Marseilles

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The day when Mr. Savarkar was to be extradited and sail for India to the intense grief and anxiety of his friends and comrades in arms, he received most touching letters from several Indians as well as European gentlemen. In response he wrote the following letter and managed through a private source to send it out to France from his prison on the eve of his extradition in 1910.

"Whose heart to by silken ties is knit of friendship sweet, that sweeter grows by far partaking of the Godly sacrament of mother‟s creed Divine: Oh friends! Farewell! As tender and fresh as the morning dew that wakes the fragrance! Friends, adieu! Adieu!

"We part to play our God-appointed parts now pent and nailed to burning Rocks; now tossed on surging waves of Fame; now seen, now lost; or humble or exalted—Whether posted by the Lord of Hosts, yet posted best, as if that alone was mission of our life, thus there to act!

"As in some oriental play sublime, all characters, the dead as well as the living, in Epilogue they meet, thus actor we innumerable all-once more shall meet on History‟s copious stage before the great applauding audience of Humanity, that would with grateful cheer fill and dale! Till then, Oh loving friends, Farewell! Farewell! "Wherever may my humble ashes lie: in the Andamans sad brook whose weeping course adds to its dreariness a tongue or stored by Ganga‟s sacred crystal stream in which the stars their midnight measures dance - they will be stirred with fire and glow when Victory‟s trumpet-blast will proclaim: Shree Ram has crowed his chosen people‟s brow with laurels golden green! The Evil Spirit is cast away and chased back to the deep from whence it arose! And lo! She lordly stands, Our Mother land, a beacon light Humanity to guide! Oh martyred saints and soldiers do awake! The battle is won in which you fought and fell!

"Till then, Oh loving friends, farewell! Fare well!"

"Watch sleeplessly the progress of our Mother and learn to count it, not by so much work done or tried, but by how much they suffered, what sacrifice our people could sustain! For work is chance, but sacrifice a Law; foundation firm to rear a mighty Dome of kingdoms new and great! But only great if their roots be in martyrs ashes laid. Thus work for Mother‟s glory, till God‟s breath be rendered back the Godly mission done—a martyr‟s wrath or victor‟s crown be won!"

The Police and the Government, in the meanwhile, were trying to solve the question of how to take this troublesome rebel youth back to India to be tried there. The usual way was to cross the Channel and through France take him to Marseilles and then sail for India. But there were rumours afloat that Mr. Shamji Krishnavarma, the influential leader of the revolutionists, was likely to move the French courts to issue a writ of Habeas Corpus if ever the English dared to take Savarkar through France under custody on political charges. To avoid any further complications it was at last decided to drop the usual route, sail directly from the English shores via the Bay of Biscay avoiding so far as possible any stoppage at foreign ports. Accordingly a strong escort, specially deputed from India, strengthened yet further by picked officers from the Scotland Yard, took charges of the famous revolutionists, boarded the ship and sailed through the Bay.

Mr. Savarkar, when he thus left England in 1910, was nearly 26. He had arrived there when 22 years old. Within the short span of these four years he had transformed the crowed of nerveless ninnies and unprincipled dandies, that the Indian students in England were before generally reputed to be, into band of patriots who, apart from their dreadful methods and questionable tactics, did undoubtedly display a heroic fortitude, a reckless spirit of sacrifice in the interests of their motherland and did indeed win the esteem and enlist the moral sympathy of all European nations in favour of the cause of Indian Freedom. Before that, the European actually expressed his contempt as the sight of Indian as a slave, and worse, as a willing salve. Thenceforth, they looked upon them as men who could retaliate and dare and die for their nation.

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