Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday said that there was a campaign going on to “defame” the legacy of Veer Savarkar over the years, and there was a lack of correct information about him that needed to be addressed. He was speaking at the launch of the book Veer Savarkar: The Man Who Could Have Prevented Partition by Information Commissioner Uday Mahurkar and academic Chirayu Pandit. At the same function, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh described Savarkar as an “icon of Indian history”, and that it had been at the request of Mahatma Gandhi that Savarkar had filed a mercy petition to the British.
“Many are spreading lies about Savarkar that he apologised to the British. However, the truth is that this petition was filed as legal rights at the behest of Mahatma Gandhi so that he could come out of jail and join the freedom movement,” Mr. Singh said.
“He was an icon of Indian history and will remain so. There can be differences of opinions about him but to look down on him as inferior is not appropriate and justifiable. He was a freedom fighter and staunch nationalist, but people who follow the Marxist and Leninist ideology are the ones who accuse Savarkar of being a fascist...,” Mr. Singh said, adding that hatred towards him was illogical and unplaced.
“Savarkar was very forthright in saying that India’s relations with other countries should depend on how conducive they are to India’s security and its interests, irrespective of what kind of government there was,” Mr. Singh added. “Savarkar was India’s first military strategic affairs expert of the 20th century, who gave the country a robust defence and diplomatic doctrine,” Mr. Singh said.
Mr. Bhagwat on his part said that Savarkar’s ideology of Hindutva never suggested differentiation between people on the basis of their culture and “methodology of worshipping god”. “Savarkar used to say why do we differentiate we are sons of the same mother land we are brothers. The different methodologies of worship have been the tradition of our country. We have been fighting for the country together,” he said, adding that this was his Hindutva.
Underlining that Savarkar was not an enemy of Muslims, Mr. Bhagwat said he had written many ghazal s in Urdu. “He didn’t hate Muslims, he knew Urdu too. There are many thoughts in a democracy. Those who do not know the generosity of Savarkar’s ideas, they defame him. Savarkar had given a statement that Gandhi- ji is needed by the country. Gandhi- ji should work keeping in good health because he is needed. Ambedkar- ji and Gandhi- ji have been appreciated by all, but petty people have made frivolous allegations against Savarkar,” he said.
He added that “Hindutva is one which is eternal”, and that “talk of separatism cannot be a matter of privilege.” “Savarkar had said that there should be no appeasement of anyone. His predictions, one after the other, have come true. After 2014, the national policy will follow the security policy, which has become clear,” Mr. Bhagwat said.
