Swatantrya Veer Savarkar - A Conscise Biography - Dr. Arvind Godbole

Swatantrya Veer Savarkar - A Conscise Biography - Dr. Arvind Godbole was 98th of 2021

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1. Fight and Slay Unto the last - Born in Bhagur on 28th May 1883 to Damodar and Radhabai Savarkar was Vinayak fondly known as Tatya, he had great power of concentration, loved poetry, both English and Marathi, and was a devotee of his family deity Ashtabhuja Devi. His mother died when he was 9 years of age, his elder brother Ganesh or Baba got married when he was 11, an his wife become motherly Yesuvahini, taking care of him. Hanging of Chapekar brothers and Ranade, in 1897 plunged him into revolution.  He felt responsible to carry forward the work of Chapekars, though his father thought he was too young for it. The plague that ravaged in 1899, had his father and other relatives succumbed to it, and they had to vacate their homes and move to a temple. In his poem Marnonmukh Shaiyyevar (On the Death-bed) that he composed in the Andamans he wrote "Squandered not I even a day of my life." He was a vivid reader, and loved writing, he jotted down the gist of  the books he read in several of notebook collected over a period of time named Sarvasara-sangraha (Collection of all gists). To make his  body strong and robust, he started doing exercises such as suryanamaskar, band baithak (jackknifing pushups and knee bends), malakhamb and wrestling. In 1902 he passed his Matriculation examination from University of Bombay, as the exam was held only there. In 1901, Vinayak was married to Bhaurao Chiplunkar, known as Bhausaheb's eldest daughter Yamuna alias Mai in Nashik. He looked after his SIL's education, and Vinayak managed to study in Fergusson College, Pune. 
2. Hail, O Goddess of Liberty! - Vinayak  studied the political revolutions in Italy, Netherlands, America and other countries, and had great respect for freedom fighters. In 1905 for Dussehra he organised bonfire of foreign cloths when in college and so was punished for taking part in political activity, when in college. In the same year he passed BA and LLB from the University of Bombay, and went to London  by the ship Persia on 6 June 1906, leaving behind his wife and infant son Prabhakar as he had nursed the idea of becoming a barrister. 
3. Inside the Enemy Camp - There he live at the India House built by Shyamji Krishnavarma. He held Italian patriots Mazzini and Garibaldi in high esteem. To carry on work of Abhinav Bharat soon after reaching he formed the Free India Society, celebrating 50th anniversary of Indian War of Independence 1857. They designed a tri color flag of green, orange and saffron, which was unfurled by him in 1937.
4. Martyrdom of Madanlal Dhingra - He send Senapati Bapat and Mirza Abbas to Paris to learn the art of bomb making from Russian revolutionaries. He learned Punjabi language. As Savarkar was organizing the freedom struggle, Nehru studying there, remained aloof and changed the university. Madan Lal Dhingra was an Indian revolutionary, pro-independence activist. While studying in England, he assassinated William Hutt Curzon Wyllie, a British official. Gandhi had condemned his at, while Savarkar went to his darshan when in jail, before being punished and considered him to be a Martyr. Soul was tormented with his death, and wanted to be back to India. His elder brother Babarao and Younger brother Narayan (Bal) were arrested in 1909, and taken to Andaman jain. His SIL Yesuvahini wrote to him about this, to which he responded "Immortal is the family tree that has extinguished itself for the nation, its fragrance of human welfare spreads all around...."
5. Two sentences of Transportation for life- The year 1909 began with the death of Savarkar's son Prabhakar from small pox. He was arrested in 1910 ;but he made his famous but failed escape to France. His case was brought before Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague where he unsuccessfully pleaded his case . His case was widely discussed by international media.
   Imprisonment: Finally, he was tried and sentenced fifty years prison term by Bombay High Court and taken to infamous cellular jail in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
6. Kala Pani - Though tortured a lot, he did not flinch, and saved many from committing suicide.  As there was no pen and paper, he used to write on the walls of the cell with pointed nails and cordage plant thorns.  Baba and Tatya were brought out of the cellular Jail on 2 May 1921 to Ratnagiri Jail, where he wrote 'Majhi Janmathep' and thesis on Hindutva.  Then he was moved to Yerwada jail. On 6 Jan 1924, he was released on condition that he would abstain form any participation, public or private in politics for five years, stay interred in Ratnagiri district and leave forthwith for Ratnagiri. 
7. Internment at Ratnagiri According to him, if social activity is the shield, then politics is the sword, and each is incomplete without the other. He worked towards eradicating caste system, organized cultural events, started Cafe, penned musical drama. Savarkar exhorted Hindus to organise themselves nd stoutly protect the rights due to them. He wrote Mala Kay tyache arthat Mopyanche band (how do I care or the rebellion of the Moplas) in 1926, based on the 1921 Moplas right in Kerala, where 2300 killed, 1050 wounded, and thousands of conversions and rape of women-folk) took place. The Khilafatist leader Maulana Shaukat Ali and Savarkar met in 1926, He told Savarkar, "I am a giant, you are a pigmy; I shall crush you in a moment" , to this Savarkar responded, "Do try but remember the Shivaji-Afzal Khan episode!" He worked on purifying Marathi language, and was keen that alien words  language should not be mixed. "Forget my leap into the sea, if you will, but do not forget my thoughts in the social sphere" was Svarkar's refrain!  He was father of a loving daughter Prabhat Chiplunkar ;who was born in year 1925. In 1935, there was a huge signature campaign to demand his release. Gandhi refused to sign the petition which Nehru threw it away. He was asked to join congress, which he did not, The great patriot, Lala Lajpat Rai worked for the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha from its inception. It is  misconception that Savarkar found the Hindu Mahasabha. 
8. With You, If You Come - There were three issues - nationalism, Pakistan and minorities. he expressed the Hindu Rashtra thus, "Free will she herself be! She will free the world". One of his guiding principle was, not just public adulation but rather public welfare is the goal. It was his view that hiding one's true beliefs and hankering after fame was not the sign of a hero. During the 1940s, Socialists in Maharashtra would say, "We want the Savarkar of 1908", To this, Savarkar would say, "It took 1937 for you to understand the Savarkar of 1908. It will take another 30 years for you to understand the Savarkar of 1937. Svarkar would say that he accepted the principle that religion should not be brought into politics.  But he was opposed to injustice being done to one religion. His plain talk was "If you come, with you; if you don't, without you; and if you oppse, in spite of you - the Hindus will continue to fight for their National Freedom as best as they can!" In 1938 was was elected as the president of the Hindu Mahasabha, he said, break pens and take up guns. 
9. Lone fight for Undivided India - Savarkar would demolish the argument that Hindu-Muslim riots were a result of the British policy of 'divide and rule' and that before British arrived, there were no riots, but wars. In 1940 Subash Chandra Bose met Savarkar, who asked him to meet Rash Bihari bose in Japan. According to him, military would help save India and get Independence, quit India will lead to split India. 10 May 1942 at Savarkar's directive, the Hindu Mahasabha observed Anti-Pakistan Day and Independence day. On 7th Aug. 1942, Gandhi said Jinah and Muslim League could take over power from British, which he did not accept. Hindu Mahasabha observed an Anti- Pakistan week, and Akhand Hindustan Leaders Conference in Oct. 1944. Truth, non-violence and Hindu-Muslim Unity, were Gandhi's pet theme. 
10. Ordel By Fire - Truncated Freedom and the ordeal.  5th Feb, 1948; Savarkar was arrested the Bombay Public Security Measures. They dissolved the Abhinav Bhart.
11. I am Blessed, I am Blessed. - In an article written in 1963, Savarkar wrote, "Those who end their lives in a spirit of frustration, dissatisfaction or discontentment and cannot live happily even though they do wish are said to have committed 'suicide'. But those who happily end their lives with the blessed sense of having fulfilled their life mission or objective are said to have committed self-sacrifice. " He would address Gandhiji and Nehru as Mahatmaji and Panditji, He would say, "several great men are born, much like the several peaks of the Himalaya." One such peak is Vinayak Damodhar Savarkar. At 11.10 am on 26 Feb. 1966, embraced death voluntarily in the highest tradition of Yoga. On 24th Feb, he folded hands and in a feeble voice, bade farewell in the words of poet-saint tukaram, "We are going to our native Home, Accept our good-bye; Now there can be no give and take, The speech itself is stopped. "

 and died many years ago. She was mother of a son, a son Vishwas Savarkar ; who worked with a corporate house-Walchand Group- and was also a known author, His grand son Ranjit Savarkar stays in Mumbai and is spearheading Savarkar’s philosophy.