Veer Savarkar:
An MLC in Uttar Pradesh has demanded that the portrait of Hindu Mahasabha leader Vinayak Damodar Savarkar be removed from the picture gallery of the State Legislative Council saying that the installation of his frame next to those of freedom fighters amounted to an “insult” to them. This has stirred controversy in the state.
Veer Savarkar:
- Born on May 28, 1883, in Bhagur, a city in Maharashtra’s Nashik.
Nationalism and social reforms:
- Formed a youth organization- Mitra Mela, this organization was put into place to bring in national and revolutionary ideas.
He was against foreign goods and propagated the idea of Swadeshi. - He championed atheism and rationality and also disapproved orthodox Hindu belief. In fact, he even dismissed cow worship as superstitious.
- Vinayak Savarkar was the president of Hindu Mahasabha from 1937 to 1943.
- When congress ministries offered resignation on 22nd Oct 1939, Hindu Mahasabha under his leadership cooperated with the Muslim League to form government in provinces like Sindh, Bengal, and NWFP.
- In Pune, Savarkar founded the “Abhinav Bharat Society”.
- He joined Tilak’s Swaraj Party.
- He founded the Free India Society.
- The Society celebrated important dates on the Indian calendar including festivals, freedom movement landmarks, and was dedicated to furthering discussion about Indian freedom.
- He believed and advocated the use of arms to free India from the British and created a network of Indians in England, equipped with weapons.
Important works:
- Book- The History of the War of Indian Independence.
- An armed revolt against the Morley-Minto reform.
- Two-nation theory in his book ‘Hindutva’.
