Why I Killed The Mahatma By Koenraad Elst

 

My disclaimer would be that this isn't the first book I have read regarding the Indian Independence struggle and the role of Gandhi Ji. I sincerely admire his contribution (or lack thereof for others) to the cause, which he turned into a mass movement and sustained for a long time. However, this book portrays a different image of the actions of the holier-than-thou figure, who is above criticism. The book underlines Gandhi Ji's many blunders. The book bares all. The publication collects Nathuram Godse's "original testimony" from his assassination trial.

The book gave insight into Godse’s thought process and what motivated him to execute that act. Godse admits that he respected Gandhi Ji but could not allow him to pursue his escapades at the expense of the nation. Godse minutely analyses Gandhi Ji's activities and their impact on Indian society.  

This book explores Gandhi ji's whims and follies and odd experiments, for which Hindu society and country paid dearly. It dramatically transformed my perspective on many heroes of the Indian Freedom Movement. This is a FANTASTIC read, and I'll explain why.

Fake Narrative  

One of the prominent narratives busted by this book is the impression most Indians have regarding the participation of the Muslim community in the freedom struggle. As is evident from the proofs provided, there is nothing white or honest in the statement. Most of them were yearning to subdue Hindus and rule India. As a lost gambler, Gandhi ji continued to up his stake despite repeated failures by conceding to their demands. He, however, never got any concession from the other side. You may read and understand the various debacles and the myth of Hindu-Muslim unity.

Ali Brothers 

In his pursuit of becoming the leader of the entire nation (read Hindus and Muslims), Gandhi Ji didn't blink once to part with the Ali brothers, who were rowdies and mischievous characters. These two characters played a significant role in the partition of India; however, the most shocking revelation was that these jokers invited the Amir of Afghanistan to invade India in 1920-21 with the direct and indirect support of Gandhi Ji.

All the gimmickry for the sake of becoming numero uno in India’s freedom struggle. Strange? Wait, there is a lot more in the book.

Non-Violence

Gandhi ji's flawed philosophy of non-violence, which he taught to his disciples, was disastrous from the outset. The Hindu community sacrificed terribly in the face of an aggressive and ruthless Muslim attack. It all began with the collapse of the Khilafat agitation, followed by Moplah riots, direct action day, and, eventually, partition, in which around 11 million people died, and the majority of them were Hindus. There are numerous violent incidents recorded during the period where Hindus were the victims, yet Gandhi Ji was not held accountable for his erroneous and unrealistic belief.

Treachery

Godse believed that Gandhi ji was solely responsible for all of the killings against Hindus. According to him, he pursued his Pacificist thinking and pushed Hindus not to retaliate, therefore encouraging others to continue their violent behaviour. Furthermore, Gandhi Ji readily surrendered to Muslim demands from the start till the Communal Award of 1932, thereby accepting the fraudulent partition of India that justified punishment.

As detailed in the book, not just regular Hindus but Gandhi's acquaintances and a few colleagues were subjected to his outbursts and whims.

 Arm Twisting

Godse pointed out multiple cases in which Gandhi Ji coerced the Congress and HMS into meeting his demands. Despite their doubts, people gave in to his demands, with terrible results.

Secular

The book questions the secular credentials of Gandhi Ji. If we look closely, it seems today’s politicians are influenced by the Gandhi philosphy on secularism.

Godse mentioned how the Hindu corpses continued to pile up, but Mahatma urged Hindus to die with a smile on their faces. His antics also included things like "Mothers and sisters should let Muslims in Pakistan rape them", with weird explanations to justify such acts. The strange part is he never questioned or cautioned Muslims for their heinous crimes. His siding with Suhrawardy (Calcutta massacre kingpin) or embracing Abdul Qayum (killer of Swami Shraddhananda) are prime examples.

Terrified

Godse pointed out that Gandhi Ji was scarred by bullies. He often schools the victims while not sparing a word against the perpetrators.

Gandhi Ji's admonition to Jews to let Hitler kill them because there is dignity in accepting death is both humorous and horrifying. It also gives the impression that Gandhi Ji is easily intimidated by bullies. Multiple versions exist in which Gandhi Ji is blamed for teaching his students the virtue of non-violence before slaughter. The interesting thing was that only Hindus were sermonised and pushed into accepting his wishes, while Muslims were spared and permitted to burn down the nation.

Incompetence

Godse believed Gandhi Ji lacked the ability to battle the British because he was too mild on adversaries. Gandhi Ji's actions in calling off the non-cooperation movement, not endorsing HMS or other organisations, pleading with the Muslim League on multiple occasions with no success, initially refusing to participate in war efforts and then supporting them are just a few of the many flip-flops that demonstrated a failure to understand the ground situation and make realistic decisions.

Coercion

Godse stated Gandhi Ji used coercive ways to control his followers. His "fast unto death" weapon proved effective in silencing his opponents and detractors. The eventual consequence was a high death toll and the partition of India owing to Gandhi's intransigence and the greed of the Muslim League and Congress. It all began with the Khilafat revolution in 1920-21 and finished with the partition of India. The book contains detailed explanations of these acts.

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Russian bear has been on edge for some time, questioning NATO's need to poke Russia in the eye. The endless conflict in Ukraine, with constant Western assistance to extend the war and undermine Russia at the expense of Ukrainian lives and damage. The further the battle lasts, the more death and damage there will be.

Has Russia Won the Battle But Lost the War?

If you listen carefully to Russian President Putin's comments, one thing becomes clear: he never desired a conflict with the West. Forget about direct confrontation; Russia's President has made it clear that conflict, even on a minor scale, is out of the question, and all he wants from Western countries (read NATO) is for them to leave Russia alone. He was not in the mindset or position to oppose the united economic, political, and military might.

According to his interviews, Russia presented no threat to the United States, but rather the opposite. The United States is still attempting to limit Russia's might and confine it on its own border. 

Russia has already lost political and economic capital as a result of its disintegration; what it did in Ukraine was to rescue its honour; otherwise, Russia would be balkanized. The United States and its allies were hellbent on eradicating Russian influence, but despite their best efforts, the stage is getting tough for the American war machine to win all fights. Since its rash choice to strike Saddam Hussein's Iraq, it has repeatedly tasted defeat and lost face. 

The West is gradually losing its enthusiasm for fighting wars, and the Taliban's incredible success in Afghanistan appears to be a new reminder of the United States' inevitable demise. We are addressing a time when China, despite its inherent flaws, is slowly but steadily catching up with the United States on all development metrics, and some argue has already left it behind in many areas.

The problem with the US is the ego battle with Russia, and I believe the conclusion of the Syrian war, in which Russia effectively gained a foothold while the US lost all of its friends, was the tipping point. I believe Putin made the error of celebrating his achievement too soon and too loudly, which rubbed the US ego the wrong way, resulting in the Ukraine-Russia confrontation. Russia must learn from China's method of quietly building strength while remaining amicable even with foes.

Everyone in this situation has something to learn. The West, which is mired in its own turmoil of multiculturalism and human rights lobbies, is fighting and losing a separate battle. If things continue in this direction, civil war is on the horizon, with no clear moral winner.

The book Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story draws on ground reports of street violence in North East Delhi between February 23 and February 26, 2020, which acquired the shape of communal rioting.

Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story

Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story" is a non-fiction book written by Monika Arora, Sonali Chitalkar, and Prerna Malhotra. The book delves behind the scenes to gather proof and tell the true story of people who survived the ensuing chaos.

Riots have tarnished India's worldwide standing once more. The urban Naxals and Islamic radical organizations have tried a new formula this time, learning from their past experiences. While the Indian populace remained mainly unconcerned, the Hindu majority was subjected to a barrage of criticism from many sectors in the international press. 

As always, perpetrators were provided cover fire, while victims were portrayed as aggressors during the riots. However, as the inquiry advanced, it became clear that the violence had been planned beforehand and had the tacit backing of left-wing people and radical Islamic organizations. 

The sinister strategy was discovered as the inquiry advanced. It revealed that the plot to orchestrate violence had been ongoing for some time, with the flashpoint being the visit of the US President to blame the Indian government and create a false narrative of Muslims being attacked in India. A lot of groundwork was done for this by hired editors and so-called journalists in Indian and worldwide media, with funding from Soros and related NGOs. 

The book explores further the social, economic, and political causes that fueled the riots. The necessity of understanding the historical backdrop of the riots and the subsequent cultural dynamics is emphasized throughout the book. 

In an era of unrelenting Muslim appeasement, when phrases like Islamophobia have become commonplace, this book shines light on worrying societal developments and their implications for Indian society's future. This is the moment when the book becomes revolutionary. It is a well-researched, fact-finding, and unbiased account of the events that led to the mayhem that we all experienced. 

The book reveals how determined Muslim extremists are and how far they will go to destroy India's brand. The urban rioters' well-oiled tactics and competence in engineering such large-scale disturbances on such short notice is an unequivocal warning to the country's security apparatus. This is a solid message to the security establishment to take this unholy alliance's menace seriously in order to prevent it from ripping the societal fabric apart. The author has supported the content with several field reports, lending legitimacy and authenticity to the work. 

The heartbreaking stories of young, innocent, brilliant individuals losing their precious lives as a result of hateful campaigns were the most challenging aspects for me. I sincerely recommend this book to everyone who has yet to comprehend the causes and conditions behind the Delhi riots, so go ahead and read it. 

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Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny - Movie Review

Before hanging his boots, Indiana seems to be on his last quest to make magic, as he usually does, and to discover something unthinkable from the jaws of death and defeat. 

Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny

Expect The Unexpected

The movie review here will be a little different from what you've come to expect from my prior work. Perhaps it is my approach of communicating with you and sharing my thoughts. So brace yourselves.

The first thing I realised after watching the film was that my hero had been defeated. No, it wasn't his favourite villain-Nazis who got him; it was his age. Our hero Indy has aged, not that he has acknowledged it as his true self, who will fight until the last trick and always wins, but, come on, it is apparent. Everything you remember from earlier films is missing: the punch, the wit, the charishma. And, despite your best attempts to enjoy the film, you must concede to the inevitable.

Why So Serious?

The film seems to be a farewell episode for all the fantastic things we've come to associate with Indana Jones, until a new team with gadgets and passion arrives. However, the former allure of an exciting adventure will not return. It is gone, and we must prepare to let go of our old flame. But again, it's only a movie, and all of the male action heroes we grew up with are on their way out, and the new ones are either too plastic or not to my liking. They appear to be overly artificial and unreal. However, the universe itself is in a different state these days. 

 

Ok, have said enough, let us get back to reviewing the movie for which we all came for… Isn’t it? 

The film is packed with traditional Indiana Jones action and terrific entertaining chase moments that we've come to expect from the Indiana franchise. The story line tells us of ancient unfinished stories that have regained momentum as if their time has come. Here, too, the adventure is for the missing artefact and the race to find it first. That may sound monotonous, but we're all used to chase sequences.

The only difference here is that the gun violence related action appeared to be a little more intense. Several key characters, including Renaldo (Antonio Banderas) and Sallah (John Rhys-Davies), have said their final goodbyes and gone, leaving you with a melancholy feeling. 

And The Plot Is…

INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY begins with a scene set at the end of WWII, with Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) and his buddy Basil (Toby Jones) attempting to save an ancient religious artefact from the Nazis. Instead, they discover half of Archimedes' Antikythera mechanism, a mechanical device supposed to bestow unfathomable power on whoever has and masters it. Indy gets into a fight with the evil Nazi scientist Voller (Mads Mikkelsen), but he and Basil escape with the dial. 

Years later, in 1969, Dr. Jones has just retired from teaching, as the US lands on the moon in the backdrop. This was a time when people were more interested in the future and had little appetite in ancient legends. However, things became interesting when he is visited by Basil's daughter, Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), who is desperate to get her hands on the dial. But why is this so? Indy soon becomes engrossed in a thrilling journey to seek the relic as the truth unfolds.

The Final Verdict

Despite shortcomings in many new performers' acting abilities and the story's flow, the film is a one-time wonder that you may enjoy viewing. This picture will be remembered for Harrison Ford's terrific performance, the cutting-edge spectacular effects, and the plot, which is still better than a lot of alien nonsense. So, watch it and let me know what you think. 

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