Narayan Apte facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Narayan Apte
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| Born | 1911 |
| Died | 15 November 1949 (aged 38) |
| Cause of death | Execution by hanging |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Known for | Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi |
Narayan Dattatraya Apte (born 1911 – died 15 November 1949) was an Indian man known for his role in the planning of Mahatma Gandhi's assassination. He also worked as a recruiting officer for the British Royal Indian Air Force.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Narayan Apte was born in 1911. His father, Dattatreya Apte, was a respected scholar of Sanskrit and a historian. Narayan grew up with three sisters and four brothers. Like his family, he loved learning and aimed to become a scholar.
He earned a Bachelor's degree in Science from Bombay University in 1932. After being unemployed for three years, he became a tutor at Mission High School in Ahmednagar. He wanted to become an expert in education. He later passed the "Bachelor of Education" exam. Narayan also started a shooting club in Ahmednagar, which became very popular. Other similar clubs were then started in places like Pune.
Political Involvement
In 1939, Narayan Apte joined the Hindu Mahasabha, a political organization. When the Second World War began, the leader of the Hindu Mahasabha, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, asked party members to help the British. Apte quickly rose in rank and became a recruiter in the Poona (now Pune) region. He also served as a flight lieutenant in the British Royal Indian Air Force.
Since there wasn't much recruitment work in Poona, Narayan Apte had a lot of free time. He began working closely with Nathuram Godse within the Hindu Mahasabha. Around this time, Savarkar started the Hindu Rashtra Dal. This was a more active part of the Mahasabha. One of its goals was to disrupt meetings held by the Congress party.
In 1944, Godse suggested starting a newspaper called "Agranee." This newspaper would share the ideas of the Dal and the Mahasabha. Apte became the manager of this newspaper. He even wore his military uniform while working there. The newspaper struggled financially, but Savarkar helped keep it going with donations. The articles often expressed strong opinions and broke rules about what could be printed. Just before the government ordered it to close, they renamed the paper "Hindu Rashtra." The last issue of "Hindu Rashtra" was published on 31 January 1948.
Role in Gandhi's Assassination
On 14 January 1948, Narayan Apte and Nathuram Godse took a train from Pune to Mumbai. Three days later, they flew to Delhi. Their goal was to assassinate Mahatma Gandhi.
On 20 January, Apte, along with others, went to Birla House. They were there to plan the assassination of Gandhi. By 27 January, it was decided that Godse would be the one to carry out the act.
On 30 January, Apte stood by Godse's side when shots were fired at Gandhi. Apte managed to avoid arrest for two weeks. He was eventually arrested in Mumbai.
Execution
Narayan Apte was put on trial and found guilty of his role in Gandhi's assassination in 1949. Apte, along with Godse, was executed on 15 November 1949.
See also
- Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi
