Mahatma Gandhi’s real identity has always troubled BJP-RSS, says Tushar

Speaking to The Indian Express on Wednesday, Tushar Gandhi, who authored Let’s Kill Gandhi! A Chronicle of His Last Days, The Conspiracy, Murder Investigation and Trial, said the deletions will lead to greater acceptance of the “campaign of misinformation of the Sangh Parivar”.

“I am not surprised by this attempt at erasing history by the Sangh Parivar. They have always made no secret about their desire to rewrite history and discredit the established history. It serves two purposes — they are able to write a convenient version of history that suits them and they can paint Gandhi in the colour they wish to see him in. The real identity and legacy of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi has always troubled them,” he said.

The NCERT has deleted key passages on Gandhi, his assassin Nathuram Godse and the 1948 ban on RSS from Class 12 political science and history textbooks which are taught across India in schools affiliated to the CBSE. Many state boards also follow the NCERT curriculum.

Deleted lines from the Class 12 Political Science book

The deletions have triggered outrage from the Opposition parties, which have accused the Centre of trying to “whitewash” history that inconveniences the BJP. Tushar Gandhi says the BJP-RSS was troubled by Gandhi’s legacy to the extent that it decided to “tamper with the records of history the moment it gained that ability”.

“They will then have a future generation which does not have the exposure to real education and information and it will be easier for their (RSS-BJP) campaign of misinformation to be accepted. This is their version of brainwashing in the very beginning. Instead of trying to overpower thoughts which have already been implanted, they are trying to build on the lies by implanting them in formative minds,” he said.

The version of Mahatma that suits the RSS, Tushar said, was the one where he is “non-inclusive, who is just a sanatani Hindu without the definition of that sanatani Hindu, whom they can conveniently show as the worshiper of the Ram Rajya without the definition of the Ram Rajya.”

“That is the kind of Gandhi that they always wanted to appropriate. It would be very easy for them to live with that Gandhi… The RSS has always been a hypocrite. At least with Hindu Mahasabha we know where they stand, RSS is always camouflaged. They get things done and have an escape route for themselves. So their doublespeak is not surprising,” Tushar Gandhi  added.