RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat says ‘those who do not know the generosity of Savarkar’s thoughts, they defame him’
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday said there was a campaign going on for years to “malign” Veer Savarkar’s legacy, and there was a lack of correct information about him that needed to be addressed. He was speaking at the release of the book Veer Savarkar: The Man Who Can Have Prevented Partition by Information Commissioner Uday Mahurkar and Academician Chirayu Pandit. At the same ceremony, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh described Savarkar as a “symbol of Indian history”, and it was at Mahatma Gandhi’s request that Savarkar filed a mercy petition for the British.
“Many people are spreading lies about Savarkar that he apologized to the British. However, the truth is that this petition was filed at the behest of Mahatma Gandhi as a legal right so that he can come out of jail and join the freedom movement,” Mr Singh said.
“He was and will remain a symbol of Indian history,” he said. There may be differences of opinion about him but it is not fair and just to degrade him. He was a freedom fighter and a staunch nationalist, but only those who follow Marxist and Leninist ideology accuse Savarkar of being a fascist…,” Mr Singh said, adding that the hatred towards him was illogical and unwarranted.
“Savarkar was of the view that India’s relations with other countries should depend on how conducive they are to India’s security and interests, irrespective of the form of government there,” Mr. Singh said. he said. “Savarkar was India’s first military strategic affairs expert of the 20th century, giving the country a strong defense and diplomatic doctrine,” Mr Singh said.
Mr Bhagwat, on his part, said that Savarkar’s ideology of Hindutva never suggested discrimination between people on the basis of their culture and “method of worshiping God”. “Savarkar used to say that why do we differentiate we are sons of one motherland, we are brothers. Various systems of worship have been the tradition of our country. We are fighting for the country together,” he said, adding that it was his Hindutva.
Underlining that Savarkar was not an enemy of Muslims, Mr. Bhagwat said that he had written many ghazals in Urdu. “He did not hate Muslims, he knew Urdu also. There are many types of views in a democracy. Those who do not know the liberality of Savarkar’s views, they defame him. ji is needed. Gandhi ji should work with good health in mind as he is needed. Ambedkar-ji and Gandhi-ji are appreciated by all, but small people have made baseless allegations against Savarkar,” he said.
He said that “Hindutva is that which is eternal”, and that “the talk of separatism cannot be a matter of privilege.” Savarkar had said that no one should be appeased. His predictions are coming true one after the other. After 2014, the national policy will follow the security policy, which has become clear,” Mr Bhagwat said.