For political benefits, decolonised India witnessed two unfortunate races. One was the appropriation of one spectrum of Revolutionaries and another was to contest the legacy of the rest of the revolutionaries. In a previous article we shattered the myth that Subhas Chandra Bose despised Veer Savarkar’s ideology and his contribution to the Indian freedom struggle. In this article we will shatter the canards that Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) had a negative take on Savarkar.
Paucity of definition should not be the reason for false equivalences
The current horde of leftist politicians try to appropriate the legacy of countless revolutionaries merely on the fact that the majority of the freedom fighters had a leftist or left leaning tags – communist or socialist.
But they forget that every freedom fighter, whether communist or socialist, had nationalism as the core principle of their ideological view to free India. So, today’s left should be ashamed to besmirch the reputation of those legendary freedom fighters.
It is claimed that Savarkar’s ideology was an ostracized one and he was outcast by the rest of the revolutionaries. This can’t be further than the truth.
Savarkar’s work and philosophy: MUST Read for HSRA recruits
As per historical records, Sardar Bhagat Singh referred to Veer Savarkar as a “braveheart” and on multiple occasions wrote articles praising Savarkar.
On 15th and 22nd of November, 1924, Bhagat Singh in the alias of ‘Balwant Singh’ wrote two articles in the patriotic Hindi weekly Matwala. In this article Bhagath Singh praised Veer Savarkar and countered his critics.
The timing of this article is also important. At that time, the British had kept Savarkar under house arrest in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra. He was released from Cellular Jail on the pre-condition that he won’t participate in any political activity. Bhagat Singh’s praising tone clearly showed that he understood Savarkar’s tactical decision to get out of the jail and continue freedom struggle instead of life imprisonment.
Bhagat Singh also highlighted a meeting between Savarkar and Madanlal Dingra in England. Additionally, Bhagat Singh was moved by Savarkar’s influence and his vocal support of Madanlal Dhingra when he was arrested after shooting Curzon Wiley.
Savarkar too had written a poem eulogising sacrifice of Bhagat Singh and being an inspiration for the youth.
Also Read: Kaalapani: An overlooked Priyadarshan classic with a fair representation of Veer Savarkar
Furthermore, Bhagat Singh considered Savarkar’s book on the 1857 war of independence as a holy book for all revolutionaries. In fact, despite British ban on Savarkar’s book, Bhagat Singh managed to procure and circulate copies of Savarkar’s book in 1928. He even secretly published the fourth edition of Savarkar’s book. Notably, the book was even considered a must-read in the inner circles of HSRA.
In 1970, Bhagat Singh’s mother and younger brother released Veer Savarkar’s biography.
During the freedom struggle, every freedom fighter supported each other in every manner possible they could. The above few highlighting examples are just a tip of the iceberg.
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