Let's Kill Gandhi : A Chronicle of His Last Days, the Conspiracy, Murder, Investigation and Trial

by Tushar A. Gandhi

A CHRONICLE OF HIS LAST DAYS, THE CONSPIRACY, MURDER. INVESTIGATIONS AND TRIAL

Genres: History

Hardcover

First published January 25, 2007

Reviews

[Arunayan Sharma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much information and some unwanted irreverent issues spoiled its purpose.

[Dr.Madan Bhimsen Jadhav · Rating 5 out of 5]

#लेट्स_किल_गांधी!

लेखक- तुषार गांधी. मराठी अनुवाद- अजित ठाकूर.
प्रकाशक- मेहता पब्लिशिंग हाऊस.
प्रथमावृत्ती- २०१०. पृष्ठे- ८०३. किंमत- रु.६९५/-

आज गांधी पुण्यतिथी! या निमित्ताने आज मी आपल्यासोबत वरील पुस्तकाबाबत माझा अनुभव शेअर करीत आहे.
तसं पाहता मी गांधींपेक्षा भगत सिंग, चंद्रशेखर आझाद यांना जास्त मानणारा एक नागरिक... आजही आहे... परंतु ‘गांधी’ या व्यक्तीमत्वाविषयी माझ्या असणार्या संकल्पनाना गेल्या काही वर्षांमध्ये तडे जात आहेत. नरहर कुरुंदकर यांच्या ‘जागर’, ‘शिवरात्र’ पुस्तकांनी या संकल्पनांना पहिला छेद दिला.. आणि मग यातून सुरु झाला एक प्रवास.. ’गांधी शोधाचा’ प्रवास... ज्यातील अगदी अलीकडचा टप्पा म्हणजे ‘लेट्स किल गांधी!’ हे पुस्तक...
या पुस्तकाला सुरुवात करताना मी थोडा साशंकच होतो कि गांधींच्या नातवाने हे पुस्तक लिहिले आहे म्हणजे जाणीवपूर्वक गांधींना उजवं माप दिलं असणार आणि गोडसेआदि लोकांना शक्य तितकं खलनायक ठरविण्याचा प्रयत्न केला असणार.
या पुस्तकामध्ये तीन भागांमध्ये विभाजित केलेले एकूण १४ प्रकरणे आहेत. पहिल्या भागात गांधी हत्येचा पूर्ण ‘आंखो देखा’,गांधी हत्येमध्ये आरोपी असणार्या प्रत्येकाची वैयक्तिक माहिती व त्यांचे कारनामे, ९ जानेवारी १९४८ ते ३० जानेवारी १९४८ यातील प्रत्येक दिवसाच्या घडामोडी, पोलिस तपासातील गोंधळ, गांधी हत्येचे फसलेले सात प्रयत्न यांचं विवरण आहे. दुसर्या भागात स्वातंत्र्य मिळण्यापुर्वीच्या काही वर्षांमधील राजकीय परिस्थिती, फाळणीला कारणीभूत व्यक्ती आणि घटना, नेहरू आणि पटेल यांच्याशी गांधींचे होणारे मतभेद व एकाकी गांधी, त्यावेळचा हिंसेचा उद्रेक आणि ती हिंसा रोखण्यासाठी गांधींनी केलेले प्रयत्न यांच्याविषयी माहिती आहे. तर तिसर्या भागात गांधीहत्येची लाल किल्यातील विशेष न्यायालय सुनावणी, आरोपींची अपिले व शिक्षेची अंमलबजावणी, आणि १९६७ साली गांधीहत्येची चौकशी साठी नेमल्या गेलेल्या कपूर आयोगाचा अहवाल यावर विस्तृत माहिती दिलेली आहे.
या पुस्तकाविषयी माझं मत देताना मी सर्वप्रथम हे मान्य करेन कि लेखकाने अगदी काटेकोरपणे आणि तटस्थपणे आपणासमोर इतिहास उघडून ठेवला आहे. त्यांनी कोणालाही झुकतं माप दिलेलं नाही. जे काही लिहिलंय ते पुराव्यांना धरूनच लिहिलंय. त्यामुळे हे पुस्तक वाचताना आपण देखील निरपेक्ष वृत्तीनेच सर्व घटनांकडे पाहत राहतो. हे या लेखकाचं यश आहे असं मला वाटतं. सर्व पुस्तक वाचून झाल्यानंतर मी पुन्हा एकवार जेंव्हा पुस्तकाची प्रस्तावना वाचत होतो त्यावेळी मला माझ्या बहुतांशी प्रश्नांची उत्तरे मिळत गेली. ‘हिंदुस्थानच्या फाळणीस फक्त गांधीच जबाबदार होते’, ‘गांधींनी हिंदूंना वार्यावर सोडले होते’, ‘गांधींनी मुसलमानांचे अवाजवी लाड केले’, ‘गांधींनी पाकिस्तानला ५५ कोटी देण्यासाठी भारत सरकारला भाग पाडले’, ‘भारतमातेला वाचविण्यासाठी गांधींना मारणे हाच एक पर्याय होता’......वगैरे वगैरे सगळ्या आक्षेपांना पुराव्यानिशी उत्तरे मिळवून दिलीत या पुस्तकाने....
कोणे एके काळी अज्ञानाच्या अंधकारातून गांधी नामक व्यक्तिमत्वाला मी शिव्या घातल्या होत्या. आजच्या या दिवशी मी फक्त इतकंच म्हणेन..

#बापू_मला_माफ_करा

[Mallaharish]

its a chronicle ...and has a viewpoint of some person of Gandhian bloodline(his great grandson)...got to know about events of national importance...got corrected about something very much relevant to my nation

[Iqra Tasmiae]

http://www.openthemagazine.com/articl...

[Pankaj Verma · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Chilling, Meticulous Deep-Dive into History’s Most Tragic Conspiracy
Tushar Gandhi’s Let’s Kill Gandhi! is a heavy, sobering, and essential read for anyone interested in the soul of modern India. This isn't just another biography of the Mahatma; it is a clinical and emotional autopsy of his assassination.

The "Why" and the "How"
What struck me most was the author’s focus on the conspiracy rather than just the final event. By detailing the six failed attempts leading up to January 30, 1948, the book shatters the myth of the "lone wolf" assassin. Drawing extensively from the Kapur Commission Report, Tushar Gandhi builds a compelling (and often infuriating) case regarding the systemic failures of the police and intelligence agencies of the time

The Personal Edge
Writing as the Mahatma’s great-grandson, Tushar Gandhi brings a unique, raw energy to the prose. While some might find the tone occasionally subjective, I felt it added a layer of human urgency that a detached academic text might lack. You can feel the weight of the legacy he is trying to protect and the justice he is seeking for history’s sake.

Why You Should Read It:
Unflinching Research: The level of detail regarding the perpetrators and their ideological motivations is incredible.

Debunking Narratives: It takes a hard look at the "alternative facts" that have circulated for decades regarding the motives behind the killing.
Relevance: The book serves as a mirror to contemporary society, highlighting how the ideological battles of the 1940s are still very much alive today.

A Small Caveat:
Be prepared for a dense read. At over 900 pages in some editions, the middle sections—filled with legal testimonies and archival data—can be a bit of a slog. However, for a history buff, this granularity is exactly what makes the book a definitive resource.

Final Thoughts:
This book is a haunting reminder that political violence is rarely spontaneous; it is cultivated. It’s a demanding read, but one that stayed with me long after I closed the final page.

[EstelleLiterature · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the book on Kastur Gandhi, the wife of Mahatma Gandhi, by this author, I sampled this book that has a political orientation, something I don't usually read, but, given my discovery on Gandhi's wife from this author's previous book, I decided to give it a try. For me, Gandhi stays more a spiritual figure than political; yet his spiritual actions have political consequences around the world.

This book dispelled an overused cliché about the British Empire: their 'divide and rule' policy; in case of India, using religion. When Nathuram Godse, a Hindu extremist dressed as Muslim, shot Gandhi three times, the assassin also wanted to start a religious civil war between Hindus and Muslims. The assassin's strategy almost worked, a war was about to start at the news of Gandhi's death, and the man who saved India from this war wasn't an Indian; he was British, the viceroy Mountbatten! He recognized Godse as a notorious Hindu extremist and rushed to send out this message to India.

The man who saved Paris from Hitler's wrath was German, not French. The man who turned in Jean Moulin was French, not German. The man who let Kastur Gandhi die in prison was also the man who helped De Gaule to free France. As it is impossible to label a human, so it is true for a nation.

[Balasubramaniam Vaidyanathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a tedium to complete the book. I like books written with balanced point of view, bereft of hard emotions & hyperbole statements. Mr. Tushar Gandhi expresses his rage throughout the book, with accusing statements. He casts aspersions on almost everybody ( From Patel to Morarji Desai, apart from the usual Mahasabha, Sangh, Savarkar etc) without an inclination to understand the circumstances they operated. Yes, there was slip in handling the investigations by Bombay and Delhi police before Gandhiji’s murder. But that’s about it.

The book is written based on the court trials & Kapur commission. You get lot of facts. Had he controlled his rage while writing and stuck to narrating the proceedings, It would have been a fantastic book. Probably after completion of narrating the events, He could have written an essay commenting on the events. That would have made the book lot better. Tushar should learn from his ‘First Cousin - Once removed’ on how to write in a balanced way.

There is a Kannada Film ‘Koormavatara’ by Girish Kasaravalli. It is a wonderful film - where an accidental actor playing the role of Gandhi will actually get qualities of Gandhi. That is the power & magic of Gandhi. Tushar should watch it - he has a pedigree and he should live upto those ideals…

[Arun R]

comprehensive research done on the subject. Good read.

[MADHUSOOTHANAN · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of research and efforts have gone in to it. Found it to be but too long and boring at places. But a collector’s material though.

[Pratap Divyesh · Rating 3 out of 5]

good but comprehensive.