Veer Savarkar - Reflections of a Conservative

Veer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar is a figure who evokes strong emotions and remains perhaps the most scrutinized Indian of the 20th century. This is not a blog meant to summarize his life or rebut the oft-repeated allegations against him—those tasks have been adeptly handled by Vikram Sampath in his two-part biography and numerous articles and talks. Instead, this blog is about what Savarkar represents to a 21-year-old aspiring Traditionalist Conservative from Savarkar's home state. Frankly, I am nobody to write a tribute to a great man like him, but on Tatyarao's birth anniversary, I'd like to express my gratitude and share my personal journey with his legacy.

My grandmother introduced me to the vyaktitva (personality) of Savarkar when I was in the 6th or 7th standard. On a trip to Mumbai, I visited the Savarkar Smarak in Dadar. There, I bought the book My Transportation for Life and a CD of a movie on Savarkar produced by his 'disciple' and renowned Marathi singer Sudhir Phadke. Watching the movie, I was deeply impacted by the hardships Savarkar faced in the Andaman Cellular Jail. However, I didn't pay much attention to his life post-Andaman; I was too young to grasp the dialogues he had with M.K. Gandhi and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose or the social work he did in Ratnagiri to uplift the Avarna (lower-caste) community. After that, Savarkar faded from my consciousness.

It was only in 2020, when I became active on social media, that Savarkar re-entered my life. I was shocked to discover that a large number of people viewed Tatyarao as a villain. This pained and angered me immensely. I began searching for material to vindicate my dear Tatyarao and that's when I came across Vikram Sampath's first volume on Savarkar. By the end of 2022, I had read both volumes and some of Savarkar's own works, including the controversial Essentials of Hindutva. I became a Savarkar bhakt (devotee). I could understand him despite the paradoxical nature of his writings and actions. I would heavily debate anyone who criticized Savarkar for anything. To me, he was the greatest man of the 20th century. My journey as a Hindutvavadi began due to Savarkar.

However, my immersion in traditionalist Hindu literature and further reading of Savarkar's works led me to a nuanced understanding. While I admired Savarkar's views on Hindutva and his insightful critique of Islam, I began to question his stance on other aspects of Hindu dharma. Savarkar's radical approach to Hindutva was ground-breaking in his time, but his views on cows, rituals, caste, and traditions seemed out of sync with contemporary needs.

Savarkar's critique of the discriminatory nature of the 20th-century caste system was significant, but his solution of annihilating jati is something a traditionalist can never agree with. Jati and kula dharma are integral to the social and spiritual fabric of Hindu society. The preservation of these traditional structures is essential for maintaining the continuity and richness of our cultural heritage.

I understand where he was coming from. The attack on Hinduism from two fronts—European coloniality and Middle Eastern coloniality—led him to propose the annihilation of jati to achieve political unity. However, being more of an agnostic or a political Hindu, he couldn't grasp the profound impact this would have on the core of Sanatana Dharma. While Savarkar's advocacy for social reform had merit in addressing discrimination and some of his steps like ensuring temple entry and inter-dining were indeed important for the progress of Hindu society, his dismissal of these vital aspects undervalued the spiritual essence that binds Hindu society. Modernity had its impact on Savarkar, leading him to view rituals and traditions from a rationalist perspective, which caused him to not fully appreciate their metaphysical aspects.

While Savarkar's contributions to the nationalist and Hindutva cause are immense and worthy of reverence, his views on certain aspects of Hindu dharma require re-evaluation in light of contemporary challenges. As I navigate my path as a Traditionalist Conservative, I hold immense respect for Tatyarao but also recognize the need to adapt and uphold Hindu traditions that resonate with timeless values and contemporary relevance. Sadly, I couldn't explore Tatyarao's life as a stalwart of Marathi literature; as I was too focussed on understanding Savarkar the freedom fighter, Savarkar the Hindutvavadi intellectual cum politician and Savarkar the Social reformer.

Tatyrao, may you take rebirth in your Punyabhumi!!