People's Democracy

(Weekly Organ of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)

Vol. XXVI

No. 47

December 01,2002


Time For Silent Majority To Speak: V P Singh

LeftWord’s New Book on Savarkar Released

 

FORMER Prime Minister, V P Singh, has called upon the silent majority of the nation to speak up against the ongoing attempts of the sangh parivar to communalise the country’s political ethos. Saying that a dangerous phase of subjugation of minorities has been launched by the RSS, he stressed the importance of waging the battle for the minds and not just meeting the challenge electorally.

 

V P Singh was the chief guest at the launch of a new book brought out by the LeftWord Books – “Savarkar and Hindutva: The Godse Connection” - authored by well known lawyer, constitutional expert and political commentator, A G Noorani. Speaking after releasing the book, V P Singh complimented the LeftWord and A G Noorani for bravely taking up this task of exposing Veer Savarkar’s real role and bringing out unknown facets of his life. He hoped that this book will generate a debate on Savarkar’s life and his actual contribution to the freedom struggle. The true proponents of the two-nation theory, he reminded, are represented in India by the Hindutva forces even today.

 

The author, A G Noorani, in his address said that while Hinduism is ancient and noble, Hindutva is modern and innoble. He  contrasted Bhagat Singh’s strong letter to his father protesting against any clemency plea with Savarkar’s repeated, apologetic clemency petitions to the British.

 

Frontline editor, N Ram, who chaired the meeting, said that the book with an eye for detail was a forensic scrutiny of what Savarkar stood for and practiced. He complimented the author for doing a hard character analysis of Savarkar. The book, he was sure, was bound to provoke and bound to anger the Hindutva lobby. 

 

The book, as its jacket states, investigates the figure of Savarkar, the author of the term ‘Hindutva’. What it finds does not add up to a flattering portrait. Savarkar rejected the inclusive, secular concept of ‘territorial nationalism’ and advocated the exclusivist, communal concept of ‘cultural nationalism’.  He repeatedly apologised and gave written undertakings to the government.  He was directly connected to more than one murder. And most damagingly, as the book charges, it was Savarkar who led the conspiracy to assassinate Mahatma Gandhi on the fateful winter evening of 1948. The book indeed is very forthright and hard hitting.

 

Sudhanva Deshpande, managing editor of LeftWord, welcomed the gathering. CPI(M) Polit Bureau members, Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury were present on the dias. The first copy of the book was presented by V P Singh to eminent lawyer, Anil Diwan. Those who attended the book release function included many artists, writers, journalists, MP’s and activists.

(INN)