Chronology of Veer Sawarkar's Life

Vinayak Damodar Sawarkar

28 May 1883 - Born in Bhagur, a tiny village in Dist. Nasik, Maharashtra
1892 - Lost his mother Radhabai
1898 - Took an oath before the family deity to conduct armed revolt against British Rule
09 Sep 1898 - Lost his father Damodarpant

01 Jan 1900 - Founded Mitra Mela, a secret revolutionary society
01 Mar 1901 - Married Yamuna (Mai)

19 Dec 1901 - Passed Matriculation examination

24 Jan 1902 - Joined Fergusson College, Pune

May 1904 - Founded Abhinav Bharat - A revolutionary organisation

Nov 1905 - Organised the first public bonfire of foreign clothes in Pune

Dec 1905 - Passed B.A. examination

June 1906 - Left for London
10 May 1907 - Celebrated Golden Jubilee of Indian War of Independence 1857 in London

June 1907 - Wrote the book “Joseph Mazzini” which was later published by Babarao Savarkar
1908 - Wrote 'Indian War of Independence 1857'. It was secretly published in Holland

May 1909 - Passed Bar-at-Law examination, but granting of permission to practice was denied
01 July 1909 - Madanlal Dhingra shot dead Curzon Wyllie in London

24 Oct 1909 - Vijayadashmi celebrated under the Chairmanship of Gandhi at India House, London

13 Mar 1910 - Arrested on arrival in London from Paris

08 Jul 1910 - Epic escape through the port hole of SS Morea while being taken to India
24 Dec 1910 - Awarded Transportation for Life

31 Jan 1911 - Awarded Transportation for Life for the second time, the only person in the history of the British Empire to have received it twice

04 Jul 1911 - Entered the Cellular Jail, Andamans

April 1919 - Yesuvahini, the wife of his elder brother passed away

21 May 1921 - Both brothers brought back to the Indian mainland
1921-1923 - Lodged at Alipore and Ratnagiri Jails

06 Jan 1924 - Released from Yerawada Prison and interned in Ratnagiri on condition that he would not participate in politics
07 Jan 1925 - Daughter Prabhat was born

10 Jan 1925 - A new weekly “Shraddhanand” launched in memory of Swami Shraddhanandji of Arya Samaj

Mar 1925 - Dr. Hedgewar, who was to found the RSS later, met Savarkar

01 Mar 1927 - Gandhi called on Savarkar at Ratnagiri

17 Mar 1928 - Son Vishwas was born

16 Nov 1930 - First interdining organized as a part of social reform campaign

Feb 1931 - Instrumental in establishment of Patitpavan Mandir open to all Hindus

25 Feb 1931 - Presided over Bombay Presidency Untouchability Eradication Conference

26 Apr 1931 - Chairman of the Somvanshi Mahar Parishad in the premises of Patitpavan Mandir

17 Sep 1931 - Arranged programmes such as keertan by a person belonging to the bhangi caste, interdining of 75 ladies as a part of social reform campaign
22 Sep 1931 - Prince of Nepal, Hem Bahadur Samsher Singh called on Savarkar

10 May 1937 - Unconditional release from internment at Ratnagiri

10 Dec 1937 - Elected as President of Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha at its 19th Session at Karnavati (Ahmedabad) and continued to be re-elected President for the next seven years

15 Apr 1938 - Elected as President of Marathi Sahitya Sammelan

01 Feb 1939 - Started unarmed resistance against the Nizam of Bhaganagar (Hyderabad)

22 Jun 1941 - Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose called on Savarkar

25 Dec 1941 - Bhagalpur struggle

May 1943 - Public felicitations on the occasion of 61st birth anniversary

14 Aug 1943 - University of Nagpur conferred Honorary D.Litt. on Savarkar

05 Nov 1943 - Elected president of Marathi Natya Sammelan at Sangli

16 Mar 1945 - Elder brother Babarao passed away

19 Apr 1945 - Presided over All India Princely States Hindu Sabha Conference at Baroda (Gujarat)

08 May 1945 - Daughter Prabhat married at Pune

Apr 1946 - Bombay Government lifted ban on Savarkar’s literature

15 Aug 1947 - Hoisted both Bhagwa and Tricolour Flags on Savarkar Sadanto celebrate India's independence

05 Feb 1948 - Arrested under the Preventive Detention Act after Gandhi's murder

10 Feb 1949 - Acquitted in Gandhi Murder Trial

19 Oct 1949 - Youngest brother Dr. Narayanrao Savarkar passed away

Dec 1949 - Inaugurated Calcutta session of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha

04 Apr 1950 - Was arrested and detained in Belgaum jail on the eve of arrival of Pakistani Prime Minister Liaquat Ali in Delhi

May 1952 - Public function held at Pune to announce the dissolution of Abhinav Bharat, the revolutionary society having achieved its aim of freeing India

Feb 1955 - Presided over Silver Jubilee celebrations of Patitpavan Mandir at Ratnagiri

23 Jul 1955 - Was the Chief Speaker at Lokmanya Tilak Centenary Celebrations in Pune

10 Nov 1957 - Main speaker at the Centenary Celebrations of the Indian War of Independence 1857 held in New Delhi

28 May 1958 - Accorded a civic reception by Greater Bombay Municipal Corporation on the occasion of his Diamond Jubilee

08 Oct 1959 - University of Pune conferred honorary D. Litt. at his residence

24 Dec 1960 - Mrityunjay Divas celebration - a day set down for the release of Savarkar after completing the sentences of two Transportation for Life

15 Apr 1962 - Sri Prakash, Governor of Bombay called upon Savarkar at his residence to pay his respects

29 May 1963 - Hospitalized for a fracture in the leg

08 Nov 1963 - Savarkar’s wife Yamuna passed away

Sep 1965 - Taken seriously ill

01 Feb 1966 - Takes a decision to fast unto death

26 Feb 1966 - 10.30 a.m., at the age of 83, Savarkar left his mortal coil

27 Feb 1966 - Cremation at the electric crematorium, the final salute given by 2500 uniformed swayamsevaks of the RSS and millions of admirers across the country

Early Impressions of the British of Veer Sawarkar

Letter from Sir Richmond to R Ritchie dated 14th June 1906

L/P&S/7/317/2432 - Letter from Sir Richmond to R Ritchie dated 14th June 1906

V D Savarkar is a brahmin youth aged about 22. He was educated at the Fergusson College, Poona where he graduated. While in the college he attended a mass meeting of students under the presidency of N C Kelkar, (editor of Maratta) who addressed the meeting, advising students to support the "Swadeshi" movement after which the meeting was thrown open for discussion. It was at this meeting that Savarkar first came under notice as a fiery and unbridled speaker. It is reported that at this meeting Savarkar urged his countrymen to dispose everything that is English, and to abstain from purchasing foreign goods. He suggested that all students should burn their clothes made of English & Foreign cloth on Dasara day at Lakdipool.

For this breach of college discipline Savarkar was fined Rs 10. The fine was subscribed by the other students and handed over to Savarkar.

Since leaving college he has gone to Nasik, where he is taking a active part in the "Swadeshi" movement. At a meeting held at Nasik regarding the Bengal Government's student circular, Savarkar informed the audience that he was of the opinion that the movement was distinctly in the interests of civilisation and was not directed against the Government, and that they should not cease to participate in it and that no harm could befall those interesting themselves in the movement. At another meeting held at Nasik, Savarkar is reported to have made a rabid speech. But the details of this speech have not been furnished. The police have been requested by the District Magistrate to keep an eye on him.

Savarkar is apparently looked upon as Sine Qua Non (an essential or condition) by students, and recently he has been invited by them to establish in Poona a society for the political emancipation of India. Savarkar responded to the invitation and convened a meeting for the purpose at which he and others spoke. Savarkar wound up his address by dallying on the subject of youth and vigour, scoffed at the experience of old age, which he compared to faded flowers not fit for garlanding the goddess of nation, and thus led up to Shivaji and Ramdas and latter's advice as given in a stanza of which the first 3 lines may be translated as follows, "Collect many men, make their thoughts one, and fall together.”

The fourth line of the stanza was omitted by Savarkar but its very omission produced the desired effect. It runs in the "Mlenchhas." Savarkar excuses himself and said the assembly would understand what he intended to say but could not say it openly, as he was aware of the presence of detectives, a fact of which he was glad as if they helped in the work about to be taken up so much the better for the country.

Savarkar's quotation was taken up by repeated cries of "Bande Mataram," "Shri Shivaji Maharaj Ki Jai," "Shri Ramdas Ki Jai," etc. Savarkar continued that they had lost everything but that they should not shed tears, it behooved them to shed blood to regain what they had lost. Tears, he said, were woman's lot, work for men. He ended up by saying what they had lost was their religion and this is what they had to establish.

Savarkar is reported to be developing into a popular agitator and is proceeding to England to lay before the people there the grievances of his fellow countrymen. His expenses are to be defrayed out of the Shivaji scholarship started by S K Varma (Actually, Barrister Sardarsingh Rana (born 12 April 1870, in Katharia in Saurashtra) had announced three traveling fellowships of Rs. 2000 each. These fellowships were named after Maharana Pratap, Chhatrapati Shivaji and Akbar. Savarkar received the Shivaji fellowship on the recommendation of Lokmanya Tilak and Kaal editor Shivrampant Paranjpe) now residing in London.

The exact date of his departure is not known (on 09 June 1909, Savarkar embarked on S.S. Persia and reached London on 24 June 1906) but he is being entertained by those who sympathise with his cause as if he were on the point of leaving the country.
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Remarks by W L Warner.
All we can do is to make his acquaintance and take notes, but not shadow him in any way. 3/6/06.

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Mr Ritchie

Mr Savarkar called on me today, by appointment, about obtaining an order for the House of Commons to hear the debate on the Indian Budget on the 20th July - a small man with an intelligent face and a nervous manner. He is staying with S K Varma at the India House and has entered Grays Inn to study for the Bar. Sir W Lee Warner saw him in my room and we agree in thinking that there is no objection to his being given the order he asks for.

W H C Wyllie. 18/7/06.