Swatantryaveer Savarkar

Swatantryaveer Savarkar Poems

Swatantryaveer Savarkar Biography

CHILDHOOD Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was born on May 28,1883, at 10 p.m. at Bhagur, a village near Nasik, India. Characteristics that epitomized him were his from the earliest childhood: • bold and daring with a magnetic personality and progressive ideas far, far beyond the times • voracious reader with a profound knowledge and grasp of worldwide history (even ancient history of Babylonia) • born poet and orator (talents which he consciously honed) • detested the birth-based caste system, socialized with friends from lower classes and enjoyed hospitality at each other’s homes • filled with national pride for his country and heritage and a burning desire to restore honor to his beloved country (even wrote a much-acclaimed article Glory of Hindustan in his junior high-school year and organized a protest against Muslim riots at nine years of age.) THE BEGINNING... • Burning with patriotism as he was, the hanging of patriot Damodarpant Chapekar on April 4,1898, triggered Savakar to take an oath before the idol of Ashtabhuja Goddess to fight until death and organize an armed revolution for the freedom of his beloved Hindustan. • In September of 1899, Savarkar’s father and uncle succumbed to the plague. Both his brothers, Ganesh (Babarao) and Narayanrao (Bal,) were seriously affected by plague, too. Fortunately, both of them recovered. • Despite these troubles and the fact that a recent robbery had left them destitute, the young family plunged whole-heartedly into the freedom struggle. • In Nasik in 1900, Savarkar formed a secret society, Rashtrabhaktasamuha, for armed revolt and Mitra Mela for conducting open activities to fan patriotism in the hearts of the people by changing ceremonies and festivals into political and national functions. Mitra Mela also carried out social work. • Savarkar was married to Yamuna Chiplunkar in 1901. His father-in-law had promised to fund his university education. FERGUSSON COLLEGE, PUNE, DAYS • In January 1902 Savarkar enrolled in Fergusson College and took Pune by storm. • In 1904, he renamed Mitra Mela society as the Abhinav Bharat. It was run along the lines of Secret Societies of Ireland and Russia. Aggressive propaganda spread this society far and wide. • By 1905 by the power of his eloquence, personality, and oratory he had stirred several youths into patriotism. He started a paper, Aryan Weekly. Conservative professors called him “the Devil.” • He advocated swadeshi to all and members of his group were required to wear swadeshi clothes, read extensively, and exercise and swim regularly, besides doing well in their studies. • He also took part in college plays, particularly a Shakesperian tragedy. • October 7,1905: Savarkar organized the first bonfire of British-made cloth. For this he was fined `10 and expelled from the college hostel. • June 9,1906: having won a scholarship from Shyamji Krishnavarma, Savarkar left for England ostensibly to study law. In reality he wanted to bring his dream of a revolution to fruition over there. • Some of Savarkar’s poems were banned by the Government, but he was not considered a serious threat to the Raj at this time. LONDON GOALS • Under Savarkar’s leadership India House, London, became the revolutionary headquarters. Abhinav Bharat gathered strength here and he established the Free India Society to carry out all the public programs such as regular meetings, celebration of festivals and glory of Indian heroes etc. • He gave the “Sepoy Mutiny” the status and deserving honor of the Indian War of Independence. On May 10,1907, he celebrated its Golden Jubilee. His speech “Oh Martyrs” rocked everyone. From then on the British police kept a watchful eye on him. • Savarkar’s goal’s in London: (1) stirring national pride and patriotism in the Indian students (2) stirring patriotism in the Indian army (3) making connections with revolutionaries of other countries (Ireland, Egypt, Turkey etc.) (4) making practical arrangements for a revolution (procuring arms, instructions on bomb-making) (5) studying British law to circumvent it in the revolution (6) writing patriotic and inspiring books. Savarkar was successful in carrying out these goals in the three short years he had at hand, but to do that he had to come under the British radar. LONDON ACTIVITIES • Savarkar’s foreign propaganda (publishing articles, still extant, in foreign newspapers and meeting revolutionaries of other countries) gave swift results. August 24,1907, Madam Cama, as a delegate representing India, waved the flag of independent India in the International Socialist Conference and gave a fiery speech. The Kaiser of Germany in his reply to President Woodrow Wilson said “absolute political independence of India was one of the indispensable conditions of world peace.” • Secret pamphlets and brochures were being published and sent to be circulated amongst the Indian soldiers. Fiery speeches were targeted to stir all Indians, Sikhs, Muslims, and the Princes as well. • Savarkar sent regular newsletters to India, wrote the book Joseph Mazzini in June 1907 and Indian War of Independence,1857, in 1908. This book was banned by the Government of India before its publication. Savarkar played tag with the British police to get this book published. He sent it to India packed in the covers of innocuous books. (Watch this to learn more about it: http: //www.youtube.com/watch? v=IJqi6H10E3k) • He organized guns to be smuggled to India, sent people to study bomb-making technology and arranged to send copies of the manuals to India. • It being difficult to target Savarkar lawfully by British laws, Government of India targeted Babarao. He was sentenced to transportation to Andaman on June 9,1909. • On July 1,1909, Madanlal Dhingra shot Sir Curzon Wylie dead as the first act of the revolution to free India. • Now both the British and the Indian Government concentrated all effort to entrap Savarkar and put an end to his revolutionary activities. ARREST • December 1908-Jan 1909: Babarao identified Savarkar as the writer of letters found in his possession, and the British began weaving their web around Savarkar. • May 1909: copies of Government’s English translation of poems published by Babarao and Savarkar’s letters reached London. • June 1909: British Government launched a successful concentrated campaign (by letters and telegrams to the concerned authority) to discourage Benchers of Gray’s Inn from calling Savarkar to the Bar. Eventually they were successful. Though the charges made by the Gray’s Inn could not be proved, Savarkar was still not permitted to practice as his activities were declared suspect. (This fact was then later used in the argument to grant the warrant.) • After the assassination of Curzon Wylie, Savarkar took a public stand in Caxton Hall in not condemning Madan Lal Dhingra and sent a letter to the Times to justify this. He published Madan Lal’s statement, squashed by the British, in the Daily News on August 16,1909. • November 1909: health shattered, Savarkar went to Wales to recuperate. There he wrote a Marathi book on the history of the Sikhs. • January 1910: Savarkar went to Paris since a warrant for his arrest was imminent. • February 8,1910: a warrant was issued against Savarkar by a Bombay Magistrate on the grounds that his offences came within the Fugitive Offenders Act of 1881. The basis for the warrant was flimsy: (1) Savarkar’s speech of 1906, of which there was no available transcript, and was considered innocuous at the time. (2) He was also being extradited to Bombay for an alleged crime he had committed in 1909 in England while living in England. • March 13,1910: Savarkar returned to London to show his mettle as the leader of the revolutionaries by squarely facing the British might and was arrested at the station. MARSEILLES ESCAPE Singlehandedly, Savarkar was responsible for casting a blight on the might of the British Raj and causing it much embarrassment: (1) To grant the warrant of extradition of Savarkar to Bombay, the British legal system in Britain—so proud of their fairness and laws—compromised itself. (2) Britain, the Refuge of Political Refugees, who battled with other countries and put spokes in their wheels by giving asylum to political refugees, was now in the position of inventing, disregarding, and breaking laws to squash one colossal danger to their empire: Savarkar. • July 1,1910: the SS Morea sailed with Savarkar on board. Knowing that failure would mean a horrendous fate, he still undertook to do the impossible for the tremendous international publicity and recognition it would bring to the Indian freedom cause. • July 8,1910: in the early morning, Savarkar squeezed out of a 13' diameter porthole of a toilet—while a British officer was right outside and he was spotted dangling half in-half out—and dropped to the quay water (a drop of 30') just 2-3 feet away from the edge of the dock. It was the most dangerous, dashing, and daring dive. • Before his flabbergasted guards could formulate a plan of action, Savarkar swam to the other end of the dock, climbed the 9' sheer quay wall—using mere toes and fingers to grip—and ran for safety. • This created an unprecedented (till today) international situation. To counteract it, the British officers guarding him did the only thing they could do: (1) broke the basic international law of jurisdiction (2) kidnapped Savarkar off the shores of Marseilles and back to the SS Morea taking aid of a French sergeant for the sake of appearances and (3) sent a doctored, not-so-truthful-account to their superiors by telegram. THE SAVARKAR CASE • Savarkar’s forced, unceremonious extradition by the British from France received international publicity (newspaper articles are still extant) thanks to Madame Cama, Shyamji Krishnavarma, and the French Socialist leaders. Both Governments were given flak for their failure to take action in returning Savarkar to France. It was also discussed as an issue (and voted unanimously in favor of) in the International Socialist Conference in Copenhagen in 1910. • By the time any demand was made at all, Savarkar was within Indian jurisdiction, and the Government of India (very conveniently) refused to give Savarkar up. Being a subject nation, international laws had no relevance to it. • Finally it was decided that the Savarkar Case arbitration would be taken up at the Hague Tribunal Court and both France and Britain would abide by the judgment it gave. Important point to note: the Hague Arbitration was only to decide the issue of return of Savarkar to France, not the issue of his right to asylum. • Government of India refused to delay the trial of Savarkar until the Hague judgment was declared. There was good reason for that: The evidence of Savarkar’s guilt was so flimsy that if returned to France, it was unlikely that his extradition to India would be granted. However, as a convicted murderer there was no chance of the extradition being refused (a treaty between France and Britain disqualified a murderer from being a political refugee.) • The Arbitration at Hague is a sorry case of evasion and looking the other way. Their Award declared that Savarkar would not be returned to France. • Till today, the Savarkar Case is a considered a landmark in International law and quoted as a case study. IN THE CELLULAR JAIL • Savarkar was awarded two consecutive life sentences (December 4,1910, and January 31,1911) of twenty five years transportation to Andaman. • July 4,1911: Savarkar was incarcerated in the Cellular Jail. • Cellular Jail was run by a tyrant, David Barrie. There were inhuman rules, especially for the political prisoners: no recognition of being political prisoners; solitary confinement; restriction on use of toilet facility; no medical aid unless proof was provided (and proof was seldom considered sufficient) : unpalatable food—with mice droppings, insects, and dirt and sweat from the cooks’ bodies mixed in; hard labor, including being yoked to the oil mill; no library, restriction on reading, no writing materials; a steady diet of insults and injustice; only one letter per year, and that confiscated if authorities so desired; shackles, handcuffs, cross-bar fetters, chain gang and such punishments given freely. • Savarkar never forgot his vow to free Hindustan for a second; he made several petitions to work outside that he may escape, but was denied. Despite this he established a spy system and set up communication with his associates, held secret meetings, encouraged all the political prisoners, and gave them lessons to widen their knowledge. • By 1913: the political prisoners had organized two strikes which led to slightly better conditions. Most of the political prisoners (never Savarkar or Babarao) were allowed to work outside on lighter jobs. In these circumstances, Savarakar organized a campaign of spreading patriotism. • September,1913: there was a suspicion that secret bomb-making activity was taking place on the island. Severe restrictions were imposed on them all again. The political prisoners went on another powerful strike (not a hunger strike, Savarkar was against those.) • The Government repatriated most of the political prisoners in separate jails on mainland India or Burma for the sake of security and loosened the rules for those left behind. • Savarkar was categorically told that he would remain within the walls of the Cellular Jail and engaged in hard labor for years to come. ACHIEVEMENTS IN ANDAMAN • With the relaxed rules, Savarkar took up several causes successfully: (1) putting an end to forcible religious conversions in the Jail, protecting young convicts from molestation, and making sure Hindu convicts had same rights and opportunities as the Muslim convicts (2) establishing a library with books, magazines, and newspapers in various languages; insisting upon political prisoners learning the national language, Hindi, and any other language besides their own; giving them lessons in geopolitics, history and economics (3) extending learning opportunities to the general convicts as well, even personally teaching them to read and write; in later years, their flourishing learning center was fondly called Nalanda University (4) making Hindi the language of communication in Andaman (5) establishing a flourishing Hindu Sanghatan program; spreading national pride and patriotism to the free lifers on the islands and the merchants and businessmen who visited it (6) organizing the collection and management of funds, though without any formal accounts, to run all the programs (7) establishing the practice of Sunday meetings with talks, lectures, and bhajans. • He composed thousands of lines of sublime poetry, memorized them, and eventually got them published, a feat that is unequalled to this date. • During WWI the German cruiser Emdem was sent to free Savarkar. But it sank in battle. • With Turkey taking the side of Germany in WWI, Savarkar saw a new danger to India upon the horizon—the possibility of a combined attack from Afghanistan. He thought deep and settled on a change of plan. He wrote to the Government that “if it equips India with a form of government vital for her freedom and progress. The revolutionaries of the past would then stop all violence and wholeheartedly help Britain in her present war.... We pledge our word of honor that we will bring recruits to the Indian army in large numbers to stave off the invasion of India from the joined forces of Afghanistan and Turkey.” • From 1916 onwards Savarkar’s health deteriorated to the extent he even contemplated suicide. He did get medical treatment and a special diet. Slowly he pulled through. LAST FEW YEARS OF INCARCERATION • Savarkar made several petitions to the Government seeking to be released. He held that it was the duty of a true patriot to escape from prison any way he could, even by making petitions and signing pledges. No patriot was bound by them. • 1920: on April 6, he submitted a petition to the Indian Government depicting his ideal of Human Government and World Commonwealth. He also discussed the situation in Cellular Jail at length with the Jail Committee and that went a long way in shutting down the jail. • 1921: he recommended the convicts to settle as free men in Andaman rather than being imprisoned in mainland jails. He had seen the ideal opportunity these islands presented as a navy base the first instant he had laid eyes on the land. • In his last year in jail he was made an overseer. • May 2,1921: he was repatriated to the mainland. The suffering and hardship started once more. Even so he still put together the same kind of programs as his Andaman ones. • Savarkar watched worriedly from the jail as the reins of the freedom of his beloved Hindustan went into the hands of Gandhi, especially after the death of Tilak. He tried to educate the political prisoners about the pitfalls of nonviolence and the abyss that was the Khilafat Movement. • 1923: he wrote Hindutva—a book that is the bedrock of the Hindutva Movement to this day—under the pseudonym Maratha from the Ratnagiri jail, where the conditions were so inhuman that he had even contemplated suicide. • January 6,1924: he was released from jail on the condition that he refrained from politics in public or private and was confined to the backwater Ratnagiri District. SOCIAL REVOLUTION IN RATNAGIRI, PART I Since childhood, Savarkar believed that all strata of Hindu society should treat each other with equality and respect. He had advocated widow (and not only child-widows) remarriage to members of his society. Now for the first time in his life he could focus on these social issues. In Ratnagiri he went on a warpath for a social revolution: • toured towns in the District and made speeches decrying the practice of caste-based segregation; particularly ensured that schools in these places stopped this practice; roped in the Government to help his cause. In 1932 in his presentation to Officer Lamington, Savarkar said, “Once the children are educated together, they will not observe caste hierarchy in later life. They will not feel the need to observe caste division. Therefore the Government regulation of 1923 must be strictly followed. In addition, the Government should abandon the title ‘special schools for low caste children’. This very title creates a feeling of inferiority among children attending the school.” • insisted that children of the so-called low castes compulsorily attended school and distributed chalk and slates and giving monetary incentives to their parents; brought up an ex-untouchable girl in his own house despite having a very meager income. • organized inter-community dining, mass haldi-kumkums, and distributed sweets to all strata of society on festival days. • started the Akhil Hindu Restaurant open to all and employed ex-untouchables to run it. • had the Patit Pawan temple built—the trustees of which had to belong to all four ‘varnas’ and ex-untouchables, and it was accessible to all Hindus. Any Hindu who took a bath and wore clean clothes would have the right to perform puja here, provided he had knowledge of the priestly duties. Everyone visiting Savarkar was first required to eat at this restaurant and visit the temple. • had an ex-untouchable perform padya-pooja of the Shankaracharya; something unthinkable even today. • personally taught ex-untouchables to read and write and recite the Gayatri mantra, hitherto the preserve of ‘upper’ castes. He had an ex-untouchable perform ‘keertan’ and being accorded respect by Brahmins. • brought back into the Hindu fold several individuals and families who had been converted and personally arranged for their marriage and other rituals. • organized public lectures of women, something unprecedented. • composed poems and other literature advocating social reform and rationalism and wrote the Hindu Padpadshahi, one of the first books on history of Marathas to be written in English. SOCIAL REVOLUTION IN RATNAGIRI, PART II • Savarkar’s zeal for social reform stemmed from his abiding faith in humanism. He considered his deeds in the social sphere to be even more important than his spectacular escape from the ship into the ocean. Here are some of his thoughts and words on the subject: (1) 'Just as I feel that I should rebel against foreign rule over Hindustan, I feel I should rebel against caste discrimination and untouchability.' (2) “He who wants to truly serve the nation should champion that which is in the interests of the people irrespective of whether it is popular or not.” (3) “working in the social field is like walking on a bed of thorns. It is not for the faint-hearted! ” (4) “To regard our 70 million co-religionists as ‘untouchables’ and worse than animals is an insult not only to humanity but also to the sanctity of our soul.... eradication of untouchability is the foremost and absolute dharma. • As always, Savarkar advocated swadeshi in Ratnagiri too. He pushed a cart of swadeshi goods and ran an operation to see that swadeshi goods were being sold (and bought) in stores. A staunch advocate of dignity of all labor, he even fluffed mattresses. • He had extensive discussions with RSS founder Dr. Hedgewar regarding his proposed organization. • While in Ratnagiri Savarkar carried out his work for the freedom struggle secretly. He also opposed the separation of Sind from the Bombay Presidency and exhorted Hindus to enroll themselves as Hindus in the successive Census. • The police had had a sharp eye on him; his house was frequently searched. On January 10,1925, a new weekly Shraddhanand was started in which he voiced his views on the politics of India and social reforms with a pseudonym. Most people were unaware it was Savarkar. • May 10,1937: by the efforts of Barrister Jamnalal Mehta, Savarkar was released unconditionally from his internment at Ratnagiri. HINDU MAHASABHA PHASE The Constitution of India at this time was communal; Hindus could vote for Hindus only, Muslims for Muslims and so on. To save the integrity of India, an effective national party—one that Hindus could vote for instead of the Congress—was imperative. Hindu consolidation and a Hindu political party was the paramount need of the hour. • December 10,1937: Savarkar was elected as President of Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha at its 19th Session at Karnavati (Ahmedabad) and continued to be re-elected President for seven years. In spite of very poor health, he delivered memorable Presidential addresses. • In Indian politics, the Congress was alienating the Princely States, taking Muslim appeasement to the extreme, and holding back swaraj until Hindu-Muslim unity was achieved. Savarkar swooped upon the Indian political scene and started an immediate whirlwind campaign to countercheck the decay that this Congress ideology had created. His main points were: (1) Hinduising all politics and militarizing Hindudom (this far-sighted decision also helped Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in forming his army.) (2) forming an Indian Sovereign State on the foundation of Hindutva (Hindudom) where a Hindu is one who accepts Hindustan as his fatherland and holy land. The Constitution of free India would give equal rights to all, irrespective of caste (high or low) and religion. • By 1942, despite his failing health Savarkar had made the Hindu Mahasabha a force to be reckoned with. As one of the leaders whose opinions counted and whose cooperation was essential for the success of Sir Stafford Cripps Mission, he was featured in international newspapers. Savarkar rejected the proposal as it included a clause aimed at vivisection of India. • During this time Savarkar continued his social reform efforts and incorporated them in his busy schedule. He also revised the Devanagri script, coined new words in Marathi and Hindi language, and made sure that Hindi was recognized as the national language of India. CHECKING THE CONGRESS • In 1939, Savarkar launched a successful civil disobedience movement against the Nizam of Hyderabad. • With WWII, the Government threw open for Indians the opportunities in industrialization and military, and Savarkar stepped up his campaign pushing Hindus into grabbing them. • In August of 1942 the Congress launched the unwise Quit India Movement. Even so, for the sake of national unity, Savarkar offered to join this movement on the condition that Congress declared the goal to be United India. But having already passed—in April 1942—the resolution to grant Pakistan to the Muslims the Congress declined. Therefore Savarkar and Hindu Mahasabha did not participate in the movement. • Thanks to many unwise decisions on the Congress part, Jinnah and the Muslim League, too, had become powerful by this time. From here on Indian politics moved towards Pakistan on swift wings, with Jinnah proposing and Congress disposing. The particular landmarks are: (1) The Rajaji case (1942-1944) (2) Gandhi-Jinnah talk; Gandhi interviews in the newspapers (1944) (3) Bhulabhai-Liaquat plan (1945) (4) Simla Conference (1945) • In every case, under the leadership of Savarkar, the Hindu Mahasabha launched strong attacks to check the vivisection of India. He exposed the nefarious intentions of the Congress to the Hindus. • In addition, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army (INA,) though defeated, had made serious dents in the might of the Raj. Indians loved these patriots passionately. • The fate of Mother India—the saving of her integrity—looked like a strong possibility. • Politically there was a deadlock between all parties and Viceroy Wavell declared elections to be held in December 1945 to settle the issue. ELECTIONS • December 1945: elections were to be held. The victorious party would be handed over the reins of a free India. It was showdown time. • Savarkar’s health had completely incapacitated him by this time. He could barely get out of bed. His teeth were pulled out and dentures were yet to be fitted. He was simply unable to play a part in the campaigning. Without his brilliance and their limited financial means the Hindu Mahasabha backbone sagged. • On the other hand, with unlimited finances being poured into their coffers by the industrialists, the Congress bombarded the Hindus with false slogans of keeping India united. They did an about turn and now hailed the INA soldiers as patriots and came to their defense with much fanfare. They also squashed the Hindu Mahasabha opposition by bribing, threatening, or tricking their candidates from withdrawing from the elections. Even the Hindu Mahasabha President, Dr. Shyamaprasad Mookerjee, was maneuvered into withdrawing his candidacy. • The combined effect of this was that Hindu Mahasabha was routed in the elections. The victorious Congress—with their Muslim appeasement policy and penchant for Pakistan—was in charge of India’s fate. • Savarkar’s health was so shattered by this news he had to be removed to Walchandnagar in complete seclusion. TOWARDS INDEPENDENCE • The Cabinet Mission that came over to decide India’s fate declared that India must remain a single sovereign country. Congress and the Muslim League agreed to honor the spirit of the Cabinet Mission proposals. Jinnah agreed to take the Pakistan demand off the table under those circumstances. • July 10,1946: Nehru declared in a press conference that Congress was not bound by the terms of the Cabinet Mission proposal. Jinnah was roused into demanding Pakistan again. • July 27,1946: the Muslim League declared Direct Action and embarked on a vicious campaign of violence against the Hindus to get their way. Wavell, Gandhi, and Nehru did nothing at all to protect the Hindus or to call off the Direct Action. • Gandhi and Nehru preached nonviolence to the Hindus and insisted that only the Government could retaliate against the rioting—only the Government was doing nothing effective. Savarkar encouraged the Hindus to pick up arms and defend themselves, and even made sure that arrangements were made for that and for protecting the Hindu areas wherever possible. • The whole of India was in a state of civil war, particularly Pakistan and Bengal. • Prime Minister Atlee recalled the ineffective Wavell and sent Lord Mountbatten instead. In a short time he had all the princes and Congress leaders eating out of his hand. INDEPENDENCE • May 29,1947: Savarkar urged the Congress leaders not to betray the electorates by accepting partition: they had promised a United India in their election campaign; therefore they should seek re-election on that basis. Naturally, the Congress did no such thing. • Savarkar tried every which way to avoid the calamity of partition of his beloved India, but partition was declared on June 3,1947, and Independence Day was to be August 15,1947. • Savarkar proposed that the Indian flag should have the Dharma Chakra and not the charkha. His proposal was voted in by the flag committee. This enraged Gandhi to the extent he ranted against the Indian flag in his Harijan, refused to show respect for the Indian flag, and stayed away from the celebrations. • Savarkar gave his consent and blessing to Dr. Shyamaprasad Mookerjee to join the Cabinet. • Savarkar predicted that Pakistan would attack India from Kashmir to Junagadh, and Hyderabad was an ever present threat. • Savarkar declared that the Bhagwa flag could be hoisted as the State flag of India only after it was accepted by the whole nation in a democratic way. He refused to disrespect the flag of free India. • August 15,1947: at dawn, he hoisted both the flag of India and the flag of the Hindu Mahasabha on the dawn of Independence, disregarding the decision of the Hindu Mahasabha Committee. GANDHI-MURDER • The violence continued unabated even after independence. There was an exodus of Hindus and Muslims to and from the two parts of Punjab. Hindu refugees in India were in dire straits. • October 24,1947: armed Pakistani tribesmen attacked Kashmir. The Maharaja of Kashmir acceded to India and the Indian army entered Kashmir. • The question of `55 Crores to be given to Pakistan came up at this time. Since the commitment was only verbal and not final, and conditional upon there being no outstanding issues, Government of India refused to pay up until Pakistan at least called off the attacks on Kashmir. 1948 • January 13: Gandhi started a fast to force the Government into giving this money to Pakistan, to reinstate Muslims in their homes, and to return mosques taken over by Hindus in the city of Delhi. On this very day, a train carrying Hindu and Sikh refugees from Bannu was attacked at Gujarat railway station by Muslims. But Gandhi got his way. • January 20: Nathuram Godse and some associates conspired to set off a bomb 150 yards from Gandhi’s prayer meeting in a failed attempt at assassinating Gandhi. Madanlal Pahwa was apprehended red-handed. Upon torture, he revealed his co-conspirators as editors of Hindurashtra. Dr. Jain revealed this conspiracy to Morarji Desai, Home Minister of Bombay Presidency, mentioning Nathuram by name. • For some inexplicable reason, Government of India did not see fit to arrest Godse, nor was the most basic of precaution taken to protect the Mahatma. • January 30: Nathuram Godse fatally shot Gandhi—a separate act independent of the original conspiracy. • In contrast to the lackadaisical inaction in preventing the death of the Mahatma, the Government now went on a frenzied campaign to annihilate Savarkar and wipe out Hindutva-minded people. Almost 20,000 people were arrested, many of them tortured, and many more people came under fire of the Governmental wrath. Savarkar was stigmatized as a pariah in Indian society. • Savarkar was arrested as a measure of preventive detention under the Bombay Public Security Measures Act for “promoting hatred by inciting Hindus against Muslims” and “inciting persons to commit acts of violence against Muslims and persons who are endeavoring to bring about unity between Hindus and Muslims.” He was kept isolated and not allowed to even meet his lawyer until March 23rd. • March 11: Savarkar was charged with conspiracy to murder Gandhi on the basis of uncorroborated hearsay evidence given by the approver Badge upon being tortured. THE END • February 10,1949: Savarkar was acquitted, but not allowed to walk out free in Delhi. The Delhi Magistrate served an order prohibiting Savarkar from leaving the Red Fort area immediately. A few hours later by another order under Punjab Public Security Measures Act, Savarkar was expelled from Delhi and escorted by police straight to Savarkar Sadan, Mumbai. Additionally, he was prohibited from entering the Delhi area for a period of three months. • His honor was not reinstated. • Savarkar, the veteran of fifty years of service in the freedom movement of India, was imprisoned one more time in free India at age sixty-seven—on April 4,1950, he was arrested on the eve of arrival of Pakistani Prime Minister Liaquat Ali in Delhi and detained in Belgaum jail for 100 days. • Nehru, who admitted to his friend and biographer Mosley, that perhaps they had conceded Pakistan from fear of going to jail in their old age, imprisoned Savarkar twice, on unjust charges, without any compunction whatsoever. • From here on till death and beyond Savarkar has been deliberately maligned, misrepresented, and misunderstood. History of the Congress—in its edited and doctored form—was represented as the history of the Indian freedom movement; Savarkar was all but deleted from it. Anyone daring to stand up for him had to suffer Governmental consequences. • Nevertheless, Savarkar continued to look out for India stoically. • He warned the Governments of the time about the dangers of China and Pakistan (including the Tashkent Agreement.) • He gave scholarly lectures on the Six Glorious Epochs of Indian History. • February 26,1966: Savarkar gave up his life by giving up food and water in the highest traditions of Yoga satisfied that he had carried out all his duties in this life. “? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? , ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? , ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Without beginning nor end am I, inviolable am I. Vanquish me? In this world no such enemy is born! ”)

The Best Poem Of Swatantryaveer Savarkar

Ode To The Ocean

O Ocean, take me back to my Motherland
My soul in so much torment be! ||Dhru.||
Lapping worshipfully at my mother's feet
So always I saw you
Let us visit other Lands to see
The abounding nature, said you.
Seeing my Mother's heart full of qualms
A sacred oath you did give t'her,
Knowing the way home, ‘pon your back
My speedy return you promised her.

Fell for your promise did I!
That worldly-wise n' able be I
Her deliverance better serve do I

'Pon returning, so saying I left her.
O Ocean, my soul in so much torment be! ||1||

Like a parrot in a cage, like a deer in a trap—
Oh so duped am I
Parting from my mother for ever—
Besieged by darkness am I!
Flowers of virtue gather did I
That blessed by their fragrance she be.
Bereft from service for her deliverance
My learning a futile burden it be,

The love of her mango trees, oh!
The beauty of her blossoming vines, oh!
Her tender budding rose, oh!
Oh forever lost is her garden to me,
O Ocean, my soul in so much torment be! ||2||

Stars abound in the heavens above, but
Only the star of Bharat-land love I
Here are found plush palaces, but
Only my mother's humble hut love I
What care I for a kingdom without Her?
Ever exile in her forests choose I.

Deception is futile now, say I
Let you not be spared, vow I
Suffer the same pangs, cry I

Of parting with the dearest of your rivers!
O Ocean, my soul in so much torment be! ||3||

O Ye of Foaming Surf, pitilessly you mock!
Why go back on your word, oh!
Why deceive my helpless mother,
Oh why condemn me to exile so!
Was it in fear of England
Who flaunts her mastery over you so?

Fearsome though England may be, O
My Mother is not feeble so
Tell all to Agasti she will, lo
Who in one gulp your waters drank!
O Ocean, my soul in so much torment be! ||4||

[This is a translation by Anurupa Cinar. Original poem 'Sagaras, ' composed by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, is in Marathi.]

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