IN DEFENCE OF SAVARKAR.

(From The Statesman (India))

The NDA has undone the wrong done to Savarkar by installing his portrait in Parliament because his sacrifices were not less than those of other leaders By BK BHATTACHARYYA Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (1883-1966) was one of the greatest revolutionaries of India. His motto was to free the motherland from the bondage. He was arrested in 1909 in London, his centre of revolutionary activities and suffered imprisonment for 28 years including 10 years in the Andamans and was released in 1937. He is probably the only Indian leader who suffered such long imprisonment for the country's cause. It seems Professor RK Dasgupta, in his article "Spreading Hindutva'' (8-9 April) has selected books where Savarkar's name has neither been mentioned nor referred to and at the same time has mentioned some facts which appear to be not tenable. Yes, Nehru did not refer to Savarkar in his autobiography but has mentioned him on page 326 in his Discovery of India (London 1956) and wrote: "A great deal of false and perverted history has been written about the Revolt and its suppression. What the Indians think about it seldom finds its way to the printed page. Savarkar wrote The History of the War of Indian Independence some 30 years ago, but his book was promptly banned and is banned still". Savarkar was the first Indian to describe the Sepoy Mutiny as the first war of independence. Dasgupta's contention that "Subhas Chandra Bose too does not mention him in his two autobiographies" is not correct. He held Savarkar, the revolutionary, in high esteem. From the late thirties to the mid-forties of the last century he had a considerable following in the country and was a force in Indian politics. Before Subhas decided to leave the country to launch an armed struggle against the British from abroad, he met Jinnah and Savarkar apart from Mahatma Gandhi in Mumbai in June 1940. He had long discussions with Savarkar, then President of Hindu Mahasabha and wrote: "Mr Savarkar seemed to be oblivious of the international situation and was only thinking how Hindus could secure military training by entering Britain's army in India" (p 384, Netaji Collected Works volume 2, The Indian Struggle 1920-1942, Kolkata 1981) An Advanced History of India authored by the three historians including Dr RC Majumdar did not contain any reference to Savarkar. But Dr Majumdar has devoted a number of pages on Savarkar in his three History of the Freedom Movement in India and also in volume XI of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's The History and Culture of the Indian People (General Editor: Dr RC Majumdar). He has written: "Savarkar, an eminent Indian patriot, who played a very prominent part in India's struggle for freedom in the present century, and suffered much for his activities in the hands of the British authorities". His daring escape to French territory on way to India from a British ship while in its custody has been described by Dr RC Majumdar as "historic, almost romantic". Again, Dasgupta has stated that "there is not even a passing reference to Savarkar in the 940- page The Role of Honour: Anecdotes of Indian Martyrs edited by KC Ghosh. Probably this book was first published during Savarkar's life time and that is why his name was not included as a martyr. But he has made a number of references to Savarkar in another equally important book and has written a short biographical sketch of Savarkar. I quote two lines: "He was always in ...