Each year on May 28, Savarkar Jayanti marks the birth date of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, commonly known as Veer Savarkar. Savarkar was a freedom fighter, poet, philosopher, historian and political thinker and he is still a character that polarizes many in India but is impossible to ignore. What he achieved during the struggle and by putting his views in writing has remained important in shaping Indian politics and culture.
This blog discusses Veer Savarkar’s background, principles and the impact of his life, touching on why it is important to mark his Jayanti in today’s environment.
Early Life and Education
Bhagur, near Nashik in Maharashtra, was where Savarkar was born on May 28, 1883. As a young child, he showed a rebellious and leadership spirit. He became an ardent nationalist at a young age after losing his parents. He started a student society known as Mitra Mela that was later worked into Abhinav Bharat, an underground group that aimed to use armed means to remove British colonialists.
He chose to study law while in London, but even at Gray’s Inn, Savarkar kept thinking about helping India gain independence. London was the place where he wrote his first major work, The First War of Indian Independence, 1857, offering a new look at what the British called the “mutiny” of 1857.
The Revolutionary Phase
Being in London during the First World War gave Savarkar the chance to challenge the British directly. Because of his writings which demanded the end of colonial rule, he became an enemy of British intelligence. He was detained in 1909 after being charged with trying to assassinate British general Curzon Wyllie. Savarkar then carried out a dramatic escape: as the ship carrying him left Marseilles, France, he jumped into the water in an attempt to get away from the British.
Later, Savarkar was sentenced to life imprisonment twice (50 years) and taken to the feared Cellular Jail on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. For more than a decade, he was in prison and was subjected to torture, isolation and hard work. Regardless of these harsh situations, he kept on writing and often penned poetry on the prison walls with what he found.
Savarkar’s Ideological Shift
Following his release from Cellular Jail in 1924, the British kept Savarkar under very close watch. It was in the course of this period that he shifted his philosophical standpoint. After abandoning the idea of revolutionary violence, Savarkar decided to improve the nation by writing, preserving its culture and promoting reforms.
He is perhaps best known for creating the idea of Hindutva, which he presented in detail in his 1923 pamphlet Hindutva: Who is a Hindu? While here, he expressed that India was a Hindu Rashtra, established by its religious connection, as well as its common heritage, culture and civil society. Whereas some support this vision as a unifying policy for all people, others say it excludes religious minorities.
Savarkar also campaigned for social change, especially forcing the end of untouchability, which he saw as harming the strength of Hindu society. Periyar supported mixed dining for different castes, helped Dalits enter Hindu temples and urged education among them, all before such subjects were widely recognized in Indian politics.
Role in the Freedom Movement
Because the Indian National Congress disagreed with his ideology, Savarkar kept shaping nationalist opinions. In 1937, he was made President of the Hindu Mahasabha, from which he spread his beliefs about nationalism. He was criticized for abstaining from the Quit India Movement of 1942. During World War II, he counseled Indians to defend their country by fighting alongside the British rather than against them, in contrast to Mahatma Gandhi’s collective civil disobedience.
While they differ, everyone agrees that Savarkar was a leader who thought deeply and stood up against British imperialism by both speaking and acting.
Legacy and Controversy
Indians still argue about what to make of Veer Savarkar’s role in their past. For those who admire him, he is a courageous patriot, an outstanding thinker and a social reformer. According to many critics, he was a dissenting ideologue whose ideas provided the base for religious nationalism.
Interest in Tagore’s literary works and thoughts has returned in India, especially because attention is being given again to traditional Indian values and culture in the political sphere. Authorities led by the BJP have regularly spoken highly of Savarkar, attempting to rename places in his name, build statues in his memory and use his work in the classroom.
At the same time, there are many ongoing arguments. Many controversies have centered on his bids for clemency while he was in a British prison, as well as his supposed links to Nathuram Godse. While no evidence charged him with a crime, people still remember this association as part of Savarkar’s story.
Why Savarkar Jayanti Matters Today
Today is a day to think about the difficult journey of India’s independence and honor a key person from its history. It encourages us to look past easy stories of right and wrong and to realize the many ideas that influenced India’s battle for freedom.
Since the subject of nationalism, the status of secularism and identity moves frequently into Indian politics today, examining Savarkar’s thinking becomes all the more significant. His ideas about being proud of culture, independence and intellect help young people think smartly and show courage.
In Maharashtra, schools and universities regularly conduct seminars, debates and essay contests on this occasion. People honor Savarkar by making flower garlands for his statues, reading his poetry and remembering what he did in special cultural programs.
Conclusion
This holiday is not only about rituals; it also gives us a time to rethink our country. Damodar Savarkar was strong, determined and at times very confusing. Revolutionary as he was, his change to a thinker shows the changing nature of India’s freedom struggle. His focus on India’s freedom and development is accepted by all.
Recalling Savarkar’s ideals, both good and bad, can guide India in creating a patriotism that is more accepting of everyone.
Let us honour his memory not just by celebrating Savarkar Jayanti, but by engaging critically and honestly with the rich, layered history he helped create.
