Lata Mangeshkar thrived in an industry of hate but never gave up on Veer Savarkar

India’s beloved and melodious voice, Lata Mangeshkar is celebrating her 93rd birthday today (September 28). Bharat Ratna awardee Lata fondly called ‘Didi’ started her career in the year 1942 and to date, she has sung more than fifty thousand songs in 36 languages around the world. However, unlike the politically correct singers and actors of the cinema industry, Lata has swum against the current throughout her career.  In an age and era where big actors and singers are cancelled by the supposed liberal cabal at the drop of a hat for going against the conventional — Lata continues to openly and proudly support Vinayak Damodar Savarkar or Veer Savarkar.

Veer Savarkar was a freedom fighter and one of the pioneers of the Hindutva ideology, however, his name and his contribution to the Indian society continue to give a harrowing time to the left-liberals of the country. A collective, ongoing effort has been orchestrated to disparage Savarkar and omit his contributions from the history books.  

Lata and her family had ties with Veer Savarkar

However, unperturbed by the ragtag team of morally bankrupt intellectuals of the country, Lata continues to admire Savarkar for the man he was. Reportedly, Lata and her family have had familial ties with Savarkar  

Every year, without fail, Lata continues to remember and cherish the memory of Veer Savarkar on his birth (May 28) and death anniversary (February 26).  

Lata remembers Veer Savarkar every year without fail

Earlier this year, she tweeted on his birth anniversary, “Namaste. Today is the birth anniversary of Veer Savarkar ji, a true son of Mother India, a freedom fighter, and a father-like figure. I bow down to him.” 

During his lifetime, Veer Savarkar was referred to as ‘Tatya’ by Lata Mangeshkar, which is a term used in deference for a father or elderly male relation. 

Similarly, on his death anniversary, Lata tweeted, “Today is the death anniversary of great freedom fighter Veer Savarkar ji. We all, here in the Mangeshkar family bow down to him.”

Last year, on Veer Savarkar’s anniversary, Lata Mangeshkar termed him as the ‘true son of Mother India’ and added that the freedom fighter’s name was etched in the hearts of the Mangeshkar family.  

The legendary singer also tweeted that she was honouring the ‘great and multi-faceted personality’ on his ‘Jayanti.’ She shared a video along with her tweet, which was audio of the song Shat Janma Shodhitana, which had been composed by Lata Mangeshkar’s father Deenanath Mangeshkar. This song was written by Veer Savarkar for her father’s play Sanyasta Khadag. 

She tweeted, “Veer Savarkar ji aur hamare pariwar ke bahut ghanisht sambandh the,isiliye unhone mere pita ji ki natak company ke liye natak “Sanyasta Khadag“ likha tha. Is natak ka pehla prayog 18th Sep 1931 ko hua tha,is natak mein se ek geet bahut lokpriya hua” (“Veer Savarkar and my family has deep connections, that’s why he wrote a play “Sanyasta Khadag“ for my father’s theatre company, the platy first launched on 18th Sep 1931, the song featured in the play is very popular.” 

Veer Savarkar — a true freedom fighter

A freedom fighter, nationalist, thinker, author, and poet, Swatantra Veer Savarkar is truly a source of inspiration for crores of Indians. Such was his aura and ability to inspire the masses that the British captured him and sent him to Cellular Jail (Kalapaani) in Andaman from 1911 to 1921 where he faced unspeakable acts of torture and atrocities. For many years, he didn’t even know that his brother Ganesh was interned in the same jail.  

After enduring incessant torture for 10 years, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was transferred to the Ratnagiri prison in 1921, under an amnesty order issued by the then Emperor of India, the British King George V. He spent three more years in that prison until he was finally released on conditional terms in 1924. He wasn’t allowed to participate politically until 1937. 

Read More: Veer Savarkar: Remembering the most ignored hero of Indian history

Interestingly, the amnesty order under which Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was transferred to Ratnagiri prison; was personally advocated and signed upon by Mahamana Madan Mohan Malviya and Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. If we go by the opposition’s logic, was Mahatma Gandhi, not a traitor then?  

Also, while people were busy preparing for the birth centenary of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in the early 80s, Indira Gandhi not only sent her warm regards to the organisers of the same but had herself issued stamps in 1970, commemorating the sacrifices of Veer Savarkar. Was she not betraying the nation by glorifying an alleged ‘British stooge?’ 

Read More: Bharat Ratna for Veer Savarkar: For the Congress, Savarkar was not a ‘villain’ till the late 1980s

And yet, Congress, of all parties, continues to lead the charade against deriding the great freedom fighter Savarkar was. Veer Savarkar was and will always be remembered by this grateful nation as a patriot who led the country through troubled times, and as a champion of true democracy. 

He united the Hindus under one flag and gave them an ideology that should inspire and guide them for generations to come. Lata’s devotion to the freedom fighter should inspire the current generation that comes what may, one’s ideals should never be compromised.