The freedom fighter is most known for his treatise Hindutva: Who is a Hindu?, wherein he put forth his ideas about what constitutes the Indian nation.
File image of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. News18
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, popularly known as Veer Savarkar, remains one of the most influential freedom fighters of the country. The revolutionary and Hindutva ideologue was born on 28 May, 1883 in Bhagur.
Savarkar was also a lawyer, activist, writer and politician. The freedom fighter is most known for his treatise Hindutva: Who is a Hindu?, wherein he put forth his ideas about what constitutes the Indian nation.
Recently, director Mahesh Manjrekar announced a biopic on the life of Savarkar. Actor Randeep Hooda of Highway fame will essay the role of the freedom fighter. As the film is set to begin shooting soon, here is all you need to know about Veer Savarkar:
Savarkar was born to a Marathi Brahmin family in 1883. Since his early days, he was influenced by the radical side of the Indian freedom struggle. During his days as a law student in London, he began organising radical political activities, according to reports. He also helped instruct a group of Indian students in methods of sabotage and assassination.
It was during his days in London that Savarkar wrote The First War of Independence about the 1857 revolt against British forces in India. According to the revolutionary, the revolt was actually an uprising against the British rule, with Savarkar comparing the events of 1857 to the French and American Revolutions. The book was banned by authorities for its anti-British content.
Savarkar was later arrested and tried for his protest against the 1909 Morley-Minto reforms. In 1911, he was sentenced to 50 years of imprisonment at the notorious Cellular Jail in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which was infamously called Kala Pani.
He was released in 1924 after several mercy petitions he filed, wherein he promised to stay away from political activities if he was released. A political controversy surrounds Savarkar’s release till date, with parties like the Congress alleging that he was a “traitor” due to the mercy petitions he filed before the British.
While in prison, Savarkar also wrote the pamphlet Hindutva: Who is a Hindu? The work promoted the idea of Hinduism as a political and cultural identity. The freedom fighter also coined the definition of Hindutva in this work.
Savarkar was opposed to the caste system, superstitious rituals and cow worship, according to news reports. He was the president of the Hindu Mahasabha from 1937 to 1942. He also opposed the Quit India Movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi.
Savarkar was accused of being a co-conspirator in Gandhi’s assassination in 1948. He was later acquitted of all charges. He passed away on 26 February, 1966 at the age of 82.
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