Who
was Savarkar ?
Vinayak
Damodar, popularly known as Veer Savarkar was the unsung hero of the
Indian freedom struggle against the British during the period from
1906 to 1947. * By the age of seventeen, towards the end of his schooling
days, Savarkar was saying to his friends in secret, " We must
stop complaining about this British officer or that officer, this
law or that law. There would be no end to that. Our movement must
not be limited to being against any particular law, but it must be
for acquiring the authority to make the laws itself. In other words,
we want The Absolute Political Independence."
Jawaharlal Nehru was able to say so publicly 30 years later, after
Savarkar had brought about tremendous changes in the thinking of Indian
masses due to his activities, sufferings and movements.* During his
college days in 1905, Savarkar had organised a public bonfire of foreign
( British ) clothes in Pune, to express the public resentment against
the British Raj. Mahatma Gandhi followed suit 16 years later. * Passive
Resistance as a weapon for advancing workers' rights was first attempted
by the French farmers on their vineyards in July 1907. On that occasion,
Savarkar wrote, " However attractive noble and easy to follow
the passive resistance may appear to be, the use of force is ultimately
required to achieve success." Subhash Chandra Bose, having followed
Gandhi for nearly two decades, also came to the same conclusion, but
30 years later! On the advice of Savarkar, he slipped out of India
during World War II and formed the Indian National Army from among
the Indian Prisoners of War held by the Japanese. This daring attempt
was a major factor which forced the British to leave India in 1947.
* In 1902, Savarkar started his secret revolutionary society - the
Abhinav Bharat. The wording of the oath of that society has been preserved
by the British Secret Police. The aim of the Society was Absolute
Political Independence for India to be achieved by all means including
by incessant armed struggle.
When India won independence in August 1947, many prominent leaders
of the Congress party at the time were former members of Abhinav Bharat
. They included Balasaheb Kher ( the chief minister of Bombay Province),
Ravishankar Shukla ( the chief minister of Central Provinces), Sir
Sikandar Hiyat Khan ( the chief minister of Punjab ). Even the President
of the Congress Party Acharya Kripalani was himself a member of Abhinav
Bharat.
Shree Rajagopalachari ( Rajaji ), the first Indian to become the Governor
General of divided India had openly admitted that it was the life
of Veer Savarkar that inspired him to join in the freedom struggle.
Dwarakaprasad Mishra, a well known Congress leader from the Central
Provinces ( Madhya Pradesh ) had also made similar remarks. Yashavantarao
Chavan, the former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, who became India's
Defence Minister in 1962, was a secret admirer of Savarkar. Even Manavendranath
Roy, the left wing politician, took inspiration from Savarkar.Thus,
Savarkar's contribution to the Indian freedom struggle against the
British was considerable. So, why did the western mass media deny
him any credit and publicity? Why did he remain in obscurity ? I have
answered these questions partly in chapter Four entitled " Why
was the image of Savarkar tarnished by his opponents ?" I say
'partly' because this book is only about his rationalism.
Let us now look briefly at the Indian History
India's struggle
for freedom from the British Rule
The English East India company was started in London in 1600. In 1666,
they got a foothold in Bombay ( then, a group of 60 islands ). They
started building fortifications and keeping armies under the pretext
of safeguarding their trade. Their major military victory came in
1757 at the battle of Plassey in Bengal. It took them nearly next
100 years to gain the control of the whole of India. In 1857, there
was a massive uprising against their rule in India. Though the East
India Company succeeded in suppressing the revolt, the British Crown
took over the administration of India from the hands of the company.
A lull followed for a generation. Afterwards, the Indian Freedom Struggle
went through four phases.The Four Phases of Indian Freedom Struggle
(1) The Moderates
First came the Moderates, men like Justice Mahadev Govind Ranade (
1842-1901 ), Surendra Nath Banerjee (1848-1925), Gopal Krushna Gokhale
( 1866-1915 ) . They were great visionaries, men of utmost sincerity
and devotion. They sought reforms and better government. They pleaded
with the British for a fair play.
Ranade had a rather grandiose conception of the destiny of the Indian
nation. In a public speech delivered in 1896 at Calcutta, Ranade said,
" .... renovated India will take her proper rank among the nations
of the world and be the master of the situation and of her own destiny.
This is the goal to be reached."
Ranade was one of the founder members of the Indian National Congress
( commonly known as the Congress Party or simply as Congress ) which
held its first session in 1885. But, after just three years, British
Rulers forbade Ranade and other Government servants to attend the
annual sessions of the Congress.
It must be emphasised that, unlike the followers of Gandhi, the Moderates
were never obsessed with non-violence. Time and again, they had made
resolutions to the effect that the Arms Act of 1858 by which Indians
were disarmed should be repealed.
Some moderates thought that an armed rebellion against the British
was impossible or impracticable. Others thought that the British would
not stretch their patience to the limit of human endurance and make
armed struggle inevitable. But NONE would have denounced the Indian
independence won by the armed struggle.
The greatest of the Moderate leaders was Dadabhai Naoroji ( 1825-1917).
Dadabhai means the eldest son in a family and he lived upto it in
a way. He was affectionately called the Grand Old Man of Indian Politics.
His invaluable works was Poverty and Un-British Rule in India , published
in 1901. He proved meticulously that the British were draining away
the wealth from India to the tune of £30 to £40 million
per year ( equal to £1235 to £1646 million per year at
1998 prices ). Dadabhai had suggested that such exploitation was Un-British.
Hence the title of his book.
In 1892 he was elected as a Member of the British Parliament from
the Finsbury Constituency in London ( total votes cast 5,600 ). But
he soon realised that he could not do much. The Irish had been sending
their M.Ps to the British Parliament for a long time. They were White
and Christians. Even then, they could not achieve anything through
the British Parliament. Dadabhai was not elected as an M P in the
1895 election.(2) The Militants
Next came the Militants. They propagated that, without a direct action,
the British would never accede to the Indian demands. They proposed
the boycott of British goods. They said, "if you cannot avoid
buying foreign goods, buy non British goods." They emphasised
self reliance, support to indigenous industries, mass agitation and
even going to jail if necessary.
Their undisputed leader was Bal Gangadhar Lokamanya Tilak ( 1856 -
1920 ). He was popularly called called Lokamnya Tilak by the masses.
They bestowed the title 'Lokamanya' ( people's leader ) as opposed
to Rao Bahadur and other honours bestowed by the British rulers.¥
In 1882, he went to jail for exposing the inhuman treatment meted
out by the British Authorities to the adopted son and then heir apparent
to Maharaja of Kolhapur. While in jail, his weight went down by 24
pounds.
¥ During the outbreak of BUBONIC PLAGUE in 1896/97, Tilak refused
to leave the plague infested city of Pune, stayed with the people
and shared their suffering and misfortune.
¥ In 1897, he was sentenced to 18 months hard labour, this time
for sedition. Again, in jail, his weight went down from 135 pounds
to 105 pounds. This time, there were grave doubts about whether he
would come out alive from prison.
¥ In 1908, he was sentenced to transportation for 6 years to Mandalay
in Burma. The British newspapers recognised that, unlike other leaders,
he was the leader of the masses.
The transportation involved a travel of 3000 miles ( compare this
to the distance between Paris and Moscow which is 1540 miles ). He
was confined to an area of 150 ft by 50 ft and kept in complete isolation
except for the company of a cook. At that time, the average male life
expetancy in Britain was only 48 1/2 years, much less in India while
Tilak was 52 years of age.
There was no parole for him when his wife was on the deathbed in June
1912.
The Indian militants achieved a spectacular victory in 1911. Bengal
had been partitioned by Viceroy Lord Curzon in 1905. India was outraged
by his arrogance. Mass agitations and demonstrations followed. British
authorities moved the capital of India from Calcutta to New Delhi
in 1911. At the Delhi Darbar, King George V was forced to announce
that the partition of Bengal was annulled. This was achieved when
Tilak was away in jail in Mandalay in Burma since 1908 and when Gandhi
and Nehru were not even heard of.
Tilak was appropriately called The Father of the Indian Unrest by
the British.
During a period of 30 years ( 1889 -1919 ) he tried to make Congress
as an instrument of constant agitation and wanted it to have an annual
programme of action instead of just meeting once a year for four days,
passing resolutions and doing nothing for the rest of the time. Dadabhai's
complaint was that leaders of the Congress did not believe in continuous,
constant, consistent whole-time work. That is what Tilak strived to
achieve.
Tilak founded the Home Rule movement in 1916. When charged with sedition,
Tilak's lawyers successfully argued that pleading for progressive
political rights for the people in itself could never be seditious.
Bombay High Court accepted that argument.(3) The Revolutionaries
The Revolutionaries went one step further. Their leader was Vinayak
Damodar popularly called Veer Savarkar ( 1883-1966 ). Since 1900,
he had been preaching Absolute Political Independence for India as
their aim. This was to be achieved by incessant armed struggle whenever
possible.
He said, " Tilak and his followers are carrying out their activities
( movements ) within the law and look what happened. The British rulers
did not hesitate to send him to jail in 1897. If a movement is within
the law today, the British can change that law tomorrow and make the
movement illegal. Today or tomorrow, we will have to seek the authority
to make the law itself. At some stage, an armed struggle is inevitable.
Why not start such a struggle today. Why waste time ? "
¥ Savarkar studied for Law at Grays Inn, London. Despite having
completed his studies and passed examinations in 1909, he was not
called to the Bar because of his political activities. The decision
of the benchers of Grays Inn not to call Savarkar to the bar was so
outrageous that hereafter Indians deliberately called him Barrister
Savarkar.
¥ Savarkar came to London in 1906 with a passport issued by the
Government of India. However, in July 1910 he was arrested under the
Fugitive Offenders Act and sent to India to stand trial for trying
to overthrow the British Raj..
¥ In 1910, he was sentenced to TRANSPORTATION FOR LIFE, TWICE
to the Andaman Islands, 1000 miles [1600 Km ] East of Madras ( Chennai
), The sentences of transportation were to be served IN SUCCESSION
- a total sentence of 50 years, unparalleled in the history of the
British Empire.
All his property and possessions including his clothes were confiscated
and sold at public auctions. Even his spectacles were confiscated.
When Savarkar was in jail, Bombay University withdrew his B.A degree.
¥ Savarkar was allowed to write a letter once a year to his younger
brother Narayanrao. Leaders of India's provinces used to visit Narayanrao,
read the letters, copy them, translate them in various Indian languages
and publish them in respective regional newspapers. This brought about
changes in the mental outlook of Indians.
¥ Due to Savarkar's efforts, there arose a succession of revolutionaries.
For example, Khudiram Bose ( 1908 ), Madanlal Dhingra ( 1909 ), Anant
Kanhere, Karve and Deshpande others ( 1910 ), Bal Mukund Avadhabihari,
Amirchand and Vasant Vishwas ( 1915 ), Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev
( 1931 ), Udham Singh ( 1941 ) and many more.
Those who were setenced to death went to the gallows fearlessly. Their
courageous behaviour was admired even by the British officers and
must have made tremendous impact on the minds of millions of Indians.
Those who were not sentenced to death were sentenced to Transportation
for Life to the Andaman Islands. They too accepted their fate with
fortitude. The first one to be sentenced this way was the elder brother
of Savarkar, named Babarao
( Ganesh )
It was the defiance of the revolutionaries which inspired the masses
and they eventually became ready to join in the freedom struggle.
The time for mass movement had arrived.Some idea of the extent of
the activities of the revolutionaries can be gathered from ' Who's
Who of Indian Martyrs ( 3 volumes ) published by Government of India.
Another valuable source is the annual indices of the Times ( of London
). One should look under 'India - unrest'.
After the revolutionaries, India was ready for mass movements. (4)
Mass movements and armed uprisings
¥ Finally came Mahatma Gandhi ( 1873 - 1948 ).
Tilak died in August 1920. Savarkar was on the Andaman Islands till
1921, transferred to mainland India but kept in jails till 1924 and
was kept in internment till 1937.
Gandhi, who returned to India from South Africa in 1916, had a free
hand.
Gandhi proposed a 4 Anna ( quarter of a Rupee ) annual membership
of the Congress Party, thus spreading the freedom movement to the
masses. He initiated the idea of Indians wearing clothes made from
Khadi ( home spun
cotton ). It gave a uniform to the Congress workers throughout India.
Gandhi also gave Congress a organisational structure.
By 1920, the Congress Party had been in existence for 35 years. Gandhi
led the mass movements of 1920, 1931 and 1942. At the same time, there
were various attempts of armed uprisings. In 1943, Subhash Chandra
Bose had formed the Indian National Army from among the Indian prisoners
of war captured by the Japanese. Later, Bose died in a plane crash.
His attempt did not succeed, but the writing was on the wall for the
British.
xxxxx
The British had to grant independence to India in August 1947. At
that time, many Congress Party leaders were still members of Savarkar's
secret society - the Abhinav Bharat.Savarkar regarded the work of
his generation like that of sappers and miners in the army. They remove
and defuse mines, remove obstructions, overcome watercourses, streams
and rivers either by building bridges or diverting water through pipes,
fill potholes and build roads. Their job is extremely dangerous but
their work ensures the speedy advance of the soldiers who follow them.
Moreover, he was like an engine of a railway by whose driving force
all the carriages automatically move forward
Savarkar and other leaders and their followers
Savarkar met and influenced many men from all quarters.
Moderates
In 1909, Justice Ranade went to Nasik to lay the foundation stone
of the Town Hall. Savarkar composed a poem, at the request of citizens
of Nasik, welcoming Ranade.
Savarkar joined the Fergusson College, Pune as a student in 1902.
G K Gokhale the moderate leader was then the Principal of that college.
Two years later Gokhale became a Member of the Central Legislative
Assembly in Calcutta and left the college. They met each other again
in London in 1908. Gokhale was on a deputation sent by the Congress
Party while Savarkar was studying to become a Barrister. They deeply
respected each other. Time and again Savarkar had said, " Among
the Moderates, we regarded persons like Gokhale as fatherly figures."
Savarkar also met Ramesh Chandra Dutta, a retired high ranking civil
service officer, in London in 1908. He persuaded Dutta that the 1857
war was a War of Independence from the British. Datta was President
of the Indian National Congress in 1899.
In 1909, Surendranath Banerjee came to London as a delegate for the
Imperial Press Conference. Dhingra shot and killed Sir Curzon Wyllie
on 1 July 1909. On the 5th, a meeting of Indians was convened at the
Caxton Hall, London to condemn Dhingra. When Savarkar rose to oppose
the motion, he was hit by an Eurasian named Palmer. Banerjee was furious.
He said, " Savarkar was perfectly within his rights to express
his opinion. It was outrageous to attack him in this way." He
left the hall in protest.
28 years later, Savarkar paid tribute to Banerjee. He said, "
Banerjee opposed the methods of the revolutionaries. But, no one grieved
more at their sufferings than Banerjee. It was largely through his
efforts that we were released from the Andaman Islands and sent back
to mainland India."
In 1909, Savarkar returned from Paris to London, knowing very well
that he was going to be arrested. His health was very poor. It was
therefore decided by his friends that someone should accompany him
on his journey. Miss Perry Ben, a grand daughter of Dadabhai Naoroji
accepted that responsibility.
Militants
In the period 1900-1920 there was a famous Trio known as Lal-Bal-Pal.
Lal was Lala Lajpat Rai of Punjab, Bal was Bal Gangadhar Tilak of Maharashtra
and Pal was Bipin Chandra Pal of Bengal. Savarkar knew them very well.
Lala Lajpat Rai used to come to India House, the Indian students' hostel
where Savarkar lived. He and Savarkar shared platform on many occasions
during the public meetings held in the Caxton Hall, London.
Savarkar studied in Pune during 1902-06. He was well known to Tilak
who had given him a reference for the Shivaji scholarship offered by
Shyamji Krushnavarma to study in London.
Tilak's lawyers Dadasaheb Karandikar and Dadasaheb Khaparde came to
London to appeal against Tilak's sentence of Transportation to Burma
for 6 years. Savarkar met them both and they contributed substantially
towards the cost of the publication of his famous book 'Indian War of
Independence 1857'
B C Pal used to visit India House. He and Savarkar shared common platform
on some occsaions during public meetings in the famous Caxton Hall,
London.
After completing his studies, Savarkar lived in Pal's house in London
for some time.
Revolutionaries
It goes without saying that a large number of revolutionaries were inspired
by Savarkar.
When Savarkar was in internment in Ratnagiri ( 1924-37 ), Bhagat Singh
and Rajguru met him secretly.
Gandhi and his followers.
Gandhi and Savarkar met in London in 1906 and 1909. They met again in
1926 when Savarkar was in internment in Ratnagiri. Gandhi benefited
enormously from the political awareness created by Savarkar. But, while
Gandhi became President of the Indian National Congress and was free
to move all over India, Savarkar was kept away from the people by the
British rulers for 27 years.
Subhash Chandra Bose met Savarkar in Mumbai in 1943. On his advise Bose
sipped out of India and later formed the Indian National Army.
Y.B Chavan, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra state and later Defence
Minister of India in 1962, had secretly met Savarkar when in internment
in Ratngiri.
These are just a few examples.
Savarkar publicly disbanded his revolutionary society the Abhinav Bharat
in Pune in 1952. At that ceremopny he said, " It is absurd for
the Congressmen, because they are now in power, to say - Gandhi came,
we ( congressmen ) went to jail and hey presto, we won the freedom from
the British. Nothing can be more childish, selfish and insulting to
other freedom fighters. "
He then paid a glowing tribute to the contribution of the people of
all the persuasions for the Indian freedom struggle. He said, "
Credit for the Indian freedom from the British goes not to any one group
of people or any particular movement but goes to people of all persuasions
over the last three to four generations and their movements. Of course,
those who fought the British in the 1857 War and during successive revolutionary
activities had forced the pace of the freedom struggle. We must be grateful
to the nationwide movement of the Congress Party. But even the Moderates
from Dadabhai Naoroji to G K Gokhale must also be given their due share.
"
It is time to look briefly at the biography of this great man.
A brief biographical sketch of Veer Savarkar
EARLY YEARS
Savarkar
was born on 28 May 1883 at Bhagur in the Nasik District of Maharashtra.
He had two brothers. Elder one was named Ganesh but called Babarao,
and younger one, Narayan but called Bal. Savarkar himself was named
Vinayak but called Tatya.
He was sent to Nasik for his secondary school education. There he started
his friends circle called Mitramela . He joined the Fergusson College
of Pune in 1902. Now, the Mitramela became a secret revolutionary society,
Abhinav Bharat, whose aim was The Absolute Political Independence for
India. This fact was recorded by the British Intelligence service.
Partition of Bengal by Viceroy Lord Curzon came into effect on 16 October
1905. Nine days earlier, Savarkar organised a bonfire of foreign ( British
) clothes to express public anger against the British. He spoke at the
occasion. As a result, he was promptly asked to leave the students'
hostel of Fergusson College, Pune. He was also fined 10 rupees, a large
sum in those days, by the Principal. Gandhiji followed Savarkar's example
by organising a similar bonfire of foreign clothes in October 1921.
In 1905 Savarkar obtained his B A degree and then studied for Law.
Shyamji Krishnavarma, a Barrister and a Sanskrit scholar living in London
had offered a scholarship for studies in England. Savarkar won the scholarship
on the recommendation of Lokmanya Tilak . He came to London in June
1906 and stayed for the next four years. He desired to come to London
mainly for the following reasons :-
(1) To meet young students from all provinces of India, transform their
views and attitudes and to involve them in the Indian freedom struggle.
It was possible to hold such meetings in London again and again. Moreover,
in London, it was also possible to meet many elder Indians from various
walks of life. Such gatherings were very difficult in India, because
of the distances involved and lack of transport and communications.These
persons came from middle and upper classes and were well educated. Indians
back home admired them and looked to them for guidance with great expectations.
Savarkar wanted to attract them all to the Indian freedom struggle.
He began his task by starting regular Sunday Meetings. Under the banner
of Free India Society, many topics of significance to India were discussed.
(2) To establish contacts and form alliances with revolutionaries from
other countries like Ireland, Egypt, Russia, China, Turkey and Iran.
It was anticipated that they would agree to plan concerted, co-operative,
simultaneous attacks on British interests.
(3) To learn how to make bombs and other explosives from revolutionaries
of other countries. This was achieved by Senapati Bapat and Hemchandra
Das in 1907.
(4) To smuggle arms and ammunitions into India.
(5) To attempt armed uprisings against the British, whenever opportunities
arose. First such attempt was made in May 1917 by Vishnu Ganesh Pingle
and Kartar Singh at the time of World War I. Subhash Chandra Bose made
another attempt in 1943 during World War II. There were many other attempts
in between the two world wars. ASPECTS OF SAVARKAR'S WORK IN LONDON
1.Literature
(a) Biography of Mazzini.
Savarkar wrote in Marathi a biography of Mazzini, the Italian freedom
fighter who freed Italy from Austrians in 1870. Two thousand copies
of the first edition were quickly sold in 1907. When the second edition
was due to be printed, the British administration declared the book
as seditious and banned it.
(b) Indian War of Independence 1857.
In 1857 there was a massive uprising in India against the rule of the
East India Company who managed to suppress it. But, that war always
inspired Savarkar and his followers.
Savarkar wrote above book in Marathi. It was translated in English by
his friends and secretly published in Holland in 1909. The Government
of India promptly banned it.
(c) Newsletters
Savarkar sent 43 newsletters to Marathi newspapers explaining the strengths
and weaknesses of the British people.
(d) Choose, Oh Indian Princes
In this leaflet, Savarkar appealed to the Indian Maharajas for their
help in the freedom struggle. He said, " The Indian Freedom Struggle
has started. It will go on until India is free from the British Rule.
Help us, and one of you may become the King of the whole of India. If
you do not help us, even your names will not be remembered by the future
generations."
He issued this appeal in August 1909.
(e) A Gurumukhi leaflet
This asked the Sikh soldiers to rebel against the British.2. India on
the International Scene
In August 1907, the International Socialist Conference was held in Stuttgart
in
Germany. Savarkar sent Madam Cama as India's representative. It is here
that the First Indian National Flag was unfurled. It had 8 lotuses for
eight major provinces of India, Sun and Moon to show the eternity of
India and the famous words ' Vande Mataram'.
3. Homage to the martyrs of the 1857 war
Savarkar organised a function in May 1908 to pay homage to the martyrs
of the 1857 war. The participants vowed to carry on their struggle till
India became free.
4. The Fire Spreads
Influenced by Savarkar's work, there arose a succession of revolutionaries.
The list extends from Khudiram Bose ( 1908 ) to Udham Singh ( 1941 )
5. Trials and Tribulations
Despite having completed his studies, Savarkar was not called to the
bar in May 1909.
He was arrested in London in July 1910, sent to Mumbai ( Bombay ) to
stand trial for sedition and attempting to overthrow the British Raj.
When the ship carrying him was anchored at the French port of Marseilles,
Savarkar made a dramatic attempt to escape by jumping through a porthole
and swimming ashore.
Though Savarkar was on the French soil, British police inspectors who
pursued him, arrested him and took him to back to the ship. This was
in flagrant violation of the International Law, an insult to France.
But, because Britain was the world power, the British authorities thought
that they would get away with this. Supporters of Savarkar raised this
issue in the French newspapers.
Eventually the episode resulted in the hearing at The International
Court of Justice in Hague. It created a great sensation throughout Europe.
Europeans became aware of the fact that the Indians wanted to overthrow
the British rule.
When Savarkar was brought in front of the Special Judge he stated, "
My case is due to be heard before the International Court of Justice
in the Hague. The proceedings in India should therefore be postponed
till the International Court gives its verdict." This request was
refused as the British rulers were most anxious to send Savarkar to
jail.
JAIL LIFE
* In 1911, Savarkar was sentenced to TRANSPORTATION FOR LIFE TWICE,
to be served in SUCCESSION, a sentence unparalleled in the history of
the British Empire. Savarkar was sent to Andaman Islands, 1,000 miles
[1,600 kilometres] to the east of Madras (Chennai) .He had to bear a
badge showing his date of release in 1960, and the letter D to indicate
that he was a dangerous prisoner. These were intended to humiliate Savarkar.
But, it had exactly the opposite effect as the prisoners were largrly
the most dangerous criminals. Someone serving a sentence of 50 years
and with a letter D for dangerous was naturally considered as the highest
among such prisoners.
* So fearful was the life for the prisoners on the Andaman Islands that
it was nicknamed Kalapani - the black waters. Its very name struck terror
in the hearts of even the most hardened criminals.
* The food was of poor quality and inadequate, hygiene primitive, living
conditions harsh and filthy, punishments inhuman. Even the water was
not potable. The whole set up was dehumanising.
* Majority of the prisoners were illiterate and most dangerous common
law criminals. There were very few Political prisoners. Not only that
they had no privileges as 'political prisoners' but they were treated
much worse than the common criminals. They were therefore concerned
for their mere survival.
* Savarkar was kept in isolation for a number of months, except for
meal breaks. Even then, he did not stay docile. With his remarkable
ability to organise Savarkar secured co-operation between 'political
prisoners' and common criminals. It was vital that people in India should
know the condition in jail on the Andaman Islands. It must be remembered
that, in the prison, it was a serious offence to keep even a scrap of
writing paper or a pencil. Writng material was only provided when writing
letter home, once a year.
* Despite formidable restrictions, within eight months, he managed to
smuggle a letter written by one Hotilal Varma to Surendranath Banerjee,
a moderate leader of Bengal. Banerjee fearlessly published that letter
in his paper ' Bengalee ' on 20 April 1912. An outcry followed in India.
People learned of the draconian prison conditions imposed on the freedom
fighters in jail on the Andaman Islands.
* Savarkar was allowed to write a letter to his younger brother Narayan
( Bal ) once a year. Leaders of various provinces used to make copies
of these letters and publish them in various languages in India. These
had considerable impact on the minds of the Indian people during 1912
- 1920. They learnt what great sacrifices Savarkar brothers were making.
Slowly they realised that to seek independence for India was their duty.
It was not a crime.
The Sun burns with a temperature of millions of degrees Centrigade but
ensures that we have at least 20 degrees Centigrade temperature in our
bodies. In a similar manner, Savarkar was serving 50 years hard labour
for seeking freedom for India. And, that too, on a remote island of
Andaman 2000 miles away from his home. This fact gave courage to millions
who were now prepared to suffer for a few years for India's freedom.
* Indian merchants, while travelling in the Indian Ocean, used to fold
their hands and bow towards Andaman Islands to show their respects to
Savarkar and other political prisoners.
* Savarkar's sufferings had its repercussions in America also. In 1914,
the Gadr Party was founded in California by Lala Hardayal, a friend
of Savarkar. Leaflets published by the Gadr Party showed Savarkar under
the yoke, travelling round and round in circle like a bull to work the
grinding mill producing oil from coconut. Many felt ashamed. They said
to themselves, " what an outrage that an educated patriot like
Barrister Savarkar should suffer such hardships for us and we should
waste time in wining and dining." They joined the freedom struggle
by organising many armed uprisings against the British. Savarkar learnt
of all this, from those who were captured and sentenced to Andaman Islands.
SAVARKAR BACK IN INDIA
Savarkar's sentence of Transportation did not mean imprisonment for
50 years. The prisoners were normally allowed to work outside the prison
and settle on the island, bring their families from India or get married
if they were unmarried. However, Savarkar brothers were kept in prison
for 10 years and then forcibly sent back to mainland India in May 1921.They
were denied the right to settle outside the prison after 3 years as
was the usual practice.
Savarkar was separated from his elder brother, transferred from prison
to prison and eventually released in January 1924 on the conditions
that
(a) he will not take part in politics
(b) he will live in a remote place called Ratnagiri,190 miles from Mumbai
( Bombay ). It had no railway and no telephones. IN INTERNMENT IN RATNAGIRI
( 1924 -1937 )
¥ Savarkar's book Mazi Janmathep [in Marathi ] ( My transportation
for life) was published in 1924. It describes the horrors of jail life
on the Andaman Islands.
¥ As Savarkar could not take part in politics, he concentrated on
social problems that had besieged the Indian society. His social work
during 1924 to 1937 is described in the chapters 'Savarkar the social
reformer' and 'Savarkar the doer'. We are now enjoying the fruits of
his social reforms of sixty years ago.
It is true that Savarkar had to concentrate on social reforms because
he could not take part in politics, but he regarded both Political and
Social reforms as equally important.
In short, our society made considerable progress towards the removal
of untouchability and the reduction of excesses of caste system. These
two are his major achievements. His only weapon was his power of persuation.
He, not only changed the outlook of the people, but also induced them
to be active, instead of wasting time in irrelevant discussions. He
stayed in Ratnagiri, which was at that time, a hot bed of traditionalists,
and managed to eradicate untouchability in that town. In 1933, an effigy
of Untouchability was publicly burned in Ratnagiri.
¥ During his internment, Savarkar started to write his biography.
First two chapters related to the political situation in India from
1857 to 1906. These were published in the Marathi magazine Shraddhanand
of Mumbai in 1929/30. Immediately, the Governor of Bombay Province warned,
" Mr Savarkar, even writing your memoirs amounts to taking part
in politics, a breach of your condition of internment." Thus, the
British Authorities did not allow Savarkar even to write his biography,
let alone publish it. AFTER RELEASE FROM INTERNMENT ( 1937-1966 )
¥ Savarkar was to be interned in Ratnagiri for only five years,
but on four successive occasions the British authorities increased the
duration and extended the internment to a total of 13 1/2 years.
He was finally released from internment, unconditionally in May 1937
by an interim government of Jamnadas Mehta. In the meantime, Gandhism
had spread over India during the previous 22 years. Savarkar vehemently
opposed Gandhi's philosophy, because it destroyed the martial spirit
and led to constant capitulation to Muslim demands. He tried to build
Hindu Mahasabha as a strong political force, a rival to the Congress
Party that had grown over 52 years - a formidable task by him indeed.
This was made more formidable by the fact that the Congress Party was
already in power in seven provinces of India
¥ In April 1939, he started an unarmed struggle for seeking legitimate
rights for the Hindus of Hyderabad ( Bhagyanagar ). Hindus from all
over India took part in the struggle. In the end Nizam, the ruler of
Hyderabad, was forced to grant substantial concessions to Hindus in
July of that year.
¥ World War II started on 3 September 1939. In that War, Savarkar
saw an excellent opportunity to impart military training to Hindus.
It must be remembered that, by 1939, the Indian Army was 75% Muslim.
The same trend was being followed in the Navy and the Air Force, which
were just being formed. Savarkar, by his persistent campaigns and encouragement
to the Hindu Youth, changed this situation and eventually Hindus came
to be occupying 75% of positions in the armed forces. And it was these
soldiers who formed the backbone of the Indian National Army of Subhash
Chandra Bose. Bose's attempt was to overthrow the British by force of
arms. It did not succeed, but it eventually forced the British to withdraw
from India. However, instead of admiring Savarkar's foresight, Congressites
had constantly twisted the facts and called Savarkar " an agent
of the British, when the Congress Party was engaged in life and death
freedom struggle "
¥ In a speech in 1938, Savarkar warned Hindus not to vote for the
Congress Party. He said, " if by voting for Congress, you have
decided to commit suicide, not even Lord Brahma ( the creator ) can
save you." Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened, in that
Congress was voted to power in 1946. During the crucial elections of
1945/46, Congress leaders had declared, " We will oppose the partition
of India tooth and nail. Enough is enough. There shall no longer be
any capitulation to the Muslim League. If they create any problems they
will be crushed, Sword will be met with sword." Congress won handsomely.
Hindu Mahasabha lost heavily. And yet, it was the same Congress leaders
who conceded to the partition of India in June 1947. They shamelessly
witnessed the slaughter, looting, violation of women, and many other
indescribable barbarities committed on Hindus by Muslims in Pakistan,
without raising a finger.
¥ In 1948, there was an attempt to implicate Savarkar in the Gandhi
Murder Trial, but it failed. In 1950, East Bengal ( now Bangladesh )
witnessed horrible massacre of Hindus once again. Instead of sending
the army to teach Muslims a lesson, Nehru and Patel ( the so called
Iron man ) arrested Savarkar and other leaders of Hindu Mahasabha and
put them in jail without trial under the Preventative Detention Act.
Nehru-Liakat Ali pact followed. Yes, it was the same Liaquat Ali whose
craftiness utterly frustrated and angered Patel in 1946. Patel had suffered
two heart attacks before. Yet, he flew to Calcutta to persuade Congress
leaders of West Bengal to accept Nehru-Liaquat Ali pact, which was not
worth the paper it was written on.
Savarkar was released from jail in 1951 on the condition that he would
not take part in politics for one year. A few months later, he delivered
his famous lectures, Six Glorious Epochs of Indian History.
The aim of Savarkar's secret society Abhinav Bharat was to free India
from the British rule. That was accomplished. Therefore, in May 1952,
he disbanded that society publicly in Pune. This author saw him for
the first time at this function.
¥ In 1956, he came to Pune despite medical advice to celebrate Lokamanya
Tilak's birth centenary. He spoke on the grounds of the famous Shanivar
Wada. It was the fortune of this author to be able to be present.
¥ In 1957, Savarkar went to Delhi to commemorate the centenary of
the 1857 war against the British.
¥ The year 1960 was a landmark in the life of Savarkar. He had been
sentenced to transportation for life twice in December 1910. Had it
been his misfortune to serve that sentence in full, he would have been
released on 23 December 1960. There were celebrations throughout India
in 1960-61. Savarkar's health was very poor. He therefore attended only
one function in Pune. That was his last public appearance. He started
his speech with a few feeble words. He said, " I cannot speak for
long. I get severe pain in my stomach. But, you have gathered in such
large numbers to honour me that I felt obliged to attend." Within
one minute, his tone changed and he spoke with full vigour as in his
hey days. The transformation was astonishing indeed. One needs to listen
to the audio tape of that speech which is available.
Even if you do not understand a word of Marathi you can appreciate the
sudden transformation in his tone.
¥ In 1966, Savarkar decided that his life's mission was accomplished.
Like a yogi, he decided to abandon his body. In February of that year
he fasted for 20 days and breathed his last on 26th of that month.
One year earlier, Mamarao Datye had published the entire works of Savarkar
in eight volumes. The same was reprinted by Balarao Savarkar in 1996.
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