Author: Pioneer News Service/ New
Delhi
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: February 26, 2003
After the Opposition onslaught,
the RSS went into a tizzy and brought out a list detailing appreciation
of V D Savarkar by senior Congress and Communist leaders.The list, released
by the RSS joint spokesman Ram Madhav, includes senior leaders from both
the parties. It lists Subhash Chandra Bose, Indira Gandhi, Y B Chavan,
Gulzari Lal Nanda etc from the Congress and S A Dange and S M Joshi from
the socialist stream.
When the late Indira Gandhi was
the Prime Minister of the country, she was quoted to have said, "Savarkar
was a great figure of contemporary India and his name is a by-word for
daring and name is a by-word for daring and patriotism. He was cast in
the mould of a classic revolutionary and countless people drew inspiration
from him."
Subhash Chandra Bose is said to
have wanted Savarkar to join the Congress after he was released. Incidentally,
the Opposition has charged that Savarkar wrote to the British authorities
requesting for his release. The RSS claim is that his mercy petition was
only a "ploy" to get out of the prison and carry forward his work.
Replying to another charge that
Savarkar was accused in the Mahatma Gandhi murder case, the RSS said the
court had acquitted him of all such charges. Appreciating this fact, even
the very senior Congress leaders like the first President of India Dr Rajendra
Prasad, his predecessor Dr Radhakrishnan and senior Congress leader Y B
Chavan felicitated Savarkar in December 1960, the RSS claimed.
Some of the other Congress leaders
who figure in the list include, Rajagopalachari who became the first Governor-General
of free India, Joachim Alva and N C Chagla. Many like Jagjivan Ram and
Gulzarilal Nanda showed concern about his health, the RSS said. Quoting
socialist and Communist leaders, the RSS claimed that the Chairman of the
Communist Party S A Dange said, "Savarkar was one of the great anti-imperialist
revolutionaries."
Socialist leader S M Joshi is quoted
as having said that he was inspired by Savarkar's call for absolute political
independence. Another great thinker M N Roy is said to have desired to
devote his life again to the emancipation of India on Savarkar's own line
of thinking.
Mr Madhav asked Congress president
Sonia Gandhi to refrain from "issuing certificates of patriotism." He took
serious exception to Ms Gandhi's letter to the President against the unveiling
of the portrait at the central hall on Wednesday.
He also asked the Congress to come
clear on Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh's recent assertion
that he believed in "Savarkar's brand of Hinduism." "Not only was Mr Singh's
father an MLA representing Savarkar's Hindu Mahasabha, Mr Singh himself
headed the Bhopal Municipality as a Mahasabha nominee when Savarkar was
alive," Mr Madhav said.