Bishnoi Community: In test of time

It was our second day in Jodhpur. After having covered all the popular tourist destinations like Ummed Bhawan Palace, Mehrangharh Fort and the adjoining city of Brahmpuri with beautiful rustic blue homes, we drove off to khejarli village. A place that conjured a history of atrocities and resistance of Rajasthani tribes against the royal establishment. I have to admit it was not a part of our itinerary but to our luck, we browsed a photo gallery of Jodhpur on our way to Mandore Garden. It was in the gallery we saw pictures of Bishnoi men in striking white clothes with opulent moustaches and extravagant turbans. This is where we decided that we might extend our trip to a day or two.

The 26 km drive from the main city was comfortable. We passed through the bucolic plains of Jodhpur town. We could see the large empty plain fields. On our way we also managed to pass by the same controversial place where the star cast of Hum sath sath hai allegedly hunted the black buck but wait we'll get back to it later.

We arrived at a home of local Bishnoi who greeted us with a reverential Namaste. We sat down and begin to ask them questions about their livelihood and what kind of government schemes they avail, the distance of school, hospitals from one village to another. They were warm and welcoming in answering every question. So we begin to document the actual story we went there to visit. It was gripping tale that had influenced the different cultures and movements from across the world.

It is an interesting story of locals' restraint against the royal orders of the Raja. The story goes like this

Bishnois Struggle

The Raja of Marwar Abhay Singh wanted to create a new set of furniture and the best quality of wood that fit the suite was found in the local village of khejrali. The king's convoy of craftsmen and officers were sent to collect the wood but it met a strong revolt from the villagers who worshipped tree as living entities. They raised the voice against the encroachment by public officials. They sent back the serving officials with a strong statement of resentment. This angered the raja and he subjected the people to worst crime by ordering to kill the dissidents on site.

The protest was led by Amrita Devi Bishnoi,The killings were carried out mercilessly, hundereds of people died on the site of protest and continued to defend the trees. Soon the news of killings spread to other villages, bishonis turned up in large numebrs to sacrifice their lives to save trees. The killings were finally stopped as the death toll reached 363. There is cenotaph that lays erected in memory of the people died their while fighting for the environment. This movement gave birth to the much popularised Chipko movement that attracted Gandhians. There is also a temple that is being constructed that commemorates the sacrifice and the strong will of Bishonis.

The Bishonis are the descendants of a Sampradaya that worshipped Vishu. There sense of ecology partakes into every sense of their life. They treat animals with same dignity as it is offered to a human. The widely celebrated photograph of a Bishnoi women breastfeeding a newborn dear also attracted international attention. This is the deeply cultural fabric of India that still continues to live to this day and age of modernity where choice of lifestyles take a precedent over rights and wrongs.

Bishnois are dressed in all white. They wear real gold ornaments. Practise age-old agricultural methods and live with basic amenities. There's a tradition to offer opium to the welcoming guests. Likely so, we obliged and ingested a small bit to taste the opium as mark of goodwill. We saw the living rooms and the kitchen where the women prepared rotis with smeared dough of bajra. After having a hearty meal, we talked to the men and women, clicked pictures and browsed the barn to see the domestic animals. There's little differences in details, how the tribes of Rajasthan eat, dress, dance and celebrate life but it's how deeply these little details are tended to enrich the society with the nobility of Rajasthan.

Bishnois in Present.

Bishnois today are highlighted in media for fighting a case against a film star for killing a black buck in the village where Bishnois live. This legal tussle is still going on but it really makes us question how the cherished values of Bhisnois are seen today in the present world. Where the age old tradition comes in combat with the fast changing life.

On one side there's a fleet of powerful people line up to defend a film star. They can afford to do it because they can always afford to feature in PETA magazines for their hefty contributions to media channels and Social outlets. What is more striking is that the same actor then goes on his TV show and ridicules the idea of being in trouble because of an animal. This is the power they weild over the people when they can run over their imagination with the stardom they possess.

When we compare both stories of the past and present. The conflict seems even more perplexing. It was at a time of monarchy when Bishnois stood up and revolted against the system. On the other hand, Bollywood actors Salman Khan is living in a democracy where he has to live under a law. The real question is when Bishnois didn't retreat against absolute power of monarchy, would they be willing to let a bollywood actor go scott free? Well, tt remains to be seen in a test of tradition against the time.

Lessons for Karl Rock on cross cultural understanding

In this article we look at the cross cultural understanding between different cultures around the world on how they treat and respect animals. Is it really necessary to examine different cultures to conduct businesses or international relations. Let us find out.

I have been following the videos of this gora Youtuber for a while now. I watched his vide
os on occasions and found it interesting. Karl Rock is the guy who has managed to captivate the Indian audience by his ability to speak Hindi fluently. In his videos he documents his travel vlogs which are quite popular among the audience.

The impish reactions of local Indians is delightful to watch. People break out in broad smiles and are mesmerised at the sight of white man speaking Hindi. To be honest it is refreshing to see a white guy speaking in Hindi or for that matter any foreign person speaking a regional dialect of the country he or she moves in.

His vlogs also depicts the troubles a foreigner has to go through when local sellers in order to make quick bucks try to sell things at higher price and exploiting tactics used by people to dupe tourists. It has received a warm response among the audience as Indians know how hectic it can get when it comes to going to a different state or a tourist spot where people are trying to sell everything from a bottle of water to a hotel room at hiked prices. As Indians, not only are we aware of it but we can relate to it.

However this positive crusade against the anti social elements have recently turned sour since this theme of scornful Indians has actually is crafted as the main story line of his videos. Adding up the heat, they are now being labelled as intolerant for a culture that reveres cows. A learned man like Karl thinks this reverence for cows nothing more than  a ploy to bash minorities. In his vlog where Karl is travelling in Himachal Pradesh, he crosses a bridge where cows sit nonchalantly on either sides of the bridge, this makes Karl anxious about accidentally hitting the cows for which he think he can be thrashed or worse killed.

This lessons of intolerance has been echoed across the media newsrooms as well who don't understand the dynamics of how people attribute cows to good fortune and all giving. It is said that in a society where a cow can roam without a fear of being harmed is a society that can induce minimum violence to themselves and the nature that preserves them. People share an organically deep relation with cows in India, like we can see in USA and UK dogs and cats are adored for their cuteness.

On the other hand, dogs are perceived as dirty in Islam and are advised to not be touched. There is a great debate among the Islamic scholars where Dogs are worthy of being domesticated or not. The Muslims will therefore avoid touching dogs. If you go to Arab, it's highly unlikely that you will find a dog at someone's house because they don't cherish the same western traditions.

Lets take another example to understand the cross cultural understanding, consider a man from China who relishes eating dog meat enters USA and he wishes to eat dog meat. Would the Americans be labelled intolerant for not submitting to his or her demands. NO! they come from a culture where it is prohibited. If you are from a foreign culture and you enter the host country you respect the values and ideals of that country. USA, a first world country can reject anything they find unfit and not be worried about the media tampering that comes with the repercussions.

It is quite opposite with India that comes with baggage of cow, curry and caste stereotypes. A country that has a long history of agricultural background of economic activities. The domestic animals in India are treated with special care and that includes cattle. This was long recognised by the founding fathers of Indian constitution that added Article 48 prohibiting the slaughter of cattle. Similarly, in Turkey, if you walk on the streets of Istanbull you can see so many cats roaming around who are fed by locals. These felines are well fed and cleaned even though they live on streets.

Now not everyone in China eats cats and dogs or partakes in festivities like Yulin Dog festival where dogs are skinned and cooked for meals. Very much like India, where not everyone considers eating cattle meat as disgusting and tabboo. Despite of it the cultural values of a country can't be wiped off as unreasonable. Now in some traditions, people will find Indian tribes of Bishnois to be mad because they gave up their life for resisting the cutting of tress. Were they simply intolerant of the demands of the aggressors? No it is prohibited in their culture and they chose to lay down their life then accept trees to be chopped down.

On the flip side, there are issues where India has taken to the top spot in beef export. It shows the lack of empathy of the successive governments and the poor state of law and order that allows the sale and slaughter of cattle for meat. When Mc'Donalds came to India they made of conscious decision of not adding Big Mac in their menu because that's the kind of business decisions you need to take if you want the business to sustain in a foreign country. This is the level of cross cultural understanding one needs to put in whether they are going to a country for leisure trip, business deal or establishing cultural relations.

Stand up Jammu: You're next.

In this blog post, we will examine the recent turn of events that has stirred a passionate resistance in Jammu against the divisive schemes of Islamists to haunt the Jammu Rajput Dogras and Sikhs for fostering faith in the constitution of India. An idea that serves multiplicity of beliefs, allows ample space to the diverse communities of Jammu and Kashmir like Hindus, Buddhists, sikhs, bakarwals, ahemdiyas mercilessly fails to break grounds in the valley because in Kashmir it is seen as highly aboriginal and doesn't seem to find a place in Islamofascist dictum, therefore, it is countered with Jihadi extremism. The brunt of which is borne by neighbouring place Jammu.

More than 50,000 people took to the streets in Kootah area of Jammu as part of "Dogra Swabhimaan Rally" to seek the intervention of a free and fair investigation by CBI of the Kathua Rape victim Asifa who caught the eye of storm in television media with placards conjuring signs of warning and with blaring keywords of Hindustan and Devisthan. Delhi media leered shamelessly at the threat perception to women safety in India.

Similar demands were requested under a local organisation called Hindu Ekta Manch. However, It gave the whole rape episode a colour of religion as Instagram activists pounced upon it as a piece of bread to question the faith of Feminine worship in India. Attributing the role of the local organisation of saving the culpable convicts named in Crime branch's report.

After the Crime branch of allegedly conducted series of botched up the inquiry in Kathua rape case and hounded the villagers of Rasana for a month, the whole village was prompted to leave the area to find shelter in a neighbouring area. There were mass arrests and people refused to sign bail bonds as they claimed no role in the crime. It was a misuse of power by the Crime branch that ran helter-skelter to find a face to pin down for the PDP-BJP government. A team of crime branch lead by the officer who has previously been arrested on charges of sexual assault. The women sat on indefinite hunger strikes to seek justice but it was all swept away in the pernicious heat of rape and murder of the little girl.

The whole campaign was so meticulously designed that the graphic images and videos of the little girl went viral, older childhood footage of her playing in the garden, the romanticism of childhood innocence, everyone from the Bollywood to pop stars badgered onto the subject to create a narrative of Inhuman treatment of minority in India. More so ridiculing the crime by identifying it with a religion.

Kathua is a small district that is in the proximity of Pakistan that largely constitutes of Hindu population. It has been fairly easy for the handlers to concoct stories of Hindu and Bakarwal violence to purport crimes against a minority. Concealing all evidence of crimes against Ahemdiyas in Kashmir. Islamic violence that spreads under the name of establishing an Islamic caliphate. It's Jammu's turn and the youth on the streets of Jammu promised to Stand up For Jammu. This spectacle couldn't draw attention in Lutyens Media who have gone silent on the rape cases since the much-hyped Justice for Asifa Campaign. 

BJP being beaten blue and black from PDP cheated the regional voters by not standing up for the local villagers in times where they are being thrown under the bus by the neatly executed crime conspirators of Kashmir. It is important that the Hindu and Sikh block sticks true to their lineage of carrying the great warrior tradition of Rajputs and Sikhs like Maharaja Hari Singh and Maharaja Ranjeet Singh and general Zorawar in place by not shutting themselves out of the town like the troubled Kashmiri Pandits who were forced into exile on gunpoint.

The geopolitical significance of Jammu is the reason why the demographic dividend of Jammu has come under attack from the vicious designs of Terror handlers in Pakistan. The influx of Rohingya Muslims have stirred more suspicion in the region since they have populated the region with instances of being caught with Aadhar cards. The recent report of Amnesty International that declares horrible accounts of Hindu massacre by Rohingyas in Myanmar makes it worse. 

Jammu Bar association demanded immediate attention into the matter but have been subdued to put aside these demands. As the subjects of immigrants gain from sympathy, we must look to find strict grounds under which we can manage the population that comes to India.

What is more horrid is that the images of terrorists carrying guns being welcomed in Valley in valley as mujahideens is seen in normal light in contrast with Hindu Ekta Manch coming forward to ask for CBI investigation for the rape & murder accused. BJP leaders have simply failed into turning the gaze of people by ignoring the plight of Jammu citizens.

The valley can afford a Ramzan ceasefire but not a plea of Hindus who cant go on Amarnath Yatra without fearing for their lives. The army is ordered to come to stand still in times of Ramazan when Jammu bleeds under mortar firing from Pakistan with civilians deaths on a rise. This is the failure of the government and it's time to ask if Jammu is ready to pay the price of Islamic onslaught or can it stand up and save Jammu.

Private appraisals

I was at PHD chambers of commerce and Industry office for an evening of awards and recognition of a company celebrating it's 25th Silver Jubilee Celebrations. By the time, the lady on the GPS announced our arrival, the show had already been started. It was a cultural performance starring Mrs Sudha Chandran and her team of young artists.

I remember I had first learnt about her in my general knowledge book in 4th standard. She was known as a lady with an artificial leg who never gave up her passion of classical dance for her amputated leg. Later on. she had signed up for some TV soap mother-in-law. I never thought I'd see her perform live.

I veered my way through the entrance to find a jam-packed audience with their smartphones out to record. I calmly entered and walked past to the last row near the projector room to find some odd space between guys who looked aptly annoyed with my entrance.

She was, moving her eyelids to the narration and her body moving to the rhythm of the music. It was captivating. It was a journey of poetic renditions that ushered in India from Kabir, Tulsidas, Meera Bai and so many others. I couldn't keep a tab on the chronological series but her steadiness with which she moved. The show continued further to social messages from Swachh Bharat and Water conservation. It was convincing enough to keep people hooked with their large phones on a long stretch. I clicked a couple of pictures and swayed down to get closer shots. I managed to find some vacant seats in the managing committee's lobby. So I watched the rest of the show from there.

The show got over and the audience at the back had helped themselves out of the exit door. This was the boring part of the show where the company was supposed to give awards and distribute accolades to its employees and associates. I picked up my camera and stood near the stage to test my new Canon EOS-200D with some pictures. Until I finally retired in the first row.

It went from keenly watching the joyful and nervous face kids who had won drawing competition to straight-faced and pretentious adults in suits pitching their routine handshakes. I flicked away for a moment and a 72-year-old beautiful lady next to me motioned closer to my shoulder to speak. She gently asked, "Do you know whose chair are you sitting on?" I was confused and didn't know how to answer. her. So I said, "No, do you mind helping me here?" She pointed towards the stage and introduced me to the chairman of the company. Putting it in her words "He is the single stakeholder in this company and you're sitting in his chair right now." I chuckled and replied, "Now you're just making things sound worse for me." She smiled and her cheeks parted with wrinkles "Oh No, I wouldn't do that." she assured. I paused and raised the stakes "Yea..it's fine..I never fold under pressure." She smiled gently.
"I would quietly move to different seat when he comes down from the dais"
"Yea that or he could sit on your lap"

Now at this point, I was struck by an awkward stance. Of course, you must be the wife. We talked quietly for a brief moment and she shared about her journey of being together for more than 50 years. Holding her hair from the back she said so many things have changed since then. I was fascinated by her charm. The show was over and it was time to move out for dinner. I politely excused and thanked her for a graceful company. That evening, I saw a man standing in a suit on stage basking in the glory of his hard work crafted by a woman whose warmth held the essence of that appraisal.

Padmavati and Bollywood's cultural pilferage

The Padmavati Film has hit the news with the raging controversy of the portrayal of Rani Padmini, The queen of Chittor. There’s a storm of protesters across India who have requested the government to ban the film because as it spuriously attempts to taint the image of Rajput queen in the taking poetic license of drawing her glorious life with Alauddin Khilji, a foreign invader. It gets murkier.

Karni Sena the primary Rajput organisation which is at the forefront of the revolt against the Bollywood film has succeeded in rallying to get states to stop screening the films to avoid the conflict of law and order with the rising anger of the masses with regard to distortion of history.

There are various groups in Rajasthan that claim to be associated with the descendants of Rani Padmavati in Rajasthan have similarly claimed the depiction of the queen as slanderous to the community.

Padmavati in Rajputana posterity

There is a deep sentiment of historic bloodlines in Rajput community that reveres Rani Padmavati not only as a queen but as a Devi, a divine mother who withstood the foreign agression not by surrendering to invaders but by consciously decision of Jauhar with the other princesses. Jauhar is practice of self-immolation which was undertaken by the queens to protect their honour and freedom.

I'm reminded of the great Indian revolutionary fighter Chandra Shekhar Azaad who fought the British forces till he was seriously wounded and left with a single bullet. He had lived his whole life as a revolutionary fighting for the cause of free India but when he knew the time had come. He loaded his colt pistol with the last bullet and ended his whole life. His name is still pronounced with utmost respect and admiration.

This folklore has been glorfied from ages and continues to be a part of Kshatriya tradition. The golden feature of “Aan baan Shaan” has always taken precedence in Rajputana bastion that upholds it as the highest martial code of honour which was not limited to men but also women. Many feminists argue that celebrating Padmavati is sign of patriarchal society that restraints women inexplicably but they lack the insight on the posterity that these kshatriya women carry on their shoulders. The shared divison of subjects in pioneering the civilization.

Now for someone who does not belong to Rajput Community or is not aware of Kshatriya codes of ethics and honour, these topics can be represented as oppressive in light of sacrifices of the princesses who embraced death instead of slavery. It is in the interest of the filmmakers to engage with the cultural communities before flagging or appropriating their historicity with flames of power, lust or idyllic romanticism.

Those who squander their inheritance, can never know greatness. It escapes them just as they escape their birthright.

Cultural Dissonance 

It is not uncommon of pop culture or Bollywood for that matter, to dilute the essence of subject into cultural appropriation or simply misappropriation. The popular culture that overrides the sensitivities of the massfold atttempts to cripple the social fabric of the society that sustains the foundations of the established society.

Rani Padmini is not a long lost figure that is buried in history. Sanjay Leela Bhansali has brought out of dungeons but an active part of Rajputana Royalty whose gallantry is retold through ages as a part of civilisational inheritance. We have been seeing rajputs from across the country echoing this in a singular voice, coupled with other ethnic groups who share their part in the rich folklores of Rajasthan.

By simply doing away from engaging the responsible leaders of the Rajput community, the filmmakers have caused more damage to their franchise. Moreover, by inviting a third party of prime time journalists they have broadened the area of conflict by seeking support of media channels in their favour, intuitively diluting the authority of CBFC (Central board of Film Certification) When the filmmakers have no objection to have a screening of the film for the journalists why do they hesitate to show it to the people who are actual stakeholders as the

Flipside

Contrary to the claims of history, it is said that no Hindu queen existed. She was depicted in the poetry of the 16th century poet who crafted the literature of the valour of Hindu resistance against the Islamic invaders. Slamming it as fable fiction. Similar charges have been made in the past to usurp the Hindu purnanas on the lines of mythology.

This short sighted critique of Hindu society can't plug in the cultural leakage of society by hiding behind the statistics of female infanticide. The infiltration of bollywood into a backyard of rich civilsation of bravery, pride and honour and sowing unscrupulous seeds of suspicion and cynicism makes a strong case of cultural pilferage. Once you have entered a terriority, you're not aware of it is better to tread softly instead of making remarks against projecting the country in bad light for its reservations against the film.

The academic history may not outline the role of Rajputana in India but it lives into the households of India where people inherit the legends of Padmavati as a testament of spirit, strength and faith of their ancestors. Neglecting these social values will trigger confrontation and rightly so it needs redressing the issue by taking the rajput leaders in confidence rather than bloating it with media muscle.

Flux the Police

I was out with my friend for the smoke break. We were puffing our cigarettes in a service lane. As usually we were discussing the happenings of the day when we saw a police officer got off his bike and walked towards the tea point. I picked out the lighter out of my pocket to light up next cigarette when my friend anxiously asked me to sit on the bike and did a bold stare requesting me to leave.

Noticing his discomfort "I didn't protest." We left the place before we could light another up. Now we parked our car in shady parking lot of the commercial complex. This is where I finally turned up and asked him the reason for this strange behaviour. First he tried to ignore my questions by passing silly excuses like he didn't have papers for pollution checked but we were not even riding the bike. We were only standing next to it. I pursued my interrogation diligently.

He shared his experience of running into argument with police when they asked for his identification papers. He was heckled and had to do multiple phone calls to get out of that situation. I saw people share a similar ordeal with police everywhere. All they want to do is avoid shadow of inspection from government officials even if they have not done anything wrong.

A recent study conducted by Tata Institute of Social Science about the statistics of crime indexing refle. It was found that over 75% of cases are not reported by people due to bad behaviour of the police. This is a serious problem in a country where problems of domestic violence, crimes against women or serious offences that requires police control go unreported. The trials and tribulations of common people don't have an end.

It's time we come together and flux the police by not only through regulatory reform programs but by our own engagement with the police with respect to the societal problems. It is only possible with the active citizenship of individuals. Even though crime shows on Indian TV like Crime patrol and Savdhaan India have somewhat changed the negative image of police forces but they still remain tainted with distress. We must understand that the police is here to serve us. It is their duty to ensure safety and security. So instead of ducking every time, you see a cop. Straighten up and flux the police.

Flux the Police Campaign

Flux the police is an initiative by the people to bridge the gap between the civilians and the men in uniform. It address solutions to problems of accessibility, trust, respect and problem solving in our society. By fluxing the hard bolted ideas of malice and oppression towards the police. We are doing more disservice to the nation than we expect. So let us confront the air of animosity and creating a more accepting space for the police. Here are a few ways we could flux the police to more responsive and accessible position.

1) Community outreach programs

The local societies should be well acquainted with the police in their location. This way there could be better coordination between the administration, the police and the authorities of the society. A key to active citizenship should includes regular community outreach programs that engages the public with more facts and figures as to figure out the areas of locality that needs intervention.

2) Educational campaigns 

Bridging the gap between Khakhi men and civilians. Educational campaigning in schools, colleges and academic institutions would work a great length in educating the masses. If you ask any random person on a street about filling an FIR. They would be absolutely clueless about it. At most, they would know to dial 100, that too with a great deal of hesitation. Therefore it becomes extremely important for the police to address the youth about how to file complaints or raise issues of law and security.

3) Social Media connect

We have seen Mumbai Police and Banglore Police getting creative with memes on twitter. It certainly has caught the eye of many Indians with messages of Safe driving, respecting the law and order and has been appreciated. The millennials have changed the traditional way of conservative methods of police connect. Filling FIRs online is not enough. There needs to be more active IT cells for Police stations that could address problems like stalking, theft, cyber bullying etc.

What Can I do?

As a part of the initiative you can go to your local police station. Talk to police personel, discuss about their daily routine, programs they have undertaken, learn more aspects of community policing and find out the challenges they face in their duty. Break the taboo of seeing police as trouble and rekindle the relationship of trust and communion on the society.

Dialogue 100

A police officer is someone we should feel secure around but it doesn't happen. Seeing police with fearful eye is a major setback which doesn't represent active citizens of a democracy. It is time we stomp out the humiliating mindset of police officers and instill some pride in Khaki. If you support the movement then you can share this post or your personal story with us using #FluxThePolice. Take a picture with a police personnel, talk to them about their daily work, learn about their challenges and appreicate the hard work they are doing. We can only make our democracy stronger by actually participating in it rather than working against it.

Veer Savarkar: The watchword of Indian Revolution

The universal deceleration of Human Rights was adopted by UNGA on 10th December in 1948. As a result of World War II. It was a historic move in redressing the unprecedented war crimes that remained largely under the carpet of power corridors. It not only served as a shield for the war troops but also annexed political prisoners, whistleblowers, diplomats, social activists or any constitutional dispensation who served their purpose in the free world.

Recognising this basic human contention United Nations General Assembly's resolution 217 empowered the civil society at large. This was a defining moment for the human rights activists who floundered to establish new grounds in war-torn areas by attracting the international attention and thus mounting the pressure on countries in international relations with the template of Human rights issues. This is where the united world moved towards a civilised manual of action.

Life of Veer Savarkar

In Kalapani, a cellular jail of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the political prisoners were tormented with inhuman conditions. The daily task was to extract 30 pounds of oil from mustard seeds and dried coconuts. The failure of completing the task would result in extreme punishment from lodging heavy cross bars in feet to painful bondage. There was no access to outside world but Veer Savarkar spent his time composing poetry, educating prison mates and writing about the conditions meted out to them. Deprived of Pen and paper, Veer Savarkar created his most illustrious literary works in jail by writing on the walls with charcoal, thorns, nails which were later converted into books.

Veer Savarkar was a literary genius who from his childhood days participated in writing petitions, letters, poetry. His magnetism as a leader only rose with time with his social commentaries, translations of books. He learnt Gurumukhi to read Guru Granth Sahib. Being an atheist he expanded his vision on society through philosophies.




There was a time in the national movement of Indian independence when the word political prisoner was a terror to the people, and even neat national leaders uttered his name without using an appropriate appellation due to him as a gentleman as if he was no better than the most condemned miscreant in the society. This heart of repression was bolted in central leadership who sought dominion status when the revolutionaries called for Purna Swaraj (Absolute Independence)

Veer Savarkar received a life sentence of 50 years, which was the harshest in the course of British Colonialism. He was the first revolutionary to embolden the Indian stance of Complete freedom in 1990 and abdicating the use of foreign goods by setting it on fire. Some of the spine-chilling facts about his life include the days where he jumped off a ship to escape the clutches of Imperial forces.

Putting things into perspective.

Indian war of independence 1857 not a First war of Mutiny. When Britan Soldiers trampled down the resistance of the soldiers, they made sure the narrative of revolt was supplanted with the humiliating defeat of the armed Indians. Savarkar aggressively held rallies across various towns and glorified it as India's war of Independence. His book on India's war of independence was proscribed even before it was published and eventually banned in 1909.

This book became a goldmine of revolutionaries, as it explained the revolutions are structured on ideas, not on will or fancies of individuals. Bhagat Singh, inspired by the works of Veer Savarkar, translated this book into Gurmukhi to instil the ideas of revolution in the youth.

Social Reforms

Veer Savarkar was actively a part of social reforms in his public life. He rendered Indians to forfeit their identities united under their original identities of being "Hindu." He coined the term Hindutva to start the uprising of Hindu Nationalism in the subcontinent. He educated masses about social ills of untouchable and caste system. As an atheist, he decried the ritualistic sense of worship.

He invited Dalits to conduct religious ceremonies in temples, unified the fragmented society into a singular identity. He organised Ganesh Utsav festivals where people of all castes could celebrate together. Along with Gandhi, he was His disparity with Gandhi was observed when Gandhi's appeasement touched new heights with Khilafat movement where he alluded Indian Muslims subservience to Khalifa of Turkey as Pan Islamist agenda.

Spark of Indian Revolution

The dynamism of Veer Savarkar was reflected well in writings. Precisely why the revolutionaries of India were intrigued by the fortitude of his ideas with likes of Madan Lal Dhingra, Bhagat Singh, Bhai Parmanand, Lala Har Dayal adopting his ideas into action. This synergy of Veer Savarkar was developed in his teenage years when he used to organise Mitra Mela (Friends fair) to espouse revolutionary and nationalist ideas.

Kanaklata Barua who was killed for chanting Vande Mataram in Quit India movement in 1942, Tirupur Kumaran who was killed for raising a Indian flag in a protest march, Chaplekar Brothers who were hanged in public view for avenging the mass humiliation, Alluri Sita Ram Raju, a folk hero who led guerrilla warfare against British troops, Khudiram Bose a 18 year boy who was executed for his participation in , Peer Ali Khan who was given capital punishment along with 14 other revolutionaries, Birsa Munda the champion of Munda tribe and Indian Tribes who were outrightly criminalised and executed.

The phase of Indian revolution was finding concurrence but somehow down the line, it got disappeared from the books of history and never returned.

Watchword

Life of Veer Savarkar defines that the pen shall always be more powerful than the sword. The arson of Nehruvian determinism that led to discredit the history of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar forsakes the enormous contribution from the revolutionaries of India. If it were up to the counterparts, they would rather have Veer Savarkar shot dead in the remote islands of Andaman than have him exercise the basic human rights. They rebuked his discretion of escaping the claws of Kalapani.

As a highly strategic move, he implored mercy petitions to the British Raj. He was successful in his conviction. He never put down his pen, as went on further to write more books. Living a life too magnanimous for taking on the monumental task of uniting the fragmented society. He met with harsh criticism for his efforts and the air of condescension but proved us the idea of revolution in the real sense which can't be digested.

Even though the history book may not remember the names of our revolutionaries but the ideas of Savarkar will be there as a bedrock in the ideas of revolution and in a construct of any living democracy to highlight the efforts of our people. Veer Savarkar will live on forever in the ideas of Akhand Bharat consolidated against the divisive prompts elicited by malicious means of censorship.