Anyone who is fan of a website like ‘The WIRE’, ‘BBC NEWS ‘or any Congress devotee (sorry Pappu Bhakt) has a question in his mind… why savarkar wrote mercy petitions to British?!
Then hear the answer from Savarkar himself ! This article from “Hot Spicy Medley”
Why did the Martyr’s die in Andaman?
Some days ago one person told us that, a great man from Kanpur, who found justification of his Being Hindu, by constantly showering abuses on the Hindu organisations and calling the agitations by the Dr. Munje and Kelkar’s organisations as anti-national, and who was in eagerly in favour of handing over the Sindh region to the Muslims as a place to rest, and who sent his criticism to Shraddhanand’s editor for opposing the resolution of Total independence, angered by the same Shraddhanand asked the critic that, how come the so called self-proclaimed ‘martyrs’ ask for leniency why did they not die a prison death? Not only that why did the even plead to the Government?
In fact, the editor of Shraddhanand never appealed to the Government for his freedom – let alone for forgiveness. That is why we first thought of informing this gentleman from Kanpur he has confused himself with some other guy with the same name as the editor of Shraddhanand and made this mistake.
But on second thoughts, since he has specifically mention Martyr and strongly questioned why he asked for leniency. That means he did not make this mistake by oversight. All those who are worshipped in our country today as Martyrs according to our knowledge none of these great martyrs has asked for leniency. Yes however, one thing is well known that from Punjab to Pondicherry and from Sindh to Bengal hundreds of revolutionaries – who held their heads in their hands and turned their backs on their family went on to run the family of their motherland and happily entered into the National Freedom Struggle’s ovation, the valley of Death and that got injured in that war after bearing years of torture, and in order to be able to serve the motherland again, accepted the condition of the British of giving up the struggle and got their freedom. What if they are called Martyrs and what if their acceptance of the condition is being called as request for leniency?
Then what! Such Martyrs, whose bravery, selflessness and dedication even impressed the British oppressors; – they are asked why did you not die in the prison? Who is this great man to question them this and then what really amazed us and stopped us in our tracks is that even while such great men are alive in Kanpur, how is it that the Army Commander-in Chief who is just about two metres away is still alive!
Even when Shivaji fell in the hands of the enemy, he could not accept to do the brave act of suicide. How many applications he would have sent have no count. He pleaded at the feet of Aurangzeb, he hoodwinked Aurangzeb and escaped and he set up the throne of his Hindu Kingdom right on Aurangzep’s chest. But the coward did not sacrifice his life in the Delhi Prison by giving up food. He just could not gather the courage to that, where would Shivaji have the brains to achieve all that by sacrificing his life? He faced Afzalkhan with folded handed, he had lion claws in his hand but with folded hands! What should we condemn more his cunning that he carried lion claws or his cowardice that he went there with folded hands! We were scared and doubtful, that now even Shivaji’s credibility will be questioned, as he did not wear the bracelet of non-violence, and under the banner of truth reveal all the places where our army was hiding to Afzalkan, or lie down in this path calling it the Satyagraha, and wished how nice it would have been if Shivaji would have worn the Gandhi cap on his head, because who else think of such bravery and cunning, but a person who dorns that Gandhi cap and warms his head with it? Because if I was present in the times of Shivaji and Pratap 1, would have named the armed revolt of their times as criminal, as told by the Non-violence while killing the Germans for the British! The readers of “Young India’ should be aware of this.
However, even though Shivaji, hidden in the cellars of the past, escaped, today’s revolutionary called the “Brave warrior”, who is referred and praised as the Morning star of Indian Independence by Sarojini Naidu, and called by the opposition as the Prince of Indian revolutionists, from that martyr to yesterday’s Kakori’s national hero Ramprasad Bismil, Sanyal, etc killers to those who were hanged or are sentenced to life imprisonment (Living Death) all have applied to the Government. From Satyendra to Kakori heroes everyone has applied for their death sentences to be commuted. But no one ever questioned them that why they did not accept death in the prison. But today as soon as we came to know that, such a person is born in Kanpur who dares to question the Prince of Indian revolutionists, we were spellbound with wonder and questions like, who this human extraordinaire was, how did he look, and what are his such great brave acts!
We thought, ‘Who is this reincarnation of a man, is he a brave warrior or has God himself taken birth on this land!”
Then we read the news in Calcutta’s “Swatantra’ newspaper of the 4th August, that there is some Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi, an editor of the Paper Pratap of Kanpur. He has asked for forgiveness on the charges of defamation of the Government Court. When the Chief justice did not release him just on his repentance, then he asked for Unconditional apology and obtained his freedom by his triple apology and after paying the Government expenses of the trial!
As soon as we read the news, we understood that Yes! The human extraordinaire is no one else but this great editor of ‘Pratap from Kanpur. Sure an extraordinaire! How will he know the difference between his horns and Kesari’s nails without experiencing them!
Because on a low life can dare to question a Martyr why you didn’t die in prison! Fools rush where angels fear to tread!
While fighting for the freedom of his country, if he fell into the trap of the enemy, in order to be released from the prison in order to join the fight for freedom more actively, if some Revolutionary from Kakori applies for Government leniency, only a extraordinaire, who forget life, but even if he has to go to prison for a year or two, on let alone the charge of armed revolt – but on a simple charge of defamation of the Court – gets boggled and starts licking the enemy’s feet, would dare to laugh at him!
However, Oh Editor of Pratap! Just to show you how and what a low life you look from the other side of the jealous binoculars you have dared to use reversely to look at the Martyrs, we sadly but helplessly have used the same!
And so before we take your leave we are throwing aside the jealousy cracked binoculars and telling you that when you seeked the forgiveness from the Court, you may have been right under those circumstances. If you follow the example of the Martyrs you will realise that,
At the same time we feel it is our duty to mention here that the way you have written about trial going on about the torture executed on the prisoners in the Nainital prison, and your intention of writing that way was to free the people of their anxiety and before in the past also your paper ‘Pratap’ has done exceptional service of the impartial public. Because we also feel that the way others should consider both the positive and negative side and behave justly, similarly we also try to behave in the same fashion as much as possible.
We will discuss on what you write about Mahatma Gandhi at a later time and that to then if and when we want to question Gandhiji about it. We know Mahatma Gandhi and he also knows us. Till date we have been minding our own business, and will look after ourselves in future also, No Tom, Dick, or Ganesh has the right to poke his nose in it. Calling non violence shameless and Gandhiji shameless are two different things, why talk to anyone who doesn’t have the brains to understand the difference. We will answer Mahatmaji later. Today that great patriot is fighting a war in Bardoli, and the strategy he is using is suitable to the best able commander, and it is our duty to as much as possible stand united shoulder to shoulder in any national struggle, we are currently saying only such things and behaving in such a manner that will support and help Mahatmaji and in the National interest we would oppose only whenever and as much as needed if there is any sabotage. “When facing the enemy we all stand united this should be everyone’s motto; it is ours, has some Ganesh would have at least understood that?
✍️ @Idealist_ak