Mumbai: As part of his Maharashtra tour, Union Home Minister Amit Shah was in Mumbai Tuesday, where he presented the first Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Rajya Prerana Geet Puraskar to the patriotic song Anadi Mee, Anant Mee, written by V.D. Savarkar.
The ceremony was held at the Maharashtra Chief Minister’s official residence, ‘Varsha’, in the presence of CM Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde. Ranjit Savarkar, grandson of the late Hindu ideologue V.D. Savarkar, accepted the award on behalf of the Swatantryaveer Savarkar Foundation.
After the award ceremony, Shah was scheduled to deliver a speech at Mumbai University in memory of Veer Savarkar and inaugurate the “Swatantryaveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar Knowledge and Research Centre.” However, due to inclement weather in both Mumbai and Delhi, he curtailed his visit and returned to Delhi from Varsha.
Chief Minister Fadnavis delivered the speech on Shah’s behalf, during which he praised Savarkar’s contributions to the freedom movement.
“I want to thank Mumbai University for inaugurating a knowledge and research centre in the name of Savarkar because his life is full of chapters and even if we work and research each chapter for 25 years, we won’t be able to complete it. His contributions are immense and so it is apt that this centre is opened under his name,” Fadnavis said.
He added that he would formally initiate efforts to restore Savarkar’s barrister degree, which was withheld by the British authorities.
“Savarkar completed his law education in London but was denied the title of Barrister since he refused to pledge allegiance to the British Crown. This was not just an injustice to his intellect but a testament to his unwavering patriotism. The state government will now begin correspondence with the British government to reclaim his degree with due respect,” he said.
He also lashed out at the Opposition for referring to Savarkar as ‘Maafiveer’.
“I want to thank the Supreme Court for lashing out at the Opposition for calling him Maafiveer. I believe at least now those fools will stop calling him names. I hope they will behave properly now but I know it won’t happen,” he added.
Fadnavis also spoke about Savarkar’s life and how the freedom fighter had inspired the youth to join the independence movement.
“After going to London, he inspired many to turn towards the freedom movement. His writings ignited the freedom fire within many, and many more youth turned towards the freedom movement,” he said. “He had a lot of confidence and strength. When he was caught and when it was thought that everything was over for him, to keep his spirits up, he wrote the song Anadi Mee, Anant Mee. That is what sets him apart.”
Fadnavis also spoke about Savarkar’s time in the Cellular Jail in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where he was sentenced to life imprisonment by the British. The CM said that even then Savarkar remained strong in spirit and continued to inspire fellow freedom fighters imprisoned alongside him.
After his release, Savarkar wrote extensively about caste discrimination in society, said Fadnavis, adding that these writings are still available today. Savarkar also wrote several books on the Hindu religion, questioned various rituals, and believed that if a ritual wasn’t backed by science, he didn’t believe in it, Fadnavis said.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
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