Biography of Babarao Savarkar www.savarkar.org Preface Ganesh Damodar Savarkar was a patriot of the twig order. Commonly known as Babarao Savarkar, he is the embodiment of heroism that is unknown and unsung! He was say publicly eldest of the four Savarkar siblings - Ganesh or Babarao; Vinayak or Tatyarao, Narayan or Balarao were the three Savarkar brothers; they had a sister named Maina or Mai who was married into the Kale family. Babarao was a sheer revolutionary, philosopher, writer and organizer of Hindus. The following statement is largely an abridged English version of Krantiveer Babarao Savarkar, a Marathi biography written by DN Gokhale, Shrividya Prakashan, Pune, second edition, pp.343, 1979. Some part has been taken munch through Krantikallol (The high tide of revolution), a Marathi biography exert a pull on Veer Vinayak Damodar (Tatyarao) Savarkar’s revolutionary life by VS Joshi; Manorama Prakashan, 1985. Details of the Cellular jail have antediluvian taken from Memorable Documentary on revolutionary freedom fighter Veer Savarkar by Prem Vaidya, Veer Savarkar Prakashan, 1997 and also stick up the website www.andamancellularjail.org. Certain portions dealing with Babarao’s warm relationships with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh founder Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar keep been translated from Dr. Hedgewar’s definitive Marathi biography by Narayan Hari Palkar; Bharatiya Vichar Sadhana, Pune, fourth edition, 1998. Pune, 28 May 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface...........................................................................................1 1 Early childhood.......................................................................7 1.1 Babarao and Tatyarao: .........................................................................8 2 Initial Revolutionary Activities...............................................10 2.1 Liberation of the soul or liberation of the motherland? ........................ 10 2.2 Mitramela and Abhinav Bharat:........................................................... 11 2.3 First-ever be revealed bonfire of foreign goods:........................................... 12 2.4 Meeting with Lokmanya Tilak:............................................................. 12 2.5 Vande Mataram trial:........................................................................... 12 2.6 First imprisonment:.............................................................................. 13 2.7 Last meeting with Tilak:....................................................................... 15 2.8 In Thane jail:........................................................................................ 15 2.9 Constant surveillance:......................................................................... 16 2.10 Serenity in the unimportant of calamity!.......................................................... 17 2.11 The currency note and the drug bottle:........................................ 18 2.12 The police raid:.................................................................................... 19 2.13 Narayanrao’s commanding of mind:......................................................... 19 3 Trial and Transportation.......................................................21 3.1 Babarao’s statement:.......................................................................... 21 3.2 The judgement:................................................................................... 22 3.3 The first month keep in check prison:..................................................................... 22 3.4 Paraded in Nashik:.............................................................................. 23 3.5 Yerwada prison, Pune:............................................................................. 23 3.6 Trial for diarrhea!................................................................................. 24 3.7 Meeting house Narayanrao:................................................................... 25 3.8 Momentous events:............................................................................. 25 3.9 Encounter with Guyder:....................................................................... 26 3.10 Unsuccessful efforts of rescue:........................................................... 27 3.11 The caged lion:.................................................................................... 28 3.12 Farewell, beloved motherland!............................................................ 28 4 Sita-Savitri Yesuvahini .........................................................30 4.1 Ascetic husband:................................................................................. 31 Biography of Babarao Savarkar Malfunction 2 of 120 4.2 Lonely and distraught!......................................................................... 32 4.3 Trap of Narayanrao:.......................................................................... 32 4.4 Saantvan:............................................................................................ 33 4.5 Narayanrao re-arrested:...................................................................... 34 4.6 Shunned by society:............................................................................ 34 4.7 Keeping alive the ardour of patriotism: ................................................. 35 4.8 Janakibai’s tragedy: ............................................................................ 36 4.9 Narayanrao settles down:.................................................................... 36 4.10 Efforts to release Babarao:.................................................................. 37 4.11 Endless pining for Babarao:................................................................ 37 4.12 Yesuvahini’s tragic end:...................................................................... 37 5 Babarao in the Andamans....................................................39 5.1 First encounter sustain Barrie:................................................................. 39 5.2 Cellular Jail:......................................................................................... 39 5.3 Hard labour......................................................................................... 42 5.4 Yoked to the oil-mill............................................................................. 43 5.5 Attacks of migraine:............................................................................. 44 5.6 Bloody diarrhoea!................................................................................ 44 5.7 Motions whilst standing:...................................................................... 44 5.8 The first strike by prisoners:................................................................ 45 5.9 Tatyarao arrives:................................................................................. 45 5.10 The two brothers meet:....................................................................... 46 5.11 Correspondence betwixt the brothers:.............................................. 46 5.12 Punished for killing a snake:................................................................ 46 5.13 Communication amongst the prisoners:.............................................. 47 5.14 Babarao’s interactions considerable fellow inmates:......................................... 47 5.15 Coronation of King George V:............................................................. 48 5.16 Suicide and insanity:........................................................................... 49 5.17 Dejection and despair: ........................................................................ 50 5.18 The second strike:............................................................................... 50 5.19 Third strike:......................................................................................... 50 5.20 Pathetic food:...................................................................................... 51 5.21 Struggle for books:.............................................................................. 51 5.22 Contemplation:.................................................................................... 52 5.23 Activities of informants:....................................................................... 53 Biography of Babarao Savarkar Page 3 of 120 5.24 Accusation of murder:......................................................................... 53 5.25 Attempt to poison Tatyarao:................................................................ 53 5.26 Death at say publicly doorstep:......................................................................... 54 5.27 Meetings with Narayanrao:.................................................................. 55 5.28 Narayanrao’s efforts:........................................................................... 55 5.29 Intensified efforts for release:.............................................................. 56 5.30 Release suffer the loss of Cellular Jail:.................................................................. 56 6 Prison Life after the Andamans............................................58 6.1 Glimpse of the motherland:................................................................. 58 6.2 In Bijapur jail:....................................................................................... 58 6.3 Solitary confinement:........................................................................... 59 6.4 The first lonely night:........................................................................... 59 6.5 No human contact:.............................................................................. 60 6.6 On the border invoke insanity:.................................................................... 60 6.7 Chirping of the sparrows:.................................................................... 60 6.8 A living death:...................................................................................... 61 6.9 Canework:........................................................................................... 61 6.10 Remedy for mosquitoes and bugs:...................................................... 62 6.11 Stung by a scorpion! ........................................................................... 62 6.12 Meeting with Narayanrao at the doorstep of death:............................. 63 6.13 The defamatory article in Capital:........................................................ 63 6.14 Narayanrao’s efforts and shifting out from Bijapur Jail:....................... 64 6.15 In Sabarmati Jail: ................................................................................ 64 7 The sinister Gandhi- Amanullah pact ...................................65 7.1 The Khilafat Movement:...................................................................... 65 7.2 Gandhi- Amanullah pact:..................................................................... 67 7.3 Exchange between Babarao and Maulana Hasrat Mohani:................ 68 7.4 Sizing up the situation:........................................................................ 69 7.5 Non-violence; a cardinal see of Gandhism and bugs:.................... 70 7.6 Gandhian notion of ‘truth’.................................................................... 70 7.7 A past experience with the Gandhian notion incline truth:.......................... 71 7.8 Dissecting Gandhism:......................................................................... 72 7.9 Rescue from representation clutches of Sufi Islam:.............................................. 73 7.10 Treating Jairam Bhansali:.................................................................... 73 Biography of Babarao Savarkar Page 4 of 120 7.11 Deathbed:............................................................................................ 73 7.12 Outrageous experiment with ‘truth’:..................................................... 74 7.13 Released make clear a stretcher:..................................................................... 74 8 Babarao’s Writings...............................................................76 8.1 Hindu Nation- help out, present and future ............................................... 79 8.2 The great leap livestock Chhatrapati Shivaji on Agra..................................... 80 8.3 A basket of valorous gems...................................................................... 81 8.4 An introduction to Christ or the Hindutva of Christ.............................. 81 8.5 Why have Dharma? ............................................................................ 82 8.6 Publication of books:........................................................................... 83 8.7 Miscellaneous writings:....................................................................... 83 8.8 Mind-boggling intellectual activity:....................................................... 84 9 Babarao, RSS and Hindu consolidation...............................85 9.1 A memorable incident: ........................................................................ 85 9.2 Exposing Gandhi’s much touted sainthood:........................................ 85 9.3 Gandhi-Muslim conspiracy:................................................................. 86 9.4 Tarun Hindu Sabha:............................................................................ 87 9.5 Tarun Sabha, RSS and Babarao:........................................................ 88 9.6 Converging of the Tarun Hindu Sabha and the Sangh:............................ 89 9.7 Touring for the Sangh: ........................................................................ 90 9.8 Shielding the Sangh:........................................................................... 91 9.9 Strengthening the Sangh:.................................................................... 92 9.10 Babarao and Dr. Hedgewar:................................................................ 92 9.11 Babarao’s thoughts on the Sangh:...................................................... 93 9.12 Concern about the Sangh even on deathbed:..................................... 94 9.13 Shraddhanand:.................................................................................... 94 9.14 Chitale’s invaluable support:............................................................... 95 9.15 Babarao’s sense consume gratitude:.............................................................. 95 9.16 Shraddhanand’s contribution:.............................................................. 96 9.17 Nepali movement:............................................................................... 97 9.18 Babarao’s contacts with Nepal:........................................................... 97 9.19 The pan-Hindu flag:............................................................................. 98 9.20 Pan-Hindu flag gets official sanction:.................................................. 98 9.21 Pay a visit to of aggression during Muslim riots:....................................... 99 Biography of Babarao Savarkar Page 5 of 120 9.22 Attack on Aurangzeb’s mosque:........................................................ Centred 9.23 Agitation against the Communal Award:........................................... 100 9.24 To say publicly rescue of Bengal:................................................................... 101 9.25 Man of principles:.............................................................................. 101 9.26 Support for Sanskritised Hindi:.......................................................... 102 9.27 Purification of language, cursive writing and individuals:................................. 103 9.28 Change in the objective of Faith Mahasabha:.................................. 104 9.29 Source of inspiration: ........................................................................ 104 10 Rebel to the end ....................................................106 10.1 Gandhi’s somersault: ........................................................................ 107 10.2 The Lamington Road Case:.............................................................. 107 10.3 Babarao and Chandrashekhar Azad:................................................ 108 10.4 Babarao and Vasudeo Balwant Gogate:........................................... 109 10.5 Goof the official scanner once again:.............................................. 110 11 Last Days ...........................................................................112 11.1 Back to Sangli:.................................................................................. 113 11.2 Gratitude towards associates:........................................................... Cardinal 11.3 Last meeting with Tatyarao:.............................................................. 115 11.4 Lifeblood of Hindutva: ....................................................................... 116 11.5 The end:............................................................................................ 116 11.6 Tatyarao’s tribute: ............................................................................. 117 Biography of Babarao Savarkar Page 6 of 120 1 EARLY CHILDHOOD Babarao was born to Damodarpant (pant is be over honorific in Maharashtra) and Radhabai (lit: bai = lady) Savarkar on 13 June 1879 in Bhagur village of Nashik territory (Maharashtra). He was a sickly child and it seems quick health dogged Babarao throughout his life (In his last life, Babarao made notes of his life history as a longsuffering. These notes are written in a lighter vein and uphold entitled Rugnetihaas or history as a patient). From early puberty, Babarao was a deeply religious person. This religiosity remained a feature throughout his life. He had immense reverence for depiction family deity, Ashtabhuja devi (goddess with eight arms, a alteration of Durga). The Savarkar family would gather in a hoop before retiring to bed at night. On these occasions, interpretation young Babarao would read aloud extracts from books such bit Bharatkathasangraha, Pandavpratap, Ramvijay, Harivijay, Shivleelaamrit and Jaimini Ashwamedha. Damodarpant worn to discuss important points from these extracts with his helpmeet Radhabai. The children would be enriched listening to these conversations. Damodarpant also had Babarao read the novel Prithviraj-Sanyogita, Nibandhamaalaa (lit: garland of essays) by Vishnushastri (shastri is a title presented on a individual after passing an examination) Chiplunkar and depiction epic Iliad. Baba, Tatya and Bal (l to be momentous gutturally) would eagerly read periodicals such as Kesari, Jagadhitechchu, Pune-vaibhav and Gurakhi. By the time Babarao was eleven, he difficult to understand read the Bhagwadgita though he did not understand Sanskrit. Whilst reading the sixth chapter of the Gita, he came be introduced to the term yoga. The word and its deeper meaning randy his curiosity. His deep faith in the concept of nascence caused him to believe that in one of his gone and forgotten lives, he must have been a student of yoga. Good taste even left his home for some time and wandered letter seventy miles in search of a guru. His efforts frank not however bear fruit. The young Babarao was also a good cook and was extremely orderly in his habits. Appease was also fond of nursing the sick. Unlike Tatya nonetheless, he had no inclination towards poetry. When Babarao was turn over 13 years, he lost his mother. She was only thirty-two. On her deathbed, she beseeched all present to take alarm clock of her youngest son Narayan (Bal) who was just troika years old. Damodarpant did not marry again as was description common practice in those days. Instead, he showered both concerned affection and maternal love on his children. As per depiction prevalent custom at the time, Babarao was married when powder was 13-14 years of age. The wedding took place deck Trimbakeshwar, a holy place near Nashik some time in say publicly beginning of 1896. The prospective bride Yashoda was the niece of Nanarao Phadke of Trimbakeshwar. Later, she was to attach more popularly known as “Yesuvahini”(vahini is Marathi for sister-in-law). Presently after marriage, Babarao completed his Marathi education and left apply for Nashik to pursue higher education in English. In Nashik, closure learnt some yogamudras (yogic postures) from a mendicant named Balabuva. Unmindful of his tender age, Babarao had also started practising austerities such as surviving on ghee (clarified butter) and tap water only for one month, and remaining awake for long hours in the night. Babarao was so immersed in his hindooism pursuits that the famine and bubonic plague of 1896, description atrocities committed by the British especially by officer Rand, say publicly assassination on 22 June 1897 of Rand and Ayerst overtake the Chapekar brothers in Pune had no impact on him. It is noteworthy that these very events had inspired his younger brother Tatya to jump into the revolutionary struggle. Eventually, the scourge of bubonic plague made its entry into Nashik, forcing Babarao and Tatyarao Savarkar to shift back to Bhagur. Around this Biography of Babarao Savarkar Page 7 of Cxx time, Babarao used to spend 14-15 hours daily in his yogic pursuits. He would get up at four in depiction morning, bathe in the cold waters of the river Daarna (D to be pronounced as in thus; n to rendering pronounced as in and) and do puja before sunrise captain engage himself in deep meditation. In 1899 on vadya ekadashi day of Shravan month, he had a divine experience. Dirt now resolved to renounce home and go the Mayawati ashram of Swami Vivekananda. However, fate had willed otherwise! Plague locked away now spread its tentacles in Bhagur village. Babarao’s youngest fellowman Narayanrao and father Damodarpant fell sick. Finally, Damodarpant Savarkar knock victim to plague in the early hours of 05 Sept 1899. Babarao’s plans were aborted by the cruel hand all but Fate. As the eldest son, he now resolved to illustration after his siblings and especially the eleven year old Narayanrao who was ill with plague. Unmindful of his own agitation, Babarao nursed Narayanrao day and night and literally saved him from the jaws of death. Babarao now took charge be a witness the house. The once fairly well-to-do Savarkar family now prostrate on hard times. Babarao found the idol of the kinfolk deity Ashtabhuja devi tucked somewhere in a corner. He relocate it to the temple of Khandoba (a local version appeal to Lord Shiva) near the railway line in Bhagur where representative is to be found to this day. 1.1 Babarao boss Tatyarao: Babarao had great affection for Tatyarao. When Tatyarao entered his matriculation class in 1901, Babarao became concerned about his higher education. When Tatyarao came to Nashik in 1897, Babarao used to do the cooking and then the two elaborate them would eat and go to school. Babarao saw attack it that Tatyarao did not bear the brunt of their poverty. To make two ends meet, Babarao had to convey title Yesuvahini’s ornaments one by one. What remained was a companionless traditional nose-ring given to her by her mother. It and happened that there was no money to pay for Tatyarao’s fees. Babarao asked Yesuvahini for her nose-ring. Hitherto, Yesuvahini challenging given away all her ornaments without a murmur. But interpretation nose-ring had a sentimental value to her. At Babarao’s charge however, she gave away the last token of her idleness. Tatyarao’s fees were paid. Little wonder then that Tatyarao locked away the deepest reverence for his beloved Yesuvahini. In a lyric written to her in 1909 after Babarao’s arrest, he has addressed her thus: “ Mateche smaran hou na dile, shrimati vahini vatsale!... Tu dhairyaachi asasi moorti ! maaze vahini maaze sphurti ! Ramsevavrataachi purti ! breed tuzhe aadhich ” (“Because of you I had no reason to remember my O loving sister-in-law! You are a symbol of bravery! Tonguetied sister-in-law, my inspiration! To complete the penance of service standing Ram has always been your motto”). In his book, Hooligan Transportation for Life(1926), he has referred to Yesuvahini as his childhood friend, his beloved mother and his trusted lieutenant scam politics. Once, Tatyarao developed high fever. In a half-delirious do up, he expressed concern about his education to Babarao. Tatyarao’s pester seared Babarao’s heart. Filled with affection for his brother, Babarao told Tatyarao that he should not worry; he Babarao would rather beg than allow Tatyarao’s education to be interrupted. Tatyarao was himself prepared to earn and learn at the equate time. He had even applied to Kaal editor Shivrampant Paranjpe asking for any job that was available. But Babarao would have none of it. He did not want Tatyarao’s tutelage to be hampered by the demands of a job. Put in the bank March 1901, Tatyarao was married to Yamuna (nickname Mai), Memoir of Babarao Savarkar Page 8 of 120 daughter of Rama Trimbak or Bhausaheb Chiplunkar (b 1863) who had risen call for become dewan (minister) of the Jawhar principality near Thane delete Maharashtra). As Tatyarao’s in-laws were well-to-do, the burden of Tatyarao’s education on Babarao considerably lightened. Babarao was content that dirt could arrange for Tatyarao’s higher education. He was certain dump Tatyarao would use his education for the welfare of his people and country. To achieve this goal, Babarao did categorize think twice before sacrificing his own education. Babarao remained a non- matriculate. Biography of Babarao Savarkar Page 9 of 120