"After having read Nathuram Godse's statement reproduced by his brother Gopal Godse, I felt the need to compile Gopal Godse's work with Justice Khosla's narrative," says Virender Mehra, who has compiled and edited the book published by Delhi-based Farsight Publishers and Distributors.
On January 30, 1948, Nathuram Godse shot to death Mahatma Gandhi and surrendered to authorities. He put forward a detailed statement at his trial at the Red Fort in 1948. A ban on publication of the statement was lifted by the Bombay High Court in 1968.
"Law gives a special kind of sanctity to 'dying declarations'. The statement of Nathuram Godse, in the circumstances in which it was made, commands itself to no less a sanctity" writes Godse.
First penned in Marathi, the book was printed in Hindi in 1970 and in English in 1993 by Delhi-based Surya Bharti Prakashan, a publisher and wholesale distributor of books.
"We made an arrangement last year end with Surya Bharti Prakashan and they agreed to let us publish a English version of the book. They basically in books in Hindi and were not able to sell well the English version of Godse's book ," Vijay Goel, owner of the Delhi-based Farsight Publishers and Distributors told PTI.
The 208-paged paperback contains a translation of Godse's will along with photographs of "all the accused and persons related to the case to give readers a comprehensive picture."
"We have sold out 1,000 copies of the book and have ordered second print edition for another 1,000 copies. That is a very normal year sales because typically books by authors like Chetan Bhagat etc go in for over 5 lakhs. The book is now available with all prominent booksellers," Goyal said.
"There was not much sales and do one print every year. The new English version by Farsight has several changes from what we brought out," Gupta said.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
