Veer Savarkar (Born 28th May 1883) was a visionary, revolutionary patriot and a brilliant intellectual. His name is carved in golden letters not just in the history of Bharat but also in the annals of the world. The nation was his heart and soul; consequently, the extraordinary literature he created always kept the national interest at its core. While history has seen many literary figures and several revolutionaries, there has never been a revolutionary literary figure quite like Veer Savarkar.
Veer Savarkar’s historic leap at Marseilles
After being arrested by the British, Veer Savarkar was transported aboard the ship S.S. Morea to face prosecution in India. When the ship docked at the port of Marseilles in France on the morning of July 8, 1910, Savarkar was escorted to the bathroom by guards. Seizing the opportunity, Savarkar squeezed himself through the porthole and leaped into the sea.
Though the skin on his chest was badly scraped, he swam determinedly toward freedom. By the time the guards noticed his escape, Savarkar had scaled a nine-foot-tall quay and entered French territory. After running for some distance, he surrendered to the French police. However, the British guards pursued him, bribed the local police officers, and forcibly dragged Savarkar back to the ship.
Savarkar’s arrest on sovereign French soil sparked a major international diplomatic storm, making him the first Indian patriot whose case was contested in an international court of law. His daring leap continues to inspire patriots to this day.
Advice to his young wife before being shipped to the Andaman Jail
“If it is God’s will, we shall meet again. Until then, if you find yourself drawn to ordinary worldly matters, think of the birds that build nests by collecting straws, or ordinary people raising children. If you want to elevate your thoughts to a higher level, consider how we are sacrificing our own home for the welfare of thousands of households. There are countless instances of people dying in plague epidemics, where hundreds of homes are deserted, or where a bride or groom is struck down by destiny right in the middle of their wedding ceremony. Reflect on these realities and face our situation with fortitude.” > — Veer Savarkar (Ref: Mazi Janmathep)
Protection of the nation as the primary focus of literature
Serving as the President of the Marathi Sahitya Sammelan held in Mumbai in 1938, Savarkar delivered a poignant message to all Hindus. In his address, he stated: Veer Savarkar, in his address said, “Finally, I have to say that literature is secondary or tertiary in the list of duties in the present situation of our country. Therefore all wise writers must think whether literature is meant for life, or life is meant for literature. If literature is a secondary aspect of our national existence, then the defense of our national life must be its basic concern and main goal. I respect artists and their art. However, if a theatre catches fire while artists are engrossed in their performance, everyone will rush to save themselves, and art will take second priority. Similarly, when the country faces grave perils, what use is literature?”
Discard your pens and wield weapons
“Therefore, you must discard your pens and wield weapons. Even if a single sonnet is not penned down by our youth in next decade, it wouldn’t matter; it wouldn’t matter even if such literary meets are not held; but we must see thousands of soldiers parading through camps and marching down every lane across the country, carrying modern rifles.”
Apt solution to Pakistani Army’s incursions
Prior to the 1965 war, the Pakistani army frequently crossed into Indian territory and killed Indian citizens, later claiming that their soldiers had entered by mistake. During a meeting with Major General Paranjape, Savarkar remarked: “If Pakistani soldiers enter India by mistake, what is stopping our soldiers from crossing over and attacking them ‘by mistake’?”
Major General Paranjape responded: “How is that possible, Tatya? How can we patrol a 1,500-mile-long border? Where do we stop them, and what can we do?” Veer Savarkar immediately replied: “Is this 1,500-mile border a problem only for us, or is it a problem for them too? If they can cross over and attack, what is your objection? You should also march to Lahore one day ‘by mistake’ and capture it!” Major General Paranjape was left dumbfounded by his reply.
Countering injustices in the Andaman Jail
While jailed in the Andamans, meals were cooked separately for Hindu and Muslim prisoners. Just before mealtime, Muslim prisoners would deliberately touch the food prepared for the Hindus and leave. Terrified that eating food touched by a Muslim would cause them to undergo a religious conversion, the Hindu prisoners would starve for four to five days.
When Savarkar learned of this, he felt that a fitting reply was necessary to defend the Hindu faith. He devised an effective yet simple solution: filling a coconut shell with water, he sprinkled it over the food while reciting the shloka, “Apavitra pavitro va…” He then announced, “This food is now spiritually purified; therefore, anyone who eats it will become a Hindu.” Facing a reversal of the dynamic, the Muslim inmates backed down, and everyone resumed eating their respective meals.
Savarkar also noticed that Hindu prisoners were being coerced into converting to Islam by Pathan officers. Muslim inmates systematically spread their faith among Hindus with the complicity of prison officials. Savarkar took on the dangerous task of opposing this coercion in the Cellular Jail, launching a Shuddhi (reconversion) initiative to bring converted Hindus back into the fold.
Embracing Hindu identity without shame
“Do not think it is inferior or anti-national to call yourself a Hindu. Do not be ashamed to take pride in honouring Shri Ram, Shri Krishna, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Maharana Pratap, and Guru Gobind Singh. There must be a land in this universe dedicated to Hindus where they can prosper. To achieve that, focus on their purification (reconversion) and unification. This work of purification is not merely religious; it is also political.” — Veer Savarkar
If We Forget Shri Ram…
Veer Savarkar held immense reverence for Prabhu Shri Ram and Shri Krushna, viewing them both as supreme military commanders and leaders of the nation. In 1909, he celebrated Vijayadashami in London. Reflecting on the legacy of Prabhu Shri Ram, he said: “When Shri Ram gave up his kingdom, ostensibly to obey his father’s word, but primarily to eradicate demons, he performed a monumental task. When He attacked Lanka and prepared for a righteous, unavoidable battle to slay Ravana, His work was exemplary. But when he exiled Sita to the forest even after she proved herself innocent, as per the saying ‘Aaraadhanaay Lokasya Munchato Naasti Me Vyathaa’, His work as an incarnation reached its pinnacle. He prioritised his duty as a leader and a king over his personal happiness and family.
O Hindus, till you keep Rama’s work as His incarnation and His idol in your heart, there is hope of your regress getting stopped. As long as the son of Dasharath, brother of Lakshman, master of Maruti and husband of Sita is in Hindustan, it is easy to accomplish Hindustan’s progress; but if we forget Shri Ram, nothing will remain. The Congress rulers have however, forgotten Shri Ram and none of the literary giants feel like admonishing them. Is it misfortune of this country or a decline of our literary acumen?
The greatness of Bharat in Savarkar’s eyes
As a leading proponent of the Hindu Mahasabha, Savarkar believed this land was sanctified by the holy waters and tireless penance of sages like Vashistha and Namdev. He regarded the prose of Maharishi Vyas and the Bhagavad Gita of Shri Krushna as the zeniths of literature, and the Ramayana as an enriching ocean of milk (Kshirsagar).
Great women like Damayanti, Savitri, Gargi, and Sita were born of this soil. Pioneers and seers like Kanada, Bhaskaracharya, Aryabhata, Varahamihira, Mahavira, Adi Shankara, Ramanuja, Guru Nanak, Swami Dayanand, and Swami Vivekananda are permanently woven into the grand tapestry of this land’s history.
Ideological resistance during the partition
In 1937, Savarkar’s house arrest in Ratnagiri was lifted, allowing him to re-enter politics. By then, however, the freedom struggle under Gandhi’s leadership had shifted toward accepting partition of the country rather than striving for an undivided Hindustan.
Even in this challenging climate, Savarkar fought with absolute conviction. Armed with inspiration from history, moral values, and sheer willpower, he stood firmly against the momentum pushing toward Partition, striving to redirect the nation back toward an undivided Hindusthan (Akhand Bharat).
He fought simultaneously on four fronts – against the British Government, the Congress party, the Muslim League, and those Hindus who were misled by the principle of unconditional non-violence. In this turmoil, however, some part of this great country slipped creating Pakistan and the rest of the country however, stayed available to Hindus. Savarkar was neither tired nor disheartened. he remained dedicated to convincing the helpless, tired Hindus that with one shock, the newly created Pakistan can be destroyed.
Challenging the monopoly on freedom
“India’s freedom does not belong to a single party, individual, or select group; it belongs to the common man. I will go even further and say that even for those who did not take an active, overt, or covert part in the armed or unarmed freedom movements, the credit for this national victory also belongs to the millions of our brethren who held empathy in their hearts and offered silent prayers.” — Veer Savarkar, 1952
Preserving linguistic integrity
“Many people prefer to use foreign words to describe things, even when our indigenous languages possess perfectly good synonyms. Furthermore, given the vast depth of our root words, it is entirely possible to coin new terms for anything. The use of foreign loanwords from English or Urdu should be strongly discouraged. Neglecting our own language to embrace a foreign vocabulary is like killing one’s own children only to adopt more. (e.g. There are words like Loksabha, Vidhi Mandal, Prajasabha etc; but Gwalior uses ‘Majalis-e-aam’!)
(Ref. Sanatan’s forthcoming publication on ‘Bhasha-shuddhi (puritfication of language)’ Point 1. Main purpose of Bhasha-shuddhi)
Age was just a number to Savarkar
S.P. Gokhale once asked Veer Savarkar, “Tatya, considering your advanced age and frail health, would you actually be able to use the knife you carry with you?”
Savarkar replied: “It is true that I am old and tired. There is little likelihood of anyone attacking me here, but these are merely assumptions. Let us suppose your assumption is correct; then my possessing a weapon may prove fruitless; but it will not cause any harm. But what if your assumption is wrong? Look at what happened to Swami Shraddhanand. His assassin, Abdul Rashid, correctly guessed that Hindus have been lulled into a false sense of security. So in case someone attacks me, I will fight back. If I am defeated due to failing physical strength, I will not regret it; but I would feel very bad if I fell without trying to retaliate. I have fought my entire life, and I wish to die fighting my attackers. While one rarely faces situations where weapons are necessary, if such a crisis arises, simple regret will not help. More often than not, merely possessing a weapon is enough to deter an attacker.”
Literary contributions
Veer Savarkar was a prolific writer. Among his celebrated works are ‘Atharashe Sattavan che Swatanytrya Samar’ (The 1857 War of Independence), ‘Hindu Padapatshahi’ (Hindu Empire), ‘Saha Soneri Paane’ (6 Golden Pages of Indian History), ‘Shikhancha Itihas (The History of the Sikhs) – this remained unpublished, along with numerous plays, poems, and novels.
Veer Savarkar’s far-sighted military policy
Veer Savarkar was always prepared to sacrifice his life to liberate the country from British rule and remains one of India’s most significant historical figures. He strived tirelessly to establish a robust national military policy. Today, as our armed forces face modern manpower challenges, the profound foresight of his strategic vision becomes evident.
A. The vision of a strong militarised India
As children, our grandparents told us stories to instill moral values in us. In that, there would be one character who overcomes severe hardships to achieve ultimate success. But the hero of the Indian freedom struggle, Veer Savarkar, never received his due honour and lived a life bereft of any recognition. However, he never regretted the lack of recognition because he just abided by the endless vow which he had taken to sacrifice everything for the motherland. He was the modern day equivalent of Sage Dadhichi.
Even today, I distinctly remember his public felicitation on the grounds of S.P. College in Pune on June 15, 1961, where he was honored by Senapati Bapat. Savarkar began his speech by saying: “Perhaps I am not a patriot in your eyes, but at least do not insult me by branding me a murderer or anti-national.”
Today, Inda’s armed forces sorely lack young officers. Our country’s planes need pilots. However, in the 1940s, when Veer Savarkar urged Hindu youth to join the armed forces (then administered by the British), he was labelled a collaborator and a traitor. The British were actively encouraging Muslim youth to join the Royal Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force while sidelining Hindus, which Savarkar viewed as an affront to the Hindu warrior spirit (Kshatratej). Realising the long-term dangers of an imbalanced military where allegiances lay elsewhere, Savarkar demanded the militarisation of Hindus at the outbreak of World War II.
Veer Savarkar used every available platform, including literary meets, to urge youth to put down their pens and pick up rifles for the sake of the nation. Over one hundred thousand young men joined the armed forces due to his heartfelt pleas. Meanwhile, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was building the Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army) using trained prisoners of war. The growing military capabilities of Indians, both inside and outside the British system, ultimately forced the British to leave India. Therefore, it is accurate to state that Savarkar and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose were the foundational architects of modern Indian military strength.
B. Motivating the armed forces during crisis
The status of Indians joining the British military was highly precarious; fellow countrymen often disowned them as traitors, while British officers insulted them with racial slurs. In this hostile environment, Savarkar motivated Indian soldiers by telling them to turn their guns in opposite direction once they felt that freedom was in sight and exhibit their ‘Kshatratej’.
In 1946, the Royal Indian Navy (RIN) revolted in Mumbai. British Prime Minister Clement Attlee later confided to the Governor of West Bengal that it was the RIN mutiny and the rising influence of the INA that made the British realise Indian soldiers could no longer be trusted to defend the Empire, hastening their departure from India. This outcome marked the ultimate victory of Savarkar’s military recruitment strategy.
C. The 1962 defeat a consequence of ignoring Savarkar
The post-independence Indian government, which focused heavily on principles of non-violence, peace, and international brotherhood, was repeatedly warned by Savarkar to maintain military readiness and defend national borders. He consistently warned the government about China’s covert expansionist ambitions. Both Savarkar and特 Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel insisted on securing the North-East region (the Seven Sisters) while modernizing the armed forces.
This warning is evident in the urgent letter written by Sardar Patel to Jawaharlal Nehru on November 7, 1950, just 38 days before his death—which was entirely ignored by leaders preoccupied with global prestige. Demands by military chiefs for high-altitude warfare training were similarly overlooked, resulting in India’s tragic defeat in the 1962 Sino-Indian War.
D. Savarkar’s defence policy disregarded
Veer Savarkar held firm convictions regarding India’s strategic defense and military restructuring, believing a nation’s voice carries weight in international politics only when backed by military strength. Had contemporary leaders followed his advice, India’s geopolitical standing would have been secured much earlier.
— Shri Vinayak Shridhar Abhyankar (Retired Military Officer)
Embracing death on his own terms
The great revolutionary, visionary leader, author, playwright, and poet Veer Savarkar voluntarily chose to depart his physical body through prayopaveshan (fasting unto death) on February 26, 1966, in Mumbai.
