Temple for Godse hurts Gandhi's memory, says grandson

The proposal to build a temple to Nathuram Godse by a section of the Indian society is denigrating Mahatma Gandhi, according to Gopal Krishna Gandhi, the Mahatma's grandson.

Asserting that India needs Gandhi more than ever before, Gopal Krishna mentioned in an article that the work of the Father of the Nation succeeded in more ways than one can imagine.

The article, published in Asian Lite newspaper here, marked the unveiling of a nine-foot-tall statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Parliament Square in London, next to a statue of Nelson Mandela.

Gopal Krishna, former governor of West Bengal, who has worked in top bureaucratic and diplomatic positions in the government, said that while Britain honoured Mahatma with a statue in a prime area, a section in Indian society was denigrating him by thinking of building a temple to his assassin.

He was referring to the move by the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha to build a Godse temple at Sitapur district in Uttar Pradesh.

The veteran diplomat also wrote about the women in India in his article saying that they were worshiped in concept but neglected, exploited and abused in reality.

“You were not infallible Mohandas Gandhi, you erred often, as your wife, Kasturba knew more than any other person. But you owned your errors, tried always to be better than your best,” he added. - IANS