Veer Savarkar - a "Mrutyunjay" Tribute....

5 years back, i.e. at Bhagur in 2007 (a small village near Nasik) - the birthplace of Veer Savarkar, I did not say much but looked into the lively, energetic and powerful eyes of Veer Savarkar's statue at his ancestral home (a "waada" to be accurate) and promised him one thing - to put my life on the line; every moment from today would carry just one objective - freedom of my motherland and the rebirth of a nation unbounded - the emergence and establishment of a superpower. Every action of mine, every decision would henceforth reflect a target, a milestone somewhere important and crucial for the greater good; I knew I was going to break a few hearts, hurt a few people here and there and my karma would punish me for it - but then, that is a choice I had made and accepted the consequences as well without any regret or remorse in hindsight after 5 years. Today, I feel the same with words failing me as in the past - overwhelmed by the tremendous source of energy that Veer Savarkar is and hence this blog is not mine but shared from someplace else. It is a gentle, yet strong reminder, a testimonial to the countless fighters of our cause, courtesy www.savarkar.org; On the death anniversary of one of the greatest men ever to tread through the dust, the blood, the sweat of our motherland and embrace it with all that he ever had, I share it with my fellow countrymen. We continue through our actions towards the betterment of this beloved nation and that alone would be an apt tribute to this great soul; but till we achieve impact of that acceptable magnitude, something through words we put forth to let him know wherever he is, that we are fighting, and we are fighting hard. (The following text is the write-up I share)

Swatantryaveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar - The very name epitomises many great qualities of head and heart. Rarely in the history of the world has one single man combined so many qualities at one and the same time and all have blossomed so outstandingly. An intrepid armed revolutionary of the freedom struggle, a social reformer, an outstanding poet, a dramatist par excellence, a ceaseless crusader of Hindutva - truly a galaxy of virtues blended into a single rainbow. His demise on 26th February 1966 was unique for he died of Prayopaveshan, death by his own wish. In his death, he was a man who had seen most of his life's mission fulfilled. Physically, he took the last bow on the world's stage, but his thoughts, the philosophy which he so intensely propounded and untiringly propagated are immortal and continue to be a beacon for the beleaguered society. If in the history of India, there was any leader who neither pursued fame nor followed fortune, nor individual greatness - discarding national interests, integrity and honour, the great leader was Veer Savarkar and as such would carry influence with posterity. As he was not a party to the vivisection of India, which is a heritage of sorrow and disgrace to posterity and the greatest betrayal ever known in Indian history; Savarkar, one of the makers of modern India would remain a beacon of hope, of inspiration and guidance and of courage.

  Veer Savarkar - The Legend

• The first political leader to daringly set Absolute Political Independence as India's goal (1900).
• The first Indian political leader to daringly perform a bonfire of foreign (English) clothes (1905).
• The first Indian to organize a revolutionary movement for India's Independence on an international level (1906).
• The first Indian law student who was not called to the English Bar despite having passed his examination and observed the necessary formalities, for his activities to seek India's freedom from the British (1909).
• The only Indian leader whose arrest in London caused legal difficulties for British Courts and whose case is still referred to in the interpretations of the Fugitive Offenders Act and the Habeas Corpus (Rex Vs Governor of Brixton Prison, ex-parte Savarkar)
• The first Indian historian whose book on the 1857 War of Independence was proscribed by British Authorities in India even before its publication. The Governor General had asked the Postmaster General to confiscate copies of the book six months before the book was officially banned (1909).
• The first political prisoner whose daring escape and arrest on French soil became a cause celebre in the International Court of Justice at The Hague. This case was mentioned in many International Treaties at that time (1910).
• The first graduate whose degree was withdrawn by an Indian University for striving for India's freedom (1911).
• The first poet in the world who, deprived of pen and paper, composed his poems and then wrote them on the prison walls with thorns and nails, memorized ten thousand lines of his poetry for years and later transmitted them to India through his fellow-prisoners who also memorized these lines.
• The first revolutionary leader who within less than 10 years gave a death-blow to the practice of untouchability in the remote district of Ratnagiri while being interned there.
• The first Indian leader who successfully started -
  • A Ganeshotsava open to all Hindus including ex-untouchables (1930).
  • Interdining ceremonies of all Hindus including ex-untouchables (1931).
  • "Patitpavan Mandir", open to all Hindus including ex-untouchables (22 February 1931).
  • A cafe open to all Hindus including ex-untouchables (01 May 1933).
• The first political prisoner in the world who was sentenced to Transportation for Life twice, a sentence unparalleled in the history of the British Empire.
• The first political leader to embrace death voluntarily by way of Atma Samarpan in the highest tradition of Yoga (1966).

Jai Hind !