Thread by @vikramsampath

In this discussion yday with @sardesairajdeep on @IndiaToday @irfhabib claimed that with 40 yrs work on Bhagat Singh he didn't find a single line of support from Savarkar for him. I wasn't given time to produce a counter, so here it is abt the bonhomie of the two men(1)

In an article "Vishwa Prem" published twice in Matwala of 15 & 22 nov 1926 Bhagat Singh spoke of Savarkar's tender heart despite being a revolutionary. "World-lover is the hero whom we do not hesitate a little to call a fierce insurgent, staunch anarchist- the same heroic (2)

Savarkar. Coming in the wave of world love he used to stop walking on the grass thinking that the soft grass would be mowed under the feet" (bhagat singh aur unke saathiyon ke sampoorn dastavez, Satyam ed. 2006, p 93) (3)

March 1926 BS wrote on VDS & his protege in London martyr Madan Lal Dhingra ( ibid pp 166-68). Article in VDS' "Shraddhanand" titled 'The real meaning of terror' published by BS in "Kirti" in May 1928 (ibid 243-48) & distributed as pamphlets "Armed but tyrannical" (4)

On BS's execution VDS wrote a poem in his honour "Ha, Bhagat Singh Ha! You galloped on the gallows, oh hai for us! Rajguru, you ha! veer kumar, martyr in national warfare. This ah! Of today wl win trow. Royal crown wl come home. Wore you crown of death before that. We wl take (5)

Arms in our hands, the ones with u were killing the enemy! Who is a sinner. Go matryr! We take oath with testimony. The fight wt arms is explosive, we are remaining behind u. Wl fight & win freedom!" Sung by all kids in Ratnagiri & shok sabhas across Maharashtra.(6)

4 months later in Shraddhanand VDS wrote an article reminding ppl of BS & his associates & their brave martyrdom (YD Phadke, Shodh Savarkarancha, Pune 1984 pp 123-31) This was in line with the articles he constantly wrote in support of revolutionaries in his Shraddhanand (7)

On 15 Feb 1930 he wrote a piece in support of Ashfaqullah Khan "Janatecha Pyara Ashfaq" (Ratnagiri Parva, pp 7 of Appendix). Like Subhas Bose who was critical of Gandhi's silence on Jatin Das's martyrdom & death, VDS took MKG to cleaners in numerous articles urging him (8)

To say something in support of a young man who had starved to death- 12 Oct 1929, 16 Nov 1929 articles in Shraddhanand were on Jatin Das & MKG's silence to acknowledge the braveheart. Bose too was critical of MkG for this ("The Indian Struggle" by Bose pp 193-194) (9)

In BS's jail diary six quotes from VDS's Hindu Pad Padshahi book are found (Jail notebook of Shaheed BS, unistar books 2016 p 300). BS got 4th edition of VDS' book on 1857 published (The Indian War of independence, Phoenix publications, 1947, p xvi).(10)

Copies of this 1857 book were found in raids on all members of HSRA accused in Lahore Conspiracy case. That BS used this book & Life of Barrister Savarkar as entry criteria for members to HSRA borne out by interview of Durga Das Khanna in 1976 (oral archives transcripts NMML) (11

The other connections between VDS & Azad, Rajguru Durga Bhabhi, Prithvi Singh azad, Sachindranath Sanyal, Rash Behari Bose & other revolutionaries during his internment in Ratnagiri till 1937 & afterwards is something I document with sources in my volume 2 for those interested.

Unfortunately we make vacuous insinuations with no basis neglecting the plethora of sources that are dying to be heard & construct a narrative to demonize someone without backing evidence!