On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Veer Savarkar, the revolutionary, who did not support the partition of the country, I would like to humbly write few words with a high degree of respect.
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was born on 28 May 1873 in Bhagur village in Nashik. Swatantraveer Veer Savarkar was a front-line fighter and fierce nationalist leader of the Indian independence movement. Savarkar was always in favor of a united India.
A great credit for developing the political ideology of the Hindu nation goes to Savarkar. He was not only a fiery fighter of the freedom struggle, but also a great revolutionary, thinker, writer, poet, brilliant orator and visionary politician.
In 1904, he founded a revolutionary organization called Abhinav Bharat. After the partition of Bengal in 1905, he lit Holi (bonfire) of foreign cloth in Pune. At Ferguson College, Pune, he used to give vigorous speeches of patriotism. He shook the British rule by writing a sensational and exploratory history of the first independence of 1857.
He was more influenced by the Russian revolutionaries. While in London, Savarkar met Lala Hardayal. In London he also looked after India House. After the execution of Madan Lal Dhingra, he also wrote an article in the ‘London Times’. He also distributed pamphlets of Dhingra’s written statement.
Veer Savarkar remained in the Andaman Jail from 1911 to 1921. On 7 April 1911, under the Nashik Conspiracy Case, he was sent to the Cellular Jail on the punishment of Kalapani for killing the Collector of Nashik District, Jackson. Freedom fighters had to work hard in the prison. They had to do all sort of work like extracting the mustard and coconut oil by going round in circles. Apart from this, they also had to clean the forests adjacent to the prison and level the marshy land and hilly area. When stopped, they were severely punished by whipping with cane. Even then they were not given enough food. He returned home in 1921 and then spent 3 years in jail. He wrote research paper on ‘Hindutva’ in jail.
In February 1931, his efforts led to the establishment of the Patit Pavan Temple in Mumbai, which was equally open to all Hindus. On 25 February 1931, Savarkar presided over the Untouchability Eradication Conference held in Mumbai Presidency. In 1936 he was elected President of the Hindu Mahasabha. After 1963 he lived in Dadar, Mumbai.
This great revolutionary of India died on February 26, 1949. His entire life was spent fighting for the attainment of Swarajya (self-rule).
