Tushar A Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi writes to Maharshtra Governor
To
H. E. C. P. Radhakrishnan ji,
Governor, Maharashtra.
Respected Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan ji,
Let me thank you first for your above stated order of reinstating the sounding of the siren at 11:00 a. m. and the observance of two minute silence as homage to our esteemed martyrs on Martyr’s Day 30th January in Maharashtra.
Unfortunately, the tradition instituted since after the tragic murder of Mohandas Gandhi, Bapu has in recent times been forgotten and abandoned. I am grateful to you for reviving it and for asking citizens of Maharashtra to pay a silent, Maun, tribute, Shraddhanjali to our martyred freedom fighters.
Here, I would also like to refer to a PIL filed by my colleague Feroze Mithiborwala in this regard. Since the various governments were disinterested in reviving the official 11.00 am siren tradition instituted by the Government of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in the immediate aftermath of Gandhiji’s Martyrdom, he went to the Mumbai High Court in January 2023 and filed a PIL in this matter. He requested the Hon’ble Court to pass an order so that the Maharashtra Government would restart the earlier official tradition.
Having said that and on having read the order, I was surprised that there is no mention of Mohandas Gandhi Bapu in your circular. The world over 30th January is associated with the murder of Mohandas Gandhi, Bapu, my great grandfather. You have due to an oversight or intentionally omitted his name from the order issued by your office.
I can understand the dilemma you must face, heading a government which subscribes to the divisive ideology of the RSS from where Bapu’s murderer Nathuram Godse emerged, it would be hypocrisy for you to order people to observe a 2 minute silence as homage to Bapu.
This is also to point out the duplicity of your Government. At the Center the Prime Minister does not miss an opportunity to get himself photographed with Bapu’s statues at every place during his globe trotting, but back home the government of the same party in Maharashtra chooses to ignore Bapu, even on the occasion of the anniversary of his murder. Even you, Sir, the head of the government, in an order issued in your name, have chosen to not name Bapu that too on the occasion of the anniversary of his murder.
If it is a genuine mistake, it would be honourable for you to issue an apology and reissue a corrected order. But I doubt it is a mistake, and I doubt you would do the right thing.
But with hope I write.
Yours Sincerely,
Tushar A Gandhi