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India Today
19-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
How a one-eyed man foiled Nathuram Godse's plot to kill Mahatma Gandhi
Nathuram Godse was born on this day (May 19, 1910) in Baramati into a Chittapawan Brahmin family. His parents had lost three sons before him. Believing it would cast off the curse on the family, they put a nath (ring) in the fourth son's nose and started dressing him up as a girl. The boy came to be known as Nathmal in the village but was renamed Nathuram after his younger brother was born, ending, the family believed, the to an English medium school, Nathuram failed to clear matric. To make ends meet, he opened a tailoring shop, which was soon shut down. At the age of 22, he joined the RSS, writes Justice GD Khosla, the judge who heard Godse's review petition in Mahatma Gandhi's murder case. "A few years later he shifted to Pune and became secretary of a local branch of the Hindu Mahasabha," according to Khosla. (Murder of the Mahatma: GD Khosla)In his radical Hindu extremist avatar, Godse was to pump three bullets from his Baretta into Mahatma Gandhi's chest on January 30, 1948. Godse and his men originally planned to kill Gandhi on January 20. But their attempt turned into a comedy of errors that extended Mahatma Gandhi's life by ten & THE MURDERERSadvertisementOn January 12, Mahatma Gandhi, 78, decided to fast until communal harmony was restored in India. He was, as Ramchandra Guha writes, also upset with the Government's decision to "withhold from Pakistan its share of the sterling balances owed by Britain to (undivided) India after the war". (Gandhi, The Years That Changed India)The next day, four men gathered in the Pune office of the Hindu Rashtra, a newspaper co-founded by Godse. Angry with Gandhi's fast-unto-death, Godse announced it was time to kill ASSASSIN'S CREEDGodse's partner, a dapper man who loved whiskey and women, Narayan Apte, had been upset with Gandhi for many years. The two partners were joined by Vishnu Karkare, a Mahasabha member who owned a guest house, and Madanlal Pahwa, a refugee who blamed Gandhi for the quartet soon had two more members. Digambar Badge, a petty arms dealer, for money, and Gopal Godse, who wanted to help his elder six were to depart for Delhi via Bombay in three batches. Karkare and Badge by the Frontier Mail, Nathuram and Apte were to board Air India's flight number DC3 to Delhi and Gopal and Badge decided to take a fast passenger. They were to meet at the Hindu Mahasabha guest house near New Delhi's Birla there was a problem – Gandhi was already JANUARY 14By that evening, Gandhi's health had deteriorated. Treating doctors believed he had only 24 hours if the fast was not broken. "Death is a great friend, it relieves us of all pain," Gandhi announced, refusing to budge. When warned of imminent death, he asked, "Does your science really know everything? Have you forgotten Lord Krishna's words in the Gita — I bear the whole world in an infinitely small part of my being?" (Freedom at Midnight: Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre)JAN 18-19, NEW DELHIGandhi broke his six-day fast after leaders from various communities, including the RSS, pledged to restore peace. A few days ago, the Indian government had also announced it would release the funds promised to Pakistan. Meanwhile, Muhammad Ali Jinnah had also accepted Gandhi's desire to visit Pakistan to "end hatred and violence". "I still have a lot to achieve," Gandhi said, agreeing to take orange juice. The murder plan was next morning, the assassins gathered in a secluded area with a thick overgrowth to test their weapons. One of their two desi pistols failed to fire. The other missed the target by several feet. "This will kill us faster than Gandhi," one of them said ruefully. But, there was an alternate 20, NEW DELHIAfter spending the night drinking whiskey (Apte and Karkare), coffee, and putting together raw grenades, Godse and his men left for Birla House, where Gandhi was to hold a prayer a father of two, believed he'd be back in Bombay, where he planned to meet an air hostess – the latest among his girlfriends. He was convinced that the plan was fool-proof and Mahatma Gandhi would be blown to their plan was only to provide a brief 20, THE D-DAYMahatma Gandhi addressed the gathering from a raised platform. Behind him were quarters for the staff, from where a ventilator opened right behind Gandhi's seat. It was decided Badge would enter the quarters dressed as a photographer and lob a grenade at Mahatma Gandhi through the and Karkare were tasked to approach Mahatma Gandhi from the front and attack with grenades and pistols. Godse and Apte were to coordinate the assault. The signal was to the crude bomb with a timer that Pahwa was to place near the boundary OF ERRORSWhat happened next is defined in detail in Freedom at Midnight. Despite the sinister plot, it reads like a farce. Here is the gist of 5 pm, Pahwa placed a time bomb around 150-metres from the dias. A grenade bulging from his pocket, Badge started moving towards the room at the rear, but froze. The occupant of the room was one-eyed. 'Bad omen," he declared, refusing to see reason. Finally, he swapped places with Gopal Godse, and decided to fire at Mahatma Gandhi from the Gopal was so short that he couldn't reach the small opening. He dragged a jute cot to gain elevation, but the strings broke. Unable to get a clear view, he gave up. As he tried to step out, he realised the lock had malfunctioned, leaving him in a dark room with no clue about what was happening the time bomb went off, it created the expected melee. Unperturbed, Gandhi tried to calm them down, saying there was nothing to worry about. Convinced that the time had come, Godse signalled to Apte, who relayed the message to Badge, who was standing closest to a petty businessman, stood frozen. Suddenly, the enormity of the crime dawned on him. Realising he was just a trader, not an assassin, he a young girl identified Pahwa as the man who had placed the time bomb. Her screams drew the attention of the gathering. Pahwa was pinned to the ground, beaten by the crowd, and arrested by the police. Seeing their accomplice in the police net, the others fled to their hideout – the Marina Hotel near Connaught 21, NEW DELHIMahatma Gandhi addressed the incident at his prayer meeting. "I displayed no bravery. I thought it was part of army practice somewhere. I only came to know later that it was a bomb and that it might have killed me if God had not willed it that I should live. But if a bomb explodes in front of me and if I am not scared and succumb, then you will be able to say that I died with a smile on my face. Today, I do not yet deserve to be so praised. You should not have any kind of hate against the person who was responsible for this. He had taken it for granted that I am an enemy of Hinduism". (Mohandas: A True Story of a Man, his People, and an Empire, Rajmohan Gandhi)Must Watch
New Indian Express
25-04-2025
- New Indian Express
BSF, Punjab Police recover arms and explosives near Indo-Pak international border
CHANDIGARH: The Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police recovered a cache of arms and explosives near the Indo-Pak international border. Approximately 5 kilograms of RDX, four pistols, five hand grenades and 220 rounds of ammunition were recovered. Sources said that during patrolling near the international border, the sleuths of the Border Security Force (BSF) detected that two packets were lying in the fields of Sahowal village in the area Border Out Post (BoP) Shahpur, 3.5 kilometres from the border. "One packet was weighing some 7 kilograms, it had three pistols of Baretta make, six magazines, 171 rounds of 9 MM pistol, five grenades, '' said a senior officer on condition of anonymity. He added that two nine-volt battery mechanisms, 12 A batteries, six fuse mechanisms, two remote controls and a battery charger which is used to make explosive devices, were recovered from this packet. Sources said that the other packet which was weighing 6.5 kg it contained one pistol, two magazines, 49 rounds of ammunition and two packets of explosives, each weighting 2.5 kg. "We suspect that this explosive might be RDX, but till the report of forensic team comes and confirms what exactly this explosive is, we cannot confirm anything,'' said an officer. Sources further said that these packets were dropped in the Ajanla police station area via drones which came from the neighbouring country, and now it is being analysed around what time the dropping took place.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mario Vargas Llosa Dies: Peruvian Literary Giant Was 89
Peruvian Nobel literature laureate and Latin American literary giant Mario Vargas Llosa has died in Lima at the age of 89. The writer's son Álvaro Vargos Llosa announced on Sunday that his father had 'passed away peacefully in Lima…, surrounded by his family' in a social media post, signed by himself and his siblings Gonzalo and Morgana. More from Deadline Patty Maloney Dies: Billy Barty Co-Star, Syd & Marty Krofft & 'Star Wars Holiday Special' Actress Was 89 Wings Hauser Dies: Longtime Character Actor In Everything From 'Baretta' To 'CSI' Was 77 Nadia Cassini Dies: American-Born Star Of Sexy Italian Comedies Was 76 'His departure will sadden his relatives, his friends and his readers around the world, but we hope that they will find comfort, as we do, in the fact that he enjoyed a long, adventurous and fruitful life, and leaves behind him a body of work that will outlive him,' read the post. Born in the southern Peruvian city of Arequipa in 1936, Vargas Llosa spent his early childhood in Cochabamba, Bolivia with his mother and grandparents, after his parents divorced while he was a young child. Returning to Peru at the age of 10, he was sent to a military academy from age 14 to 16 years old, which would inspire his 1963 breakthrough novel The Time of the Hero. The novel angered the Peruvian authorities which had 1,000 copies destroyed. This work and further early novels, including The Green House (1966) and Conversation in the Cathedral (1969), would earn him a place as one of the key figures of the Latin American Boom literary movement of the 1960s and 70s, alongside the likes of Gabriel Garcia Márquez, Julio Cortázar and Carlos Fuentes. Vargas Llosa had moved to Madrid in 1958 and then on to Paris in 1959, living there until 1966. He later said that it was only on leaving his native Peru that he had come to understand his place as a Latin American writer. A prolific writer, journalist and essayist throughout his life, his literary work spans more than 50 titles. A number of his books were adapted to film and TV including his 1977 novel Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter, inspired by his first marriage to writer Julia Urquidi. Jon Amiel adapted the novel to the big screen in 1990 under the title of Tune in Tomorrow. William Boyd wrote the screenplay, while the cast featured Barbara Hershey, Keanu Reeves and Peter Falk. More recently, TelevisaUnivision's Vix+ streaming service adapted Vargas Llosa's 2010 novel Travesuras de la Niña Mala (The Bad Girl) into a 10-part series in 2022, and was also developing a new show based on his 1973 work Captain Pantoja and the Special Service. Most recently, his novel Tattoos in Memory, about a former terrorist and soldier who becomes a Franciscan priest, was adapted to the big screen in Peru by the writer's cousin, the director Luis Llosa (Anaconda), releasing in August, 2024. Best of Deadline 2025 Deaths Photo Gallery: Hollywood & Media Obituaries 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More A Full Timeline Of Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni's 'It Ends With Us' Feud In Court, Online & In The Media
Forbes
20-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Wings Hauser Dies: The ‘Vice Squad' And ‘Tough Guys Don't Dance' Actor Was 77
Florence, AZ 1985: Wings Hauser promotional photo for the ABC tv movie 'Command Five'. (Photo by Bob ... [+] D'Amico /American Broadcasting Companies via Getty Images) Wings Hauser, a character actor with over 100 film and television credits, died Saturday at his home in Santa Monica, California after battling COPD. He was 77. 'Wings Hauser's one of a kind, legendary career spanned 58 years in movies, TV and music working alongside many of the greatest artists in the industry and earning their respect," wrote his wife Cali on Instagram. Born Gerald Dwight Hauser on December 12, 1947 in Hollywood, California, Wings Hauser made his film debut in the 1967 was film First to Fight. Following a number of early guest roles in TV series including Cannon, Movin' On, Baretta and Emergency!, Hauser gained attention with a stint as Greg Foster on the daytime drama The Young and the Restless from 1977 to 1981. Nearly 30 years later, in 2010, he revived the role for three episodes. LOS ANGELES - JANUARY 5: Wings Hauser as Greg Foster (1977-1981) on THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS. ... [+] Image dated January 5, 1978. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images) In 1982, Hauser is remembered role his role as an abusive pimp named Ramrod in the crime thriller Vice Squad, which also featured his voice singing the film's theme song. The following year he came up with the idea for the Vietnam-era war film Uncommon Valor, starring Gene Hackman and Patrick Swayze. In 1986, Hauser was cast in the NBC police parody The Last Precinct opposite Adam West and Ernie Hudson, which aired for eight episodes. One year later, he earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Male in the crime mystery dramedy Tough Guys Don't Dance. More film and television roles followed, including Hauser's four-episode stint as Lieutenant Colonel Miller in the war drama China Beach from 1990 to 1991. In 1991, Hauser headlined the one season syndication action-themed drama Lightning Force. And his film resume included Wilding (1990), Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time (1991), Michael Mann's The Insider (1999) and Rubber (2010). Wings Hauser in a scene from the film 'Beastmaster 2: Through The Portal Of Time', 1991. (Photo by ... [+]) Later appearances on television included TV dramas The Mentalist, The Defenders, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Hawaii Five-O and Castle. In addition to wife Cali, survivors include his children Bright Hauser and Cole Hauser, who plays Rip Wheeler on Yellowstone; his two sisters; and his grandchildren, Hutchinson, Holden, Ryland, Colt and Steely Rose.
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
John Mulaney jokes that only 2 'SNL' hosts have 'committed murder' — here's who he likely meant
John Mulaney just made a killer joke on Saturday Night Live's 50th anniversary special. During an opening monologue alongside Steve Martin, Mulaney announced there have been 894 hosts over the iconic sketch show's five-decade history, but "it amazes me that only two of them have committed murder." While the former SNL writer and six-time host did not elaborate on who he was referring to, the most likely answer is O.J. Simpson and Robert Blake, not Alec Baldwin as some on social media speculated (and who attended Sunday's live special). Related: See past and present Saturday Night Live cast members at the SNL 50th anniversary special Simpson, who hosted on Feb. 25, 1978, was the subject of one of the most high-profile murder trials in American history over the stabbing deaths of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman, in 1994. The former football star and Naked Gun actor was charged with the murders but ultimately acquitted. He was later found liable in the wrongful death of Goldman and battery of both Brown and Goldman in a civil lawsuit and ordered to pay $33,500,000 in damages in 1997. Simpson died in 2024 at 76. Blake, who hosted on Nov. 13, 1982, was charged but acquitted in the 2001 shooting death of his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley. Though the Baretta star was not found guilty by a jury, he was found liable in a civil wrongful death lawsuit and ordered to pay damages. Blake died in 2023 at 89. Baldwin, who has hosted more than anyone in SNL history at 17 times, went to trial for involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, but the case was dismissed last July when the judge found that the state had failed to turn over key evidence. The 30 Rock actor has since filed a civil lawsuit against prosecutors and addition, actor Robert Wagner, who hosted on Dec. 9, 1989, has never been charged with murder, but he was the subject of speculation for decades as rumors swirled that he had some involvement in the 1981 tragic drowning death of his wife, screen legend Natalie Wood. Wood's sister, Lana Wood, has previously accused the actor of being responsible for the West Side Story star's shocking death. Related: The best and worst moments from the Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary special Watch Martin and Mulaney's full monologue above. Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
