Prof. Jayadeba Sahoo
“नाभिषेको न संस्कारः सिंहस्य क्रियते वने।
विक्रमार्जितसत्त्वस्य स्वयमेव मृगेन्द्रता॥” — Chanakya Niti
“No coronation makes a lion king of the forest; by his own courage and strength he earns that position.”
Another Sanskrit ideal that aptly reflects Savarkar’s spirit is:
“वीरभोग्या वसुंधरा” — “The Earth belongs to the brave.”
Few personalities in India’s freedom movement embodied this spirit as powerfully as Swatantryaveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (1883–1966). Revolutionary, poet, historian, social reformer, strategist, and nationalist thinker, Savarkar remains one of the most influential and debated figures in modern Indian history. To admirers, he symbolizes fearless patriotism and cultural nationalism; to critics, he remains a controversial ideological figure. Yet few deny the lasting impact of his ideas on India’s political and intellectual discourse.
Savarkar was not merely an opponent of British rule. He envisioned the complete resurgence of India’s civilizational confidence and national identity. His life journey moved through revolutionary movements, imprisonment in the Cellular Jail, literary achievements, and intense ideological debates about the meaning of India and nationhood.
Birth of a Revolutionary Mind
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was born on 28 May 1883 in Bhagur village near Nashik, Maharashtra, during the height of British colonial rule. India at the time suffered economic exploitation, racial discrimination, and political subjugation. Stories of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Guru Gobind Singh, Maharana Pratap, and the heroes of the 1857 uprising deeply influenced the young Savarkar.
The injustices he witnessed during his youth shaped his fierce nationalist outlook. Even as a student, he displayed remarkable leadership and oratory skills. While studying at Fergusson College in Pune, he founded the secret revolutionary organization Abhinav Bharat Society, inspired partly by Giuseppe Mazzini’s Young Italy movement.
Unlike moderate leaders who sought reforms through constitutional methods, Savarkar believed freedom could only be achieved through organized resistance and revolutionary courage.
The Upanishadic call:
“उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत”
“Arise, awake, and attain the highest purpose.”
became the philosophical pulse of his activism. Swami Vivekananda later popularized this spirit through his famous exhortation: “Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached.”
London and Revolutionary Internationalism
Savarkar’s arrival in London in 1906 marked a decisive turning point in his life. Staying at India House, founded by Shyamji Krishna Varma, he transformed the expatriate Indian student community into a center of revolutionary nationalism.
In London, Savarkar immersed himself in European revolutionary thought, anti-imperial movements, and nationalist struggles. During this period, he wrote his celebrated work:
The Indian War of Independence – 1857
At a time when British historians dismissed the events of 1857 as a “Sepoy Mutiny,” Savarkar boldly interpreted it as India’s first organized war for independence. He portrayed figures like Rani Lakshmibai, Tatya Tope, Nana Saheb, and Bahadur Shah Zafar as national heroes united against colonial rule.
The British government immediately banned the book, recognizing its revolutionary potential. Nevertheless, copies circulated secretly across Europe and India, inspiring generations of nationalist youth. Savarkar also translated Giuseppe Mazzini’s writings into Marathi, emphasizing discipline, sacrifice, and unity as essential to national liberation.
The Marseilles Escape
In 1910, Savarkar was arrested by British authorities for alleged involvement in revolutionary conspiracies. During his extradition aboard the ship S.S. Morea, he attempted one of the boldest escapes in anti-colonial history.
At the French port of Marseilles, Savarkar squeezed through a tiny porthole, leapt into the sea, and swam ashore in an attempt to escape. Though recaptured, the dramatic episode electrified nationalist circles across the world and turned him into a symbol of fearless defiance.
Cellular Jail: Years of Ordeal and Resolve
Savarkar’s imprisonment in the Cellular Jail of the Andaman Islands remains among the most painful chapters of India’s freedom struggle. Sentenced to two life terms totaling fifty years, he endured solitary confinement, hard labor, physical suffering, and constant surveillance.
Yet the harsh conditions could not crush his spirit. Denied paper and ink, Savarkar composed poetry mentally and etched verses on prison walls with nails, charcoal, and pebbles. Fellow prisoners memorized and preserved many of these compositions.
The Upanishadic declaration:
“नायमात्मा बलहीनेन लभ्यः”
“The highest realization cannot be attained by the weak.”
perfectly reflected the resilience he demonstrated during those years.
The controversy over Savarkar’s mercy petitions continues to provoke debate. Supporters view them as strategic efforts aimed at securing release to continue political work, while critics interpret them differently. However, the inhuman conditions of the Cellular Jail remain historically undeniable.
Poet of Freedom
Savarkar’s literary genius is often overshadowed by his political image. His poetry combined patriotism, philosophical depth, and revolutionary fervor. One of his most celebrated hymns glorified freedom itself as divine:
“जयस्तुते श्रीमहामंगले शिवास्पदे शुभदे ।
स्वतंत्रते भगवति त्वामहं यशोयुतां वंदे ॥”
His works such as Sagara Pran Talmalala, Kamala, and Jayostute became emotional expressions of nationalist awakening. Unlike romantic poetry focused on personal emotions, Savarkar’s writings aimed to inspire courage, sacrifice, and collective resolve.
Hindutva and Civilizational Nationalism
Any discussion of Savarkar inevitably involves his influential and controversial work:
Hindutva: Who is a Hindu? (1923)
In this work, Savarkar described Hindutva as a cultural and civilizational identity based on shared history, ancestry, and territorial consciousness. According to him, a Hindu regarded India both as Pitribhumi (Fatherland) and Punyabhumi (Holy Land).
Supporters interpret this idea as an attempt to create national unity against colonial divisions, while critics argue that it marginalized communities whose sacred geographies extended beyond India.
Despite the continuing debate, Savarkar’s larger vision also emphasized scientific progress, military preparedness, national unity, and self-confidence. His political thought combined cultural nationalism with a strong emphasis on modernization and strategic realism.
Social Reformer Against Untouchability
Savarkar was not only a political ideologue but also a social reformer who campaigned against untouchability and caste discrimination. During his stay in Ratnagiri, he promoted intercaste dining, temple entry for Dalits, and broader social integration.
The Patit Pavan Mandir, associated with his reform efforts, became one of the earliest temples open to all castes.
He believed that social divisions weakened national strength. The Rig Vedic ideal:
“संगच्छध्वं संवदध्वं सं वो मनांसि जानताम्”
“Move together, speak together, let your minds unite.”
deeply resonated with his vision of social cohesion and national unity.
Rationalist and Modernist
An often-overlooked dimension of Savarkar’s personality was his rationalism. He criticized superstition, fatalism, and rigid orthodoxy. He advocated scientific education, industrial growth, military modernization, and technological advancement.
Savarkar envisioned an India rooted in civilizational heritage yet fully prepared for modern geopolitical realities. This balance between tradition and modernity distinguished him from both orthodox conservatives and purely materialist thinkers.
Continuing Debates and Legacy
Savarkar remains one of the most debated personalities in Indian public life. Critics focus on his ideological positions, his prison petitions, and allegations relating to the Gandhi assassination case. Though acquitted by the court due to insufficient evidence, debates surrounding the issue continue.
Nevertheless, historians increasingly recognize that Savarkar’s legacy cannot be reduced to simplistic binaries. He remains one of the most influential architects of modern Indian nationalist thought.
In contemporary India, Savarkar symbolizes different things to different people — uncompromising patriotism, cultural pride, strategic realism, or ideological contestation. Yet few leaders from the freedom movement continue to shape public discourse with comparable intensity.
Epilogue: The Unfading Revolutionary Spirit
The Bhagavad Gita declares:
“कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।”
“Your right is to action alone, never to its fruits.”
Savarkar’s life reflected this spirit of relentless action and sacrifice. He was a revolutionary who challenged empire, a poet who glorified freedom, a reformer who opposed caste discrimination, and a thinker who reshaped nationalist discourse.
History may continue to debate him. Politics may continue to interpret him differently. Yet Savarkar’s influence on India’s political consciousness remains undeniable.
His life represented the turbulent encounter between colonial domination and national awakening, between tradition and modernity, between memory and ideology. To study Savarkar is not merely to revisit a historical figure, but to engage with enduring questions about nationhood, identity, sovereignty, and freedom.
Veer Savarkar continues to stand as a symbol of courage, sacrifice, and indomitable will. His life reminds the nation of the immense price of freedom and the importance of a strong, united, and self-reliant Bharat.
“वन्दे त्वा महं यशोयुतां वन्दे”
“I bow to thee, O Goddess of Freedom, adorned with glory.”
As Savarkar himself observed:
“Those historians who deny this basic fact of history are fooling themselves and also fooling others. They have yet to learn the real history.”
(The writer is a Faculty, Brahma Kumaris & (Ex-Dean & Head), Faculty of Education, Rajiv Gandhi (Central) University, Itanagar; Cell 8837245051, 9436042658; Email: [email protected] , [email protected])
