V.D. Savarkar

In News 

The former Chief Minister inaugurated the Savarkar Rath Yatra in Mysore 

About Vinayak Damodar Savarkar 

• He, popularly known as Swatantryaveer Savarkar,
• Born in a Hindu Marathi family in Nashik, Maharashtra on May 28, 1883 and was nicknamed ‘Veer’ for his courage from an early age.
• He was a freedom fighter, politician, lawyer, writer, social reformer, and institutor of Hindutva  ideology. 
• Contribution in Freedom Struggle: 
  • He was against foreign goods and propagated the idea of Swadeshi. In 1905, he burnt all the foreign goods in a bonfire on Dussehra.
  • He was arrested in 1909 on charges of plotting an armed revolt against the Morley-Minto reform. 
    • In 1910, he was arrested over his association with the revolutionary group India House. 
  • Mitra Mela   :He formed a youth organisation. Known as Mitra Mela (Group of Friends), this organisation was put into place to bring in national and revolutionary ideas.
  • Untouchability: He started one of the most powerful social reform movements against untouchability in India”, He built the Patit Pavan Mandir in the Ratnagiri district to allow entry to all Hindus, including Dalits.
• Writings: He wrote ‘The Indian War of Independence, 1857‘ during his jail time.
  • He also wrote Hindutva: Who Is a Hindu? coining the term Hindutva (“Hinduness’ ‘), which sought to define Indian culture as a manifestation of Hindu values; this concept grew to become a major tenet of Hindu nationalist ideology.
  • He also founded the two-nation theory in his book ‘Hindutva’ calling Hindus and Muslims two separate nations. In 1937, Hindu Mahasabha passed it as a resolution.

• Views on Quit India Movement of 1942:

• He opposed the Quit India Movement of 1942. 
• He was accused of having a role in the conspiracy to assassinate Mahatma Gandhi but was later acquitted by the court. 

• Related Organisations

• Abhinav Bharat Society (Young India Society)(1904):
  • He established a secret organization called Abhinav Bharat Society in 1904 with his brother, Ganesh Damodar Savarkar.
  • He was associated with India House and founded student societies like Free India Society.
• Hindu Mahasabha: (1933)
  • As the President of the Hindu Mahasabha:
    • He was a nationalist and one of the most important figures of the Hindu Mahasabha (“Great Society of Hindus”), a Hindu nationalist organization and political party.
    • He also served as the President of the Hindu Mahasabha for seven years. He endorsed the idea of a Hindu Rashtra (Hindu nation).

• Death:
  • It was in 1964, when Savarkar declared his wish to attain Samadhi and started the hunger strike on February 1, 1966, and passed away on February 26, 1966. 

Source:TH