Veer Savarkar served as president of Hindu Mahasabha and proposed the idea of India as a Hindu Nation.
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, popularly known as Veer Savarkar was a freedom fighter and is recognised as the Hindutva ideologue. Savarkar served as president of Hindu Mahasabha and proposed the idea of India as a Hindu Nation.
Born on May 28, 1883, in Bhagpur village near Nasik, Savarkar was an activist, politician, lawyer and writer.
Savarkar became a member of the Hindu Mahasabha advocated the term Hindutva (Hinduness), which was previously formulated by Chandranath Basu.
Lesser known facts about Veer Savarkar
- Savarkar was associated with India House and founded student societies including Abhinav Bharat Society, Free India Society, and launched publications that spoken of achieveing complete Indian independence through revolution.
- Savarkar published 'The Indian War of Independence' about the Indian rebellion of 1857. It was later banned by British authorities.
- In 1910, he was arrested over his associations with revolutionary group India House.
- He was sentenced to two life terms after he made a failed attempt to escape while being transported from Marseilles.
- He was taken to the Cellular Jail in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- During his sentence, Savarkar wrote a book in which he talked about Hindutva, about its pride and defined all the people descended of Hindu culture as being part of Hindutva, including the Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs.
- He was released in 1921 after he signed a plea for clemency under which he would renounce revolutionary activities.
- Savarkar served as president of Hindu Mahasabha political party and proposed the idea of India as a Hindu Nation (Hindu Rashtra).
- Savarkar opposed the Quit India Movement of 1942.
- Savarkar was accused of having a role in the cosnpiracy to assassinate Mahatma Gandhi, but was later acquitted by the court.
- Amar Chitra Katha published a comic book on him in the 1970s.
- In 2002, Port Blair airport at Andaman and Nicobar Islands was renamed Veer Savarkar International Airport.