448. Benoy Bhashan Datta, 449.Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (1883-1966)

Benoy Bhushan Datta was born in Tripara. He participated in revolutionary work and was arrested in connection with the assassination of District Magistrate , Sinvence of Coomilla. Due to the extreme torture of Police in jail he lost his mental balance and was released. He was then missing since 1944.

Savarkar, in his eighth year of his life sentence at the Cellular Jail in the Andaman Islands, writes a letter to his brother.    Malaria and dysentery have caused Savarkar to drop down to 95lb in body weight, relieving him from the rigorous labour.

“I can assure you that the climate of this place is acknowledged as a very unhealthy one and the life in a cellular jail in such a climate as doubly dangerous to the health of even a strongly built man used to hard labour throughout his life –by the medical authorities themselves.”

Savarkar asks his brother if he has heard anything about the order read out in England about the Amnesty of prisoners.

“Some convicts have up to this time been released from this convict colony. But so far as the political prisoners are concerned nothing beyond the vaguest promises was done… An order was read out in the name of the Secretary of state and the Government that so far as the political prisoners were concerned the Government was considering the question of granting some remission to them… being guided by the opinion of the respective provincial Governments …and by the local recommendations of the jail authorities based on the jail conduct of the prisoners. Moreover the personal opinions of the individual prisoner would be carefully weighed before any decision is arrived! Now this language may mean much or what is more likely may mean nothing . ”

Savarkar, in his weakened health, is desperate to get out of prison.

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (1883-1966) was a multi-faceted person­ality and achieved fame as a poet, scholar, social worker, historian and as one of the earliest revolutionaries. In 1899, at the age of 16, he founded Mitra Mela (Assembly of Friends).

In 1904 this organisation was renamed as the Abhinav Bharat Society (New India Society). In 1906, he went to London on a scholarship and started the Free India Society. On the occa­sion of the 50th anniversary of the Revolt of 1857, he wrote Indian War of Independence in which he called the Revolt as the first war of independence. He was awarded D.Litt. by the Poona University for his work.

In 1910, he was arrested in connection with the Nasik Conspiracy Case and deported to India. He was transported for life but released in 1924. In 1937, he joined the Hindu Mahasabha and was elected its President.

He dedicated the rest of his life in serving the society. Savarkar breathed his last in 1966.