Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said his government will work with authorities in the United Kingdom to restore freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar's barrister degree, revoked by the then British government.
"I have asked the University of Mumbai to prepare a detailed proposal to restore Savarkar's barrister degree, which was unjustly revoked by the British. We will work with relevant institutions in the UK to make this happen, even posthumously," he said at a function at the varsity a day ahead of the 142nd birth anniversary of the Hindutva ideologue.
The British authorities had denied the barrister degree to Savarkar after his involvement in revolutionary activities while studying law in London came to light, leading to his eventual incarceration in Andaman.
"Veer Savarkar was not just a man, he was a movement. An institution in himself. A blazing spirit who still ignites minds," Fadnavis said, after inaugurating the Swatantryaveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar Centre for Research and Studies at Mumbai university on May 27.
Savarkar's life, his bravery and his 'powerful intellect and revolutionary ideas' always inspired him, Fadnavis said.
"The British feared his pen as much as his ideas and called him 'the most dangerous revolutionary," the chief minister said.
Savarkar redefined history by calling the 1857 uprising what it truly was, that is, India's first war of independence, Fadnavis said, adding that even in the darkness of the Cellular Jail at Andaman, his spirit remained unshaken.
After his release, Savarkar walked shoulder to shoulder with Dr B R Ambedkar, fighting caste discrimination and upholding social equality, Fadnavis said, adding that the 'Mahad Satyagraha' saw him stand firmly for the rights of the oppressed.
Savarkar was also a literary giant who enriched Marathi, gave it new words and gifted Indian thought a modern nationalist voice, Fadnavis said.
Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday welcomed Fadnavis's announcement about efforts to restore Savarkar's degree, but said the government should ensure that his 'true degree is brought back' to the country.
"Veer Savarkar is a barrister even if his degree was withheld," Raut said.
He also reiterated his party's demand that Savarkar be conferred with the Bharat Ratna.
"Why has the Maharashtra government not recommended that Savarkar be honoured with Bharat Ratna? Why did the government not give Bharat Ratna to Savarkar?" Raut asked. -- PTI
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