By : Neha Dhyani
Updated : Mar 7, 2023, 13:22
Veer Savarkar Jayanti is celebrated to pay homage to Indian freedom fighter Swatantryaveer Savarkar. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, also known as Swatantryaveer Savarkar, was an Indian freedom fighter, politician, activist and writer.
Born on 28 May 1883 in Bhagur, in a small village near Nashik in Maharashtra, Veer Savarkar went on to play an important role in India's freedom struggle.
He is renowned for his literature, which inspired many revolutionaries and freedom fighters to join the fight against British oppression. He is also the founder of Abhinav Bharat Society, a secret organisation that organised armed rebellion and activities against British rule.
He was part of the freedom movement in the India House in London and established student institutions like Free India Society. From 1937 to 1943, he was also the President of the Hindu Mahasabha and was well known for coining the term 'Hindutva'.
Keep reading to know some key facts about the inspiring freedom fighter whose birth anniversary is celebrated as Veer Savarkar Jayanti all over India.
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Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was born on 28 May 1883 in Bhagur village near Nashik, Maharashtra. Since his childhood, he was inspired to fight against the oppressive British rule and, in 1904, founded the secret society called Abhinav Bharat at a very young age. His elder brother Babarao and Ganesh were also part of this organisation.
He completed his BA from Fergusson College in Pune and moved to London to complete his Barrister degree. Here, he stayed at the India House and was an active member of political movements against the British.
In 1910, he was arrested for his role in revolutionary activities against the British. He was charged for abetment to murder of Nashik Collector Jackson (carried out by Madanlal Dhingra), plotting an armed revolt against Morley-Minto reforms and connections with revolutionary groups in London. He was sentenced to 50-years of imprisonment and transported to Andaman in 1911.
Following several mercy petitions, he was brought back to the Indian mainland in 1921 and kept under house arrest. He was barred from being part of any political activities, which was lifted only in 1937.
Post his release, Savarkar went on to be the President of the Hindu Mahasabha and advocated the concept of a Hindu Rashtra.
Having achieved the goal of India's independence, Savarkar felt he had no further role to play in Indian politics. He shunned food since 1 February 1966 and passed away on 26 February the same year.
In 1905, to protest British rule and inspired by Lokmanya Tilak, Veer Savarkar organised the first public bonfire of foreign clothes in Pune, India.
In 1908, Savarkar wrote the book 'Indian War of Independence in 1857' and secretly published it in Holland. The first instance of the ’1857 Sepoy Mutiny' was called the 'War of Independence.
Under the pen name Chitragupta, he released his biography named 'Barrister Savarkar'.
Savarkar played an instrumental role in setting up the Patitpavan Mandir in Ratnagiri, the first temple to allow Hindus of all castes to enter. He also presided over the Bombay Presidency Untouchability Eradication Conference on 25 February 1931 and was a vocal critic of untouchability or the caste system.
Savarkar's life has always been mired with controversy, be it his opinions or criticism of the Congress party, Mahatma Gandhi and his opposition to the Quit India Movement. However, his Hindutva ideology, role in India's freedom struggle, and literature still inspire many individuals.
Veer Savarkar Jayanti has been celebrated officially by the Indian Government since 1980, after a letter by RSS secretary Pandit Bakhle to Indira Gandhi. The then Prime Minister Mrs Gandhi quoted her response, "I have received your letter of 8 May 1980. Veer Savarkar's daring defiance of the British Government has its own importance in the annals of our Freedom Movement. I wish success to the plans to celebrate the birth centenary of the remarkable son of India."
Veer Savarkar Jayanti is celebrated every year to commemorate Savarkar's birth anniversary on 28 May.
Swatantryaveer Savarkar was an Indian freedom fighter, politician, activist and writer. Veer Savarkar Jayanti is celebrated on 28 May every year to commemorate his efforts and role in India's freedom struggle.
Veer Savarkar, the freedom fighter whose birth anniversary is commemorated as Veer Savarkar Jayanti, was arrested in 1910 in London and was given a life sentence for 20 years in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, also known as 'Kala Paani'.
Savarkar, the freedom fighter whose birth anniversary is commemorated as Veer Savarkar Jayanti, is famous for having said, "One country one God, one caste, one mind brothers all of us without a difference, without a doubt." Savarkar's books and speeches are full of many thoughts, but his key slogan instils patriotism.
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