Veer Savarkar: Inside Enemy Camp Part 1

In the name of God,

In the name of Bharat Mata,

In the name of all the Martyrs that have shed their blood for Bharat Mata, By the Love, innate in all men and women, that I bear to the land of my birth, wherein lie the sacred ashes of my forefathers, and which is the cradle of my children, by the tears of Hindi Mothers for their children whom the Foreigner has enslaved, imprisoned, tortured, and killed, I, … convinced that without Absolute Political Independence or Swarajya my country can never rise to the exalted position among the nations of the earth which is Her due, And also convinced that that Swarajya can never be attained except by the waging of a bloody and relentless war against the Foreigner, Solemnly and sincerely Swear that I shall from this moment do everything in my power to fight for Independence and place the Lotus Crown of Swaraj on the head of my Mother; And with this object, I join the Abhinav Bharat, the revolutionary Society of all Hindusthan, and swear that I shall ever be true and faithful to this my solemn Oath and that I shall obey the orders of this body; If I betray the whole or any part of this solemn Oath, or if I betray this body or any other body working with a similar object, May I be doomed to the fate of a perjurer!1

As Kesavananda inscribed his commitment to Abhinav Bharat aboard the SS Persia, he heralded the inception of a clandestine society inspired by Giuseppe Mazzini’s ‘Young Italy’. This momentous act marked the commencement of Veervaar Svatantryaveer Savarkar’s strategically significant tenure in London, vividly captured in his narrative, ‘Inside The Enemy Camp’. Previously, we have traversed the early chapters of Savarkar’s life, one which was steeped in the cultural and spiritual milieu of a devout Chitpavan Brahmin household. Born to Śrī Damodarpant and Smt. Radhabai, young Vinayak was cradled in an environment rich with the echoes of Vedic chants and philosophical discourses from Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata, which shaped the contours of his soul and intellect.

From his formative years, Savarkar was not merely a participant in his cultural legacy; but a vibrant prodigy who displayed an acute grasp of complex ideologies, and a profound ability to articulate them with clarity and passion. These early experiences were not just foundational; but they were transformative, imbuing him with a fierce resolve and a visionary outlook that would later define his revolutionary endeavors.

Savarkar’s journey from a scholarly youth to a revolutionary strategist was a testament to both his indomitable will and the rich legacy of cultural and intellectual inheritance provided by the Savarkar family. In the shadow of the Aṣṭabhuja Devī, young Savarkar solemnly pledged an oath that marked a turning point in his life. This vow came in the wake of the profound impact left by the execution of the Chaphekar brothers in 1897, whose sacrifice ignited a fierce resolve within him. Motivated by this climacteric event, Savarkar founded the Mitra Mela during his education in Nashik - which later evolved into Abhinav Bharat, the organization to which the earlier mentioned oath belongs.

Influenced by the impassioned rhetoric and daring actions of extremist leader Lokamānya Balgangadhar Tilak, and inspired by the intellectual prowess of ‘Kal karte’ Shivram Madhav Paranjape, Savarkar’s path was profoundly shaped during his collegiate years in Pune. This formative period honed his ideology fervor, preparing him for the scholarship in England that would soon follow.

This journey, initiated under the gaze of Aṣṭabhuja Devī, was not just a pursuit of academic excellence but a mission imbued with a deep-seated commitment to India’s liberation.

This narrative is a tribute to that journey—a narrative that captures the essence of a man whose life was a relentless pursuit of freedom, not just for himself, but for his entire nation.

Savarkar stepped onto the streets of London in 1906 with a sense of anticipation and resolve. The city, with its grandeur and historic significance, stood in stark contrast to his homeland. Yet, amidst the unfamiliarity, he saw an opportunity—a chance to garner support for India’s independence and to challenge the very heart of British imperialism.

To fully appreciate the depth of Savarkar’s resolve and the complexity of his strategies, we would also be delving into his autobiographical narrative about his times in London titled, ‘Inside The Enemy Camp.’

This insightful work not only chronicles Savarkar’s experiences but also highlights the significant figures who influenced his ideological and practical development during his time in England—one of the most notable among them being Shyamji Krishna Verma.

Summarizing his life journey: during his early years Shyamji Krishna Verma was potentially orphaned from a very tender age, born on October 4, 1857, in the sleepy little town of Mandavi in Gujarat. Notwithstanding the apparent adversities of his early life, his relatives fortified in him the growing strength of his academic calibre, especially in Sanskrit, which set his course to Bombay for academic studies. Under the guidance of Svāmī Dayanand Saraswati of Arya Samaj, Shyamji’s intellect came of age. He started lecturing all over India and soon made a name for himself by the appreciation of scholars and top people.

His mastery of Saṃskṛta brought him to the notice of Professor Monier Williams of Oxford University, who advised his entrance to Balliol College in 1879. In Oxford, his studies merged Saṃskṛta, Greek, and Latin, and the fruits were an outstanding lecture delivered to the Royal Asiatic Society in 1881. On his return to India, he served with distinction in reputable administrative roles, such as the office of Diwan of Ratlam and Udaipur. However, he ultimately got disillusioned with the colonial administration as the British authorities were always at loggerheads with his later revolutionary activities.

The political arrests of leaders like Balgangadhar Tilak, however, in 1897, sped up his move back to England, where his political consciousness was awakened through the injustices of British rule and the writings of Herbert Spencer. In 1905, he founded ‘The Indian Sociologist’ where his radical views were professed in favour of direct action against British oppression.

His zeal for the freedom of India impelled him to establish the Indian Home Rule Society and India House in London in 1905.

These institutions proved to be breeding centers for revolutionary ideologies and activities in which young Indian nationalists were streamlined and equipped to oust British rulers.

It was in India House that Shyamji Krishna Verma met Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. Having recognized the potential of Savarkar, Shyamji offered him much more than just refuge and resources; he offered intellectual and moral support. Through his mentorship, Savarkar found his groove, publishing his magnum opus on the 1857 uprising. This significant incident occurred as Savarkar took a firm stand against a British play that mocked the martyrs of the 1857 uprising, on the event’s fiftieth anniversary.

This affront to the memory of the 1857 martyrs compelled Savarkar to respond powerfully. His efforts were aimed at correcting the distorted portrayal of India’s first war of independence, which many in the British public saw through a colonial lens. Savarkar’s response was not merely reactive but a calculated act of intellectual defiance. Later the book was published with the title ‘Indian War of Independence 1857’, and it was also published in Holland in 1908.

Before that in 1907, a much more significant achievement Savarkar had was incorporating and expressing the profound influence of Joseph Mazzini on our politics, especially through his study and dissemination to important people like Surendranath Banerjee and Lala Lajpat Rai; thereafter, the literary and intellectual yearning of Veer Savarkar in London culminated in his translating some works of Mazzini into Marathi.

Veer Savarkar and the Echoes of Mazzini in Indian Revolutionary Thought

While residing in the scholarly confines of India House in London, Veer Savarkar’s discovery of Joseph Mazzini’s writings marked a pivotal turn in his revolutionary ideology. Mazzini, an Italian philosopher known for his radical thoughts on nationalism and democracy, had left a lasting imprint on the fabric of Indian political movements, influencing an entire generation of Indian nationalists.

Decades before Savarkar’s time in London, Mazzini and his compatriot, Garibaldi, were actively involved in the European revolutions of 1848-49. Their struggles and subsequent exile echoed across continents, resonating with Indian leaders who were grappling with British colonial rule. The news of the 1857 Indian Rebellion, which highlighted figures like Tatya Tope and Rani Laxamibai, reached these Italian revolutionaries, sparking a profound empathy and a symbolic bond between the Indian and Italian struggles for independence.

In the aftermath of the 1857 rebellion, a period of relative political quietude in India was shattered by the orations of Surendranath Banerjee, who had been deeply moved by Mazzini’s life and ideologies. Banerjee’s speeches from 1875 to 1878 not only celebrated Mazzini’s revolutionary strategies but also sowed the seeds of what would become a burgeoning nationalist sentiment among the youth of Bengal.

Although Banerjee highlighted the fervour and spirit of nationalism by Mazzini he obscured the aspects of where the spirit of armed revolution was to be revealed. Inspired by Mazzini’s secret society, Young Italy, numerous non-revolutionary secret societies sprang up in Bengal, embodying Mazzini’s ideas of patriotism and resistance, albeit in a subdued form.

Further north in Punjab, Lala Lajpat Rai became another monumental figure in Indian politics to embrace Mazzini’s ideals. After attending a lecture by Banerjee, Rai was so inspired that he went on to study Mazzini’s works in detail and eventually wrote a biography in Urdu to disseminate Mazzini’s revolutionary ideas among the Indian youth.

Meanwhile, in Maharashtra, the spirit of revolution was already potent, with local heroes and events from the 1857 revolt serving as primary inspirations. However, the ideological impact of Mazzini began permeating through the writings of local intellectuals like S. M. Paranjape, who drew parallels between the Italian and Indian quests for freedom, and Mr Ghanekar, who penned the first biography of Mazzini in the region around 1900.

Savarkar’s translation of Mazzini’s works into Marathi was not merely an academic exercise, but a deliberate act to harness these stories of Italian resistance, and tailor them to ignite a similar fervour among Indians. His efforts culminated in a book that not only translated the Italian’s writings but also contextualized them to resonate with the Indian struggle, urging his compatriots to adopt a more active stance against British rule.

Savarkar’s translation work culminated in the publication of these volumes, a task fraught with challenges. He coordinated with his brother, Babarao, and other members of the Abhinav Bharat Society to manage the logistics of publication amid intense scrutiny by British authorities. Their efforts were met with success, as the translated works quickly sold out within the first three months, reflecting the eager anticipation and revolutionary enthusiasm among the Indian community.

Through his scholarly endeavours in London, Savarkar thus wove the Italian revolutionary’s ideas into the Indian nationalist narrative, demonstrating the global interconnectedness of the fight against oppression. This intellectual bridging crafted by Savarkar helped solidify the ideological groundwork for a more concerted Indian independence movement, reflecting the enduring influence of Mazzini’s principles on Indian soil.

Starting with the invocation “स्वतंत्र लक्ष्मी की जय” (Victory to the Goddess of Freedom), Veer Savarkar dedicated his book to his political idols, Lokamānya Tilak and Śrī Shivram Madhav Paranjape. This book rapidly gained popularity, which led the Government of British India to ban it. However, it was republished in 1946 in India, resurging to influence a new generation.

The previous work on the First War of Independence in 1857 faced a similar fate; it was banned even before it could be printed, owing to the profound impact Savarkar’s book on Mazzini had on the Indian psyche. In response, V.V.S Iyer, a Tamil admirer of Veer Savarkar, translated this significant work into English, allowing it to be published in Denmark, beyond the reach of British Indian authorities.

Such was the stature and influence of the books in the discourse of Indian nationalism that its next publication was carried out by Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Subhas Chandra Bose, calling it the ‘Bhagavad Gītā of Revolution’. Such was their rightful endorsement of the works that greatly helped in spreading and focusing the many revolutionary movements at the time all over India.

Veer Savarkar’s tenure in London showcased his multifaceted approach to advancing the Indian independence movement through strategic networking and profound political activism. Initially, he harnessed the potential of the London Indian Society, where a vibrant community of Indian students and intellectuals exchanged ideas and formulated strategies for independence. This platform fostered a robust sense of unity and purpose, serving as a crucible for ideological development.

The India House in London witnessed overflowing Lecture Halls on weekly Sunday meetings. In these meetings, Savarkar delivered speeches on the history of Italy, France and America and the revolutionary struggle they had to undergo. A host of young people came under Savarkar’s influence during this period; prominent among them were Bhai Parmanand, Lala Hardayal, Virendranath Chattopadhyaya, V.V.S. Iyer, Revabhai Rana, Gyanchand Varma, Madame Cama, P.M. Bapat, M.P.T. Acharya, W.V. Phadke and Madanlal Dhingra2.

Further deepening his political engagements, Savarkar became actively involved in the East India Association. This forum was pivotal for voicing Indian grievances and advocating for reforms, thereby honing Savarkar’s diplomatic skills and expanding his network among both Indian and British sympathizers.

Savarkar’s strategic vision extended well beyond these initial platforms. Recognizing the potential of a synchronized global movement against British imperialism, he established contacts with revolutionary groups in Russia, Ireland, Egypt, and China. Savarkar envisioned a united anti-British front, aiming for a coordinated uprising across these nations to simultaneously challenge the British Empire. His articles on Indian affairs were not only published in ‘Gaelic America’ of New York but were also translated into German, French, Italian, Russian, and Portuguese and disseminated globally to rally international support.

Additionally, Savarkar’s revolutionary activities included practical preparations such as procuring arms and disseminating bomb-making knowledge. He meticulously studied British law to protect Indian activists legally and effectively challenge British authority. His writings served as a powerful tool for mobilizing support, and he actively contributed to international forums, highlighting India’s plight. Notably, Madame Cama and Sardar Singh Rana were deputed by Savarkar to represent India at the International Socialist Congress in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1907, further amplifying his international advocacy efforts.

Savarkar also supported broader nationalist movements, exemplified by his endorsement of the establishment of a Jewish State in Palestine.3

His ability to win over Irish sympathizers within Scotland Yard, who assisted in smuggling political literature, underscored his adeptness at building strategic alliances, even within the ranks of his adversaries.

Through these activities, Savarkar not only energized the Indian diaspora but also laid a robust foundation for the broader phases of India’s freedom struggle, demonstrating a profound understanding of international dynamics and the importance of a cohesive and coordinated approach to dismantling colonial rule.

One could not go ahead in this narrative without mentioning two important personalities: Madan lal Dhingra and Pandurang Mahadev Bapat, who took up crucial actions during their years in London along with Veer Savarkar.

Authored by Sushant Gangoli. Published by Brhat.