By: Lalit Garg
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was a frontline fighter of the Indian independence movement, a great revolutionary, historian, social reformer, thinker, litterateur and intense nationalist leader. He was unique among revolutionaries around the world. His name was his message to the Indian revolutionaries. His books were like Bhagwad Geeta for the revolutionaries. His life was multifaceted. Veer Savarkar was born on 28 May 1883 in Bhagur village of Nashik.
Savarkar is the only creator in this world whose book ‘Independence Summer of 1857’ was banned by the British even before its publication. This is the book through which Savarkar had proved that the revolution of 1857, was India’s ‘first freedom struggle’. Savarkar was the first Indian to pass the law examination in first class. But he refused to take the oath of loyalty to the British government, due to which he was not given the title of advocate. He was the first superhero of the Indian freedom struggle, which raised the pitch for revolution among the masses.
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Veer Savarkar is such a great Indian revolutionary who was sentenced to life imprisonment twice in a single life by the British government for the crime of revolution. In 1911, he was sent to Kalepani i.e. Andaman. His elder brother Ganesh Savarkar was also imprisoned there. Savarkar was brutally tortured in jail which became a cruel history. Extracting oil by ploughing in a crusher, crushing coconut, whipping, keeping hungry and thirsty etc. Savarkar has described the torture given in jail in his book “My life imprisonment”. During the harsh punishment of ‘Kala Pani’ twice, he was kept in a dark cell for six months. Sentenced to solitary confinement thrice for one month each. Twice for seven days each handcuffed and hung along the walls. Not only this, Savarkar was kept tied with chains for four months. Even after suffering such harsh tortures, Savarkar did not accept to bow down before the British.
While since then some intellectuals of our country, some political parties like Congress, Aam Aadmi Party and Leftists are trying to blur their unforgettable sacrifices by accusing them of apologizing to the British by forgetting their creativity and sacrifices made for freedom. Those who abuse Savarkar should understand that his stature in India’s independence, if not more than Mahatma Gandhi, is not less.
Veer Savarkar had said, “Suffering is the power that tests a man in tough situations and makes him move forward.” Without knowing the reality and truth of Savarkar’s sacrifices, without understanding the depth of his efforts and neutralizing them without studying, any Congressman and opposition have been levelling false allegations against him. He has been insulted for a long time. Recently, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi disrespected him by citing a letter, while Arvind Kejriwal had expressed his intention in a rally some time back by calling BJP people Savarkar’s children. How long will this last? Now this should be stopped because such a person whose whole life is a true example of sacrifices given for the freedom of India. Such a person who has been dried like a thorn by giving poisoned food and water, when a false slander is levelled against him, the mind of any true Indian is disturbed, the brain is sad and the soul screams. Savarkar states that “loyalty to duty consists only in facing difficulties, suffering and struggling throughout life; success and failure are matters of life”.
Savarkar’s contribution is unique and unforgettable among those who dream of a united India and shape it. Today, amid discussions about making a new India, uniting India with new contexts, and strengthening national unity, the Narendra Modi government has shown understanding by deciding to inaugurate the new Parliament House on the birthday of the great fighter of the Indian freedom movement. A humble tribute to this true legend. His holy memory and his philosophy of life are the pillar and ray of light in the nectar of freedom. Frontline freedom fighter Savarkar’s inspirations and teachings are beacons because they have the potential to build a new India. He had envisioned an India and a strong India amid many adverse and struggling situations, the resolve to realize which is in the mind of every Indian today.
A person’s future starts to be seen from his behaviour in childhood itself. Veer Savarkar’s childhood activities were told that this boy would later become a courageous son of Mother India, whom people would recognize as ‘Swatantryaveer Savarkar’. He started writing poems only at the age of eight-ten years. A deep impact of Shivaji on his life. Veer Savarkar himself used to read the victory tales of Shivaji with great interest and also used to narrate them with pride to his friends. Due to this, the feelings of patriotism, sacrifice, dedication and service to the country started to grow strongly in his mind. By reaching a young age, Savarkar gave more momentum to his revolutionary thinking and activities. He also established another organization named ‘Abhinav Bharat’.
First of all, Savarkar did the work of challenging the British by burning Holi of foreign clothes. He also showed the courage to do revolutionary activities by entering the British House ‘London’. With his efforts, the Golden Jubilee of the 1857 War of Independence was celebrated in London. By jumping from the ship into the middle of the sea, Vinayak became synonymous with courage. He had become ‘worshipped’ among the revolutionaries of India. Sardar Bhagat Singh has used respectful adjectives like ‘Veer’ and ‘Pujneeyae’ for Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in one of his articles. The British were horrified by his revolutionary activities, thoughts and organizational ability.
To work for freedom, he formed a secret society, which came to be known as ‘Mitra Mela’. After the partition of 1905, he burnt Holi of foreign clothes in Pune. The work he did to eradicate caste discrimination during the Ratnagiri movement was exemplary. There he launched a commendable campaign for Dalits to enter temples. Mahatma Gandhi then openly praised this campaign of Savarkar, even though Gandhiji and Savarkar had different views about the means of freedom.
Savarkar, endowed with unmatched talent, was a skilled human craftsman and a national craftsman. His life philosophy on India’s Hindu identity, origin and organization of Hindu society, marriage, upbringing of children by parents, mutual harmony, sociality, spirituality, religiousness, economic conditions, agriculture, lifestyle and many other such topics paves the way. Savarkar remained active in the freedom movement even while in jail. It is also a strange irony that the so-called historians did not do justice to the nation-warrior who suffered such harsh torture, tarnishing his great personality and national ideas.
Even if someone wrote something, it was distorted and presented. Even though Veer Savarkar, inspired by the basic spirit of national upliftment, is not among us today, his intense nationalist thinking will always be alive in the hearts of the nation and the people of the nation, such a brave son of India, Veer Savarkar, we all Indians will always be proud of. Because his life has aimed to strengthen his own culture, bright conduct, virtuous attitude and self-identity. (The author is a Writer, Journalist, and Columnist from New Delhi & can be reached at lalitgarg11@gmail.com)
