The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : Savarkar issue

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Thursday, Sep 30, 2004

Opinion

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Savarkar issue

Sir, — De mortius nil nisi bonum goes the Latin proverb which means `Let nothing be said of the dead but what is good.' But our politicians blatantly abuse the dead to feather their own political nests.

So we have the Congress unnecessarily raking up the alleged treachery of V.D. Savarkar with the Petroleum Minister adding fuel to the fire.

And we have the Sangh Parivar forces demanding the demolition of the tomb of Afzal Khan in Maharashtra. The Sangh Parivar is targeting the Hindu vote and the Congress desperately trying to garner the minority vote.

J. Mushtaq Ahamed,
Chennai

Sir, — Savarkar was a staunch rationalist; he was against all kinds of karmakandas (rituals) prevalent in Hindu society; he was a great source of inspiration to revolutionaries like Madanlal Dhingra; he worked for the eradication of untouchability (Patit Pawan temple of Ratnagiri is a glorious example). If a national park can be named after Sanjay Gandhi, who was known for his excesses and anti-democratic values, why can a Savarkar plaque not be installed in the Cellular Jail?

Prasanna N. Muley,
Akola, Maharashtra

Sir, — What we know of Savarkar is that he was one of the accused in the Gandhi assassination case. He sought clemency several times from the British with the assurance that he would keep away from political activities.

History is replete with several instances of freedom fighters having sacrificed their lives and suffered untold miseries. How can Savarkar then be called a patriot or a freedom fighter?

V. Venugopal,
Chennai

Sir, — There were three phases in Savarkar's political life. In the first phase he was a hero. The second phase was a period of transition. In this phase he was an anti-hero. In the third phase, he was a villain. This villainy is discernible from his intimate relations with Nathuram Godse.

V. Prasanna Kumar,
Kollam, Kerala

Sir, — In every stream of opinion there are bound to be extremists — the Left or the Right. While the Right extremists are depicted as demonic, the Left extremists such as naxalites are treated with kid gloves.

S. Sundararaman,
Bangalore

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