Veer Savarkar- A profile in courage

Revolution in the Lion's Den

 Savarkar's main aim was to forge an anti-British front on global level, against their empire, at a global level. He had a four point plan to achieve liberation of India, through teaching of Swadeshi, Boycott of foreign goods, imparting a nationalist education, and using armed revolution. He helped in setting up small bomb factories, purchasing arms, adopting guerilla tactics where needed and also spreading the message in the armed forces.  He founded the Free India Society in Londo for this very pupose, and six months down the line in 1906, December, launched the London chapter of Abhinav Bharat, the secret revolutionary society, made up of like minded students like him.

One of the group members, Bapat, who would later become famous as Senapati Bapat, travelled to Paris along with  Hemachandra Das and Mirza Abbas, to master the bomb making technique from the Russian revolutionaries there.  It was decided to spread this knowledge to India too,  and the Russian manuscript was translated into English.  The copies were smuggled to India by Hemachandra and Hotilal Varma, one of which was presented to Tilak himself. The London based group, was not just content with theory, they actually tested the formulas to check their utility.  Bapat on one occasion, threw the papers that had the picric acid drops into the fire, that in turn caused a loud explosion.  Another time, Madan Lal Dhingra's hands were scalded, when he picked up, the burning hot flask right off the burner without pincers. Soon Bapat, Das and Varma proceeed to India, to organize the revolutionaries and also teach them the techniques of bomb making.

It was around this time, that Savarkar came in contact with Varhaneri Venkatesa Subramanya Aiyer, or more commonly known as V.V.S.Aiyar, who would soon become one of his closest associates in London. Aiyar had practiced law for some time in Rangoon, and had come to London to appear for the Bar. Like most other Indians in England then, he was pretty much enamored of the Western lifestyle and culture. A chance meeting with Savarkar, and attending a talk on "Are we obliged to British" during a Free India Society meeting, changed his outlook. To such an extent that he would later become Savarkar's right hand man. 

Abhinav Bharat once again met in July 1908, at Barrister Gyanchand Verma's home in Warwick Street,  and with a revolver in hand, Varma took an oath to free the nation from British rule. And the oath was repeated by Madan Lal Dhingra, Sikander Hayat Khan, Baba Joshi, Hernam Singh and Savarkar himself.  Savarkar's works on Mazinni, the 1857 War of Independence, and his brochures like "Oh  Martyrs", "Choose Oh Indian Princes", aimed to awaken the nationalist consciousness among Indians, that would in turn provide the right environment for an armed revolution. He began to ship the arms to India, some via Sikandar Hayat Khan, another consignment for Hyderabad State, through an Italian lady associate of his.  Savarkar and Aiyar sent another consignment of revolvers through their cook at India House, Chaturbuj, who was also an Abhinav Bharat member.  Around 20 revolvers and a few thousand cartridges in a false bottom bag were sent to Pen, in India, where they were received by Gopalrao Patankar.

Savarkar also attempted to build up a world wide insurrection against the British rule, that featured revolutionaries from Ireland, Egypt and officials from Germany, as well as Turkish nationalists, all of whom were fighting the British in one way or another.  He also placed one of his associates MPT Acharya as a plant in Scotland Yard, who would deliberately supply them with false information, while getting out the true information needed. The British Government too struck back, placing their informer Kirtikar in India House. Under the pretext of studying dentistry, Kirtikar began to spy on the Indian revolutionaries, however he was soon found out by Savarkar and Aiyyar. Barging into his room, they made him confess, and ensured that Kirtikar would still pass information to Scotland Yard, the difference being it was doctored content provided by them.

The British media now began to take note of  Savarkar seriously.  The Evening Standard was the first to accuse Savarkar of instigating the Indian students towards sedition. Daily Mail, Manchester Guardian and Dispatch too interviewed Savarkar. A visiting reporter to India House, claimed Savarkar believes in total indepedence for India, nothing less, and he found no reason to be thankful to the Hindus. The media attacked Shyamji Krishna Varma too, for his silence over the assasinations of British officials, by the revolutionaries, and his release of funds towards the revolutionaries  hanged in Bengal. As Shyamji stated, the Kurukshetra was being fought right in the den of the lion, and Savarkar like Arjun was rattling the British rulers and establishment, right under their noses.

The revolution had spread to the Indian shores too, with Abhinav Bharat, leading the charge in Maharashtra.  On the eastern front, Bengal exploded in revolutionary anger, post the partition,  led by very knowledgable men.  Jugantar, was more inspired by the Russian revolution, began to publish articles studying the tactics of the revolutionaries there. One very keen observation they made was that the Tsar's Army contained many revolutionary sympahtizers, who would join the rebels when the time came.  The same tactic was employed during the French Revolution too, and there was an added advantage here that the Indian soldiers, were essentially serving a British imperial army. And it was much easier, to instigate them against their masters, ala the 1857 Revolution.  The rebel soldiers would not just join hands with the revolutionaries, but also bring in the much needed supply of arms.

Once again the Raj struck back ruthlessly, Yugantar the paper that published the article on the Russian Revolutionaries, was attached, and it's editors were prosecuted, and one of them was jailed. The crackdown was swift and brutal, Yogi Aravindbabu was arrested for an article in the Vande Mataram. B.V. Phadke the editor of Vihari, was sentenced to two years imprisonment, this was one of the papers in which Savarkar had earlier published his articles, and also sent newsletters to from London. Another editor Brahmabandhav Upadhyaya of Sandhya, a paper as popular as Yugantar died in prison.  The repression by the British Raj, angered the general Indian populace more.

In the meantime Hemachandra Das, bought the bomb manual to India, and revolutionaries were taught  bomb making, as well as testing it. On April 30, 1908, a bomb exploded in Muzaffarpur, it was ostensbily to assasinate the District Magistrate Kingsford. However while the Magistrate escaped, it killed Ms. Kennedy and her daughter. Khudiram Bose along with his co conspirator Dinesh Chandra Ray was arrested. While Ray escaped and shot himself, Khudiram was hanged to death.  The police manhunt in Maniktola, led to a small library that contained books and manuals on bomb making.  Around 34 youth were arrested including Hemachandra,  Barindra Kumar Ghosh.

The crackdown was equally severe in Maharashtra too, Dhondopant Phadke, the editor of Arunodaya from Thane, and Rambhau Mandlike, the editor of Vihari were arrested, tried and jailed. Paranjpe, who had written article on the attempted assasinaton of  Kingsford, at Muzaffarpur was arrested, and sentenced to 19 months in prison. Tilak was arrested and on July 23, 1908 was deported to Mandalay in exile.  Babarao was put under surveillance, and he had an angry exchange with the police, after the crowd became restive, during the trial of Paranjpe.  He was arrested and jailed for a month.  Having got hold of information, that Babarao could receive the consignment of revolvers being sent by Savarkar from London, he was arrested at Madhavashram when he came to Mumbai on February 28, 1909.  Accused of sedition for publishing excerpts from Savarkar's book on Mazinni and the Abhinav Bharat series, he was sentenced for life at the dreaded Cellular Jail. His property was also seized and forfeited.