In politically fallen , socially degraded and finanacially ruined Hindustan the eighteen eightes and the eighteen nineteens witnessed the darkest period in the history of our country. The first peep of dawn in the form of the reforms of 1909 was still to come . The dawn of 1919 was beyond the horizon, The spiritual planets like Maharshi Karve , Swami Dayanand Saraswasti and Swami Vivekanand were kindling light of social regeneration and reawaking the Indians to their spiritual heritage . The revolts of Ram Singh Kuka , Vasudev Balwant Phadke had disturbed their thought for a good while . The Ilbert Bill fomented the growing ill feeling towards the British rule . Dreading the resurgent revolts aimed at the overthrow of its power , the British government was deeply engrossed in finding out a safety valve for the passage of the wrath of Indian Revolution . Two events lypified the year 1883, Swami Dayanand Sarswati , a leader of renaissance , was at the end of his earthly pilgrimage and Vasudev Balwant Phadke , the rebel , laid his bones in Aden , longing for the establishment of an Indian Republic . In such an atmosphere surcharged with unfulfilled aspirations was born Vinayak Damodar Savarkar on Monday , the 28th of May 1883 at 10 PM at Bhagur , a village near Nashik
Savarkar springs from the illustrious caste of Chittapavan Brahmins that produced Nanasaheb of 1857 fame , Vasudev Balwant and Lokmanya Tilak , all of whom strove to snatch the crown of independence from the hands of the British . The blood , bones and brains of such ancestors encouraged this epic figure of Indian Revolution , Vinayak Savarkar , who declared a war of liberation of Hindustan .
Vinayak , the infant Jahagirdar was sent to the village school at the age of six. Soon he showed signs of his remarkable inborn genius . He loved poems and his studies were intense. Vinayak was hardly ten when all the well known newspapers from Poona accepted his poems not knowing that the contribution came from a ferocious lad. In 1893 , serious riots broke out between the Hindus and the Muslims in the Azamgarh district and in August of the same year in Bombay. The news of the atrocities then perpetrated on Hindus , gave encouragement to his blood and he resolved to avenge the woes and deaths of his co-religionists. Savarkar then led a batch of selected school mates in a march upon the village mosque. The battalion of these boys showered stones upon it, shattered its windows & tiles and returned victorious. This incident gives the first hint of the heroic mettle Vinayak was made of & the key to his future daring life & leadership.
Around 1896,Maharashtra stood between famine , plague , cholera & death . The countless miseries of the famine & plague – striken masses and the excesses committed by the soldiers infuriated the Chaphekar Brothers of Poona and they shot dead the British plague commissioner , Mr. Rand and one British officer Mr.Ayerst on June 22,1897 in Poona. For this they were hanged.
In the year 1899 , Savarkar had an attack of small pox at Nashik and as a result he was back to Bhagur. There the horrible news of Chaphekar’s heroic ends , reached his ears . It drove Savarkar to grim resolve .This was the most important incident which gave him encouragement to take a vow of liberating his motherland when he was hardly sixteen.In 1899, Savarkar with his friend Mhaskar & Page shaped a friends union called Mitramela .The Mitramela sprouted into the world famous Abhinav Bharat Society. In 1904 its network spread over the western and central India & subsequently its branches in the form of Gadar Party resounde in Britain , France ,Germany, America, Honk kong, Singapore and Burma .The aim of Mitramela was absolute political Independence of India and it emphatically asserted that such an independence could be won if need be, by an armed revolt.
In Dec , 1901 Savarkar passed his matriculation exam and left for Poona in 1902. In 1904 Savrakar passed first LLB exam . He then went to Bombay to study Law . In 1906 he went to England .During those days , revolutionaries from Russia , China , Myanmar , Egypt and Ireland took shelter in London occasionally . During his stay his main objective was to have a look at the den of the Britishers , to learn how to organize a revolution & carry on the struggle for the liberation of Hindustan .Savarkar reached London in the first week of July 1906, & took his lodging at the India House founded by Shyamji Krishna Verma .
Around 1908 , Savarkars revolutionary activities increased .Svarkar & his Abhinav Bharat were busy writing , printing ,packing, & posting all the explosives and inflammatory literature .Pistols were smuggled through books and false bottom of boxes.He then also started learning the art of making bombs from a manual given to him by a Russian chemical engineer .
On July 1st 1910, steamer Morea was to convey Savarkar to India . It started from London. Savarkar escaped from the porthole of the ship on July 8th ,1910. Savarkar’s thrilling escape crossed the oceans . However the Britishers caught Savarkar once again . After that he was brought back to India . On 15th September 1910 , all the search work began under the leadership of Sir Scott . On 24th Dec , 1910 , the court was fully packed to hear the decision on Savarkar . The decision was given at last . Savarkar was sentenced to life imprisonment at Kalapani . In 1911 one more decision was sentenced on him and that too was for life imprisonment . His release would now be on 24th Dec . Savarkar arrived in Andaman . Room no .7 was his living place now . The three storeyed cellular jail was waiting for him . Slowly & slowly Savarkar started to face the atrocities . His body was tiring , but still his love for the motherland forced him to face them . After that the Governer of Bombay Sir George Llyoid arrived for the talks on Savarkars release , but some conditions were laid on him which were as follows ;
He should not go beyond Ratnagiri .
He should not participate in politics for the next five years.
Situation forced him to agree and at last on 6th Jan , 1924 Savarkar removed the prisoners clothes . He started social work in Ratnagiri. On the 10th of May ,1937 due to efforts of Jamnadas Mehta he got the permission to go out of Ratnagiri. He then came to Bombay and started living in his own house, Savarkar Sadan . But Savarkar was now becoming tired and was nearing death . On 28th May 1943 he gave a slip to death and stepped in his 61st year . On 15th Aug , 1947 India became Independent . Savarkar unfurled the national tri colour in his house & saluted it. At last , Savarkar thought , that his efforts for the liberation of Hindustan were helpful . On 9th February , 1963 condition of Savarkar deteriorated very much & at last he died on 4th November 1963 .
Savarkar , one of the makers of modern India would be a beacon of hope , courage and guidance.
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