Generally speaking observation of the law of Truth is understood merely to mean that we must speak the Truth. But we in the Ashram should understand the word Satya or Truth in a much wider sense. There should be truth in thought, truth in speech, and truth in action. To the man who has realized this truth in its fullness, nothing else remains to be known , because all knowledge is necessary included in it. What is not included in it is not truth, and so not true knowledge; and there can be no inward peace without true knowledge.”
– Mahatma Gandhi, The Essential Writings, Oxford World’s Classic, OUP, New York, 2008, p. 45
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi outside Bhiwandi court
Not long ago a petition to reopen the Mahatma Gandhi Assassination case was rejected by the Supreme Court with a clear verdict that ‘the people who committed assassination have been identified and hanged’. Now in a trial court of Bhiwandi, the same case is indirectly reopened. This case is not just about future of Rahul Gandhi, as many Congressmen and their cheer leaders make us believe. The case should be seen in the light of 2019 elections. This is also not limited to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). This is about the truth and conviction for which Gandhiji always stood for. Till date, the entire sequence of events since the Gandhi scion made this controversial remark against the RSS in run up to the 2014 election campaign raised different sets of questions about his commitment to the Gnadhian principles.
Let us start in the reverse sequence. Rahul Gandhi was summoned by the Court to appear for the trial rejecting his plea that he be exempted from personal appearance before the Bhiwandi court in a case registered by Rajesh Kunte for defaming the RSS. So contrary to what Rahul Gandhi said after coming out of the Court, the case against him is filed by a private person, not by the Government. A True Gandhian is not expected to speak such a blatant lie and play a victim card in a court case.
This was the twenty fourth hearing in the case and a leader, who does not miss a single occasion to mention RSS as the main adversary in his speeches, did not bother to appear in the Court. The battery of lawyers, he has been employing at various stages of the case, are using all the delaying tactics to avoid the trial. While pleading in the Supreme Court, Kapil Sibal on behalf of Congress even told that “Rahul Gandhi never accused the RSS as (an) institution for the crime.” Rahul Gandhi after facing the brunt of the backlash, backtracked from such argument. Can a man believing in Gandhian principles play flip-flop on a statement? Satyagraha does not permit so.
So what if neither the original judgement nor the subsequent commission reports have ever mentioned Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as a culprit in Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination? How does it matter if someone like Sardar Patel had clearly conveyed to the then Prime Minister Pandit Nehru through a letter on February 26, 1948 that “It also clearly emerges from these statements (of the main accused) that the RSS was not involved in it at all”? If Rahul Gandhi has made the allegations then he must be having some new evidences that were not produced earlier. Being a truthful Gandhian he should put them forth in the Court of Law and stand by his statement.
The elections will come and go. The leaders like Rahul Gandhi will emerge and fade away. But the Gandhian values are the torchbearers not only for this nation and but for the entire humanity, they should remain undamaged. So without getting distracted by the Communists and socialist friends on the issue, the Congress President should stick to his stand and should keep on repeating the same allegations he had made in Bhiwandi. The test is about the true knowledge that comes out of ‘ truth in thought, truth in speech, and truth in action’ as said by Gandhiji. As Rahul Gandhi and his party claim the sole propriety over ‘Gandhi’ surname and ‘Gandhian’ ideology, the onus to prove his credentials by facing the trial in a Gandhian way is on him.
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