It is almost seven decades since Mahatma Gandhi was murdered by Nathuram Godse in 1948 but the horror of that crime still looms large in India's memory. January 30 is observed as Martyr’s Day around the country.
But to the revulsion of many people, a Godse cult has begun to grow in recent years. Some Hindutva groups are going as far as constructing temples to the murderer in the cities of Meerut, Sitapur and Lucknow to pay homage to Godse. For instance, the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha has decided to use January 30 as an occasion on which to honour Godse.
To express their opposition to this, hundreds of Facebook users are participating in a virtual event against the “peddlers of Godse and hate mongers”. They have been posting selfies with the designated hashtag #No2Godse and #No2Hate.
“India's identity as a non-violent, tolerant nation is closely tied up with the Gandhian ideology,” said Asma Na, an ex-journalist from Bangalore who sent her selfie along with her 4 year-old daughter in the frame. "In such a scenario, a temple to Godse is a negation of all that India stands for in the eyes of the world."
She added, "To say no to Gandhi and yes to Godse is like saying no to peace and yes to violence. I want my daughter to grow up in a secular society.”
Ananya Duttaroy studying in Silchar Medical College in Assam, added that posting a selfie was her way of expressing her disapproval of Hindutva. “I see many people overwhelmed with the idea of a religion based country but this is not what India stands for,” Duttaroy said. “Selfies might seem oversimplified and gimmicky to some but it is the easiest way to express our resentment against the homogenisation of the society.”
Here are some of images posted by anti-Godse protestors.
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But to the revulsion of many people, a Godse cult has begun to grow in recent years. Some Hindutva groups are going as far as constructing temples to the murderer in the cities of Meerut, Sitapur and Lucknow to pay homage to Godse. For instance, the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha has decided to use January 30 as an occasion on which to honour Godse.
To express their opposition to this, hundreds of Facebook users are participating in a virtual event against the “peddlers of Godse and hate mongers”. They have been posting selfies with the designated hashtag #No2Godse and #No2Hate.
“India's identity as a non-violent, tolerant nation is closely tied up with the Gandhian ideology,” said Asma Na, an ex-journalist from Bangalore who sent her selfie along with her 4 year-old daughter in the frame. "In such a scenario, a temple to Godse is a negation of all that India stands for in the eyes of the world."
She added, "To say no to Gandhi and yes to Godse is like saying no to peace and yes to violence. I want my daughter to grow up in a secular society.”
Ananya Duttaroy studying in Silchar Medical College in Assam, added that posting a selfie was her way of expressing her disapproval of Hindutva. “I see many people overwhelmed with the idea of a religion based country but this is not what India stands for,” Duttaroy said. “Selfies might seem oversimplified and gimmicky to some but it is the easiest way to express our resentment against the homogenisation of the society.”
Here are some of images posted by anti-Godse protestors.
Picture credits: Seflie Against Hate
