's contributions to our country were, it has nothing to do with our freedom of speech today except reiterate it all the more. If there are people willing to see the play, nobody has the right to get in the way.
Date sent: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 10:24:47 -0600 Agreed! India is a democratic country and everybody has a right to express his feelings openly, and everyone has a fundamental right to speech. So does a Muslim artist who draws pictures of Hindu gods in nude for the sake of art. Is it not an indecent act to destroy his paintings, break his house and ban his paintings because they disturb the feelings of other religion and faith? Is it not an injustice done to him? After all he is an Indian, he has every right to express his feelings. There are always two sides to a coin. You can take things in a violent way and non-violent way. Gandhiji didn't want to separate Pakistan from India. Circumstances made him do so. Even after deciding on Partition, he didn't think they were not Indians. He didn't want Pakistanis to suffer since all major industries came to India and Pakistan was left with nothing. That is why he contributed millions to Pakistan. He believed in love, in humanity -- in India, my country -- my people, my religion, my caste and that circle shrinks to my family. That is why he is the MAHATMA. Yes, present day India doesn't deserve the MAHATMA, Let us elect Godse as father of the nation. Rama Balaji
Date sent: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 09:26:16 -0700 (PDT) Pradeep Dalvi has the freedom of expression. Let him write plays about Godse, Ravana or Duryodhana, I don't care as long as he does not distort facts. But he is almost a non-entity to say whether Gandhi was qualified to be the "Father of the Nation" or not. As he admitted, he was not even born at that time Gandhi was sweating for the nation's freedom. The title was not given by vote, but by the honour felt at heart for him. It's a title that the people gave Gandhi. A father does not necessarily mean he is old. Gandhi was 'younger' in his actions than most of today's youth whose contributions to the nation is close to nil. Dalvi's line of argument that we don't need fathers, we need youth is highly ridiculous. Nowadays people want to attain quick-fame by creating controversial topics in the media. Rediff should be careful in delivering news about everything that is hot.
Rajasekar
Date sent: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 18:10:06 +0400 I think he should be given a chance. The people of India should know what was it that actually happened and why. Why did Nathuram Godse kill Gandhi? Was it because he was a militant Hindu trying to safeguard the interests of the Hindus? Or was it some other reason? It is also true that all the top leaders were aware of Jinnah's condition. The biggest mistake was the Partition of India. It could be avoided, but due to Nehru's hunger for power, it was doomed to happen. And it did. They all knew that the British wanted to make trouble for us by dividing us on the basis of religion. What Dalvi is doing here is giving us a chance to get into the mind of Godse. We are a free country and he should not be stopped. Looks like he has put in a lot of effort in researching this play, he deserves a chance. Farid
Date sent: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 04:02:37 EDT What are we going to gain by just saying that Gandhiji is great when no one is ready to follow him? I was very pleased to read this interview. You have impartially allowed Mr Pradeep Dalvi to express his views. It appears to me a sincere effort to let us know about his stand, because, in our country there is a fashion to praise Gandhiji, without knowing all what he has done and really how he was. If somebody makes a sincere effort, he is forced to keep quiet, threatened, beaten, etc. The people doing so have no concern for the country or even Gandhiji's thoughts. They use violence to support a person who always preached non violence and fought a freedom struggle with this only weapon. Their protests would be worth if they protested the way Gandhiji did. If his supporters themselves can't implement his preachings, why are they using his name everywhere? Just for the sake of votes? Yes, this is all a power game. If the government is not able to protect one's rights to the freedom of speech, it has no right to stay in power on moral grounds. If the government is really for the people, it should support Pradeep Dalvi and let him continue with the shows. Otherwise, we have to say that only terrorism will rule this country in the near future. Sandip Joglekar
Date sent: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 01:16:10 -0700 The ban is highly ridiculous. If we are a democracy, we should be willing to let others speak. Numerous movies and plays have come which ridicule Hindu and Christian beliefs. While they can be tolerated, why not a different view of Gandhi? BTW, I hold Gandhiji in very high esteem and do not agree with Godse's views on the Mahatma. Swaminathan Ganesan
Date sent: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 16:13:40 +0800 Such people are like jokers and don't have a sound knowledge about the said subject. If somebody is being vulgar about the father of the nation, that means he doesn't understand Gandhiji's great contribution to our freedom. Today, they have the freedom to speak in a vulgar manner. This is also only due to Gandhiji. This is the frustrated and weak blood of India which doesn't know how to make a public image in the right way. I am also young -- 27 years old -- but most youngsters don't have the right information about freedom fighters. We Indians know only one thing -- criticise others. Hope god will give the right sense to the people of my India.
Sunil Agrawal
Date sent: Sun, 19 Jul 1998 22:49:38 -0700 Good work guys! Good professional journalism and kudos to Rediff for publishing this. There are always two sides of a story, and I didn't know that Godse was such a man of character. If all that was said by the interviewee is true, then I do appreciate Godse's courage and wisdom. Come to think of it, this is for sure a very different perspective of Partition and sets me thinking that the whole nation was made to think of Godse as an impulsive, psychopathic kiler. Great work Pradip Dalvi and Rediff!!! Tom Isaac
Date sent: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 04:02:37 EDT Mr Dalvi, I read your interview. At least, you have guts to talk about the other side of the story. I was wondering why nobody told the other side of the story. You have to stand up for whatever you feel is right. I love your interview very much. Santha
Date sent: Sun, 19 Jul 1998 18:15:44 -0700 What a stupid thought. Mahatma Gandhi never wanted any position. He did not contest. If he was alive he would not have contested.
Date sent: Sun, 19 Jul 1998 21:48:53 -0500 You headline gives an impression that Mr Dalvi is pro-Godse. Nothing like that is implied in the interview. Bad choice of title and excript. SR
Date sent: Sat, 18 Jul 1998 21:14:48 -0500 Great interview!! It is always great to keep in touch with what is happening in India. Thanks to people like you who make this possible!! I also had a comment on the "ban of the play." It should NOT be banned! We, post-Gandhi people, never got to see Gandhi, but we are interested in knowing the truth, even if it's from an assassin's perspective and could be distorted and biased.
Manish R Vohra
Date sent: Sun, 19 Jul 1998 22:06:03 +0530 Really pulse-pounding. Politics played a dirty trick! But who is the father of the nation?
Date sent: Sat, 18 Jul 1998 14:40:38 -0400 Nathuram Godse was a murderer. Whatever any drama, any writer or anybody at all says, he will remain a murderer. Gandhi will remain a messiah for the masses. All this notwithstanding, free speech is free speech. Once every inconvenient opinion is banned then allowing free speech is meaningless. The producers and the director of the show have every right to stage the show, and the people who want to see it have every right to see it. It is tragic that a handful of Congress goondas can stage a protest and force the closure of the show. It is these goondas that Gandhi would be ashamed to associate with, not those involved with the show. It is these goondas who defile Gandhi's memory more than any other person. In what way can violent thugs claim to be defendants of the pioneer of ahimsa? The irony is there for all to see, if only we will see with our eyes and think with our brains. Prem
Date sent: Sat, 18 Jul 1998 15:30:21 -0400 Ask Pradeep Dalvi to elect Godse as his father.
Date sent: Sat, 18 Jul 1998 20:01:05 EDT Where the heck are all those secular so-called scholars, artistes who came to the defence of M F Husain? Their tall talk of the love for freedom of expression and fundamental rights in India has suddenly evaporated as soon as a play on Godse appeared. Not A SINGLE so-called luminary has come out in support of the play on Godse. The play at least depicts the other (perhaps true) side of Indian history. Why this double standard then? The REAL message is that in India after 50 years of Independence a Muslim is free to insult Saraswati or Sita -- the Hindu goddesses, but to even present the other side of history of a mere human -- the self proclaimed 'Mahatma' is a NO-NO. And this Mahatma was was AT LEAST as much responsible as Jinnah, for the massacre of a million innocent Indians during Partition. India may have become independent from British rule, but it is not free yet.
Date sent: Thu, 16 Jul 1998 17:09:15 -0400 I think India being a democratic country, people should have the rights to say if something is controversial. Our Constitution provides the right to express ourselves freely and fearlessly. So after watching the play, let people decide what they think of Nathuram Godse. I am for fair analysis. Sure Mahatma Gandhi was a great man. But Nathuram committed this crime with a purpose, so listen to him and then decide whether to glorify him or dump him. Sudhir
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