A comment to the blog "Nathuram Godse In The Contemporary India" on Sulekha

 (May 16, 2019:  http://creative.sulekha.com/nathuram-godse-in-the-contemporary-india_636780_blog)

Nathuram Godse shooting and killing MK Gandhi was like Lee Harvey Oswald shooting and killing U.S. Pres. Kennedy, which was more in the nature of a political assassination (where the shooting target is clearly and precisely in sight of the shooter and there is little additional damage / harm, intended or otherwise), unlike in the case of terrorism by an extremist (where the target is not clearly defined or in sight and there is significantly higher damage and number of deaths, than in the case of regular assassination such as by Godse or Oswald).  

In regard to the question whether assassins are better than terrorists, the answer is that they are different, as indicated  earlier / above (Godse was an assassin and not a terrorist).

Moreover, on the question of 'desh-bhakat' (patriot), that is a very subjective thing.

Let's say, on one side you have a person (let's call X) who thinks that there are anti-national decisions and actions carried out by the Govt. at the insistence of someone very important (let's call Y) outside the Govt. Furthermore, X thinks that the nation would be better off if Y is removed, which he is ready to do it himself through assassination while knowing fully well that he will be hanged for his action (X killing Y). Anyway, X assassinates Y, is tried, admits to killing Y and is hanged.

On the other side, you have another person (let's call Z) who assumes the post of a minister etc. after taking an oath of doing good for people and nation. In his role as a minister in Govt., he squanders and steals crores of rupees from Govt. treasury which he deposits in personal bank accounts, pays for own mansions and distributes among his friends, while depriving the public programs (roads, hospitals and schools etc.) of that money. Because of his neglect and corruption as a minister, the Govt. programs and infrastructure turn into shambles and people are left without much needed services (students getting no proper education in schools, patients dying without medicines and good medical facilities, people getting injured and dying in accidents on bad roads), while minister's own children get good education in private schools and abroad and he and his family are able to travel outside the country in search of good medical facilities whenever they fall sick.

Who has a greater claim to 'desh-bhakati' (patriotism), X or Z? You decide.

For additional comments on the above in Facebook, please check out the following,
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1136736736528878&id=100005776877580