Ganesh Damodar Savarkar

Ganesh Damodar Savarkar
Born13 June 1879
Bhagur, Bombay Presidency, British India (present-day Maharashtra, India)
Died16 March 1945(1945-03-16) (aged 65)
Sangli, Bombay Presidency, British India (present-day India)
Other namesBabarao Savarkar
Known forindian revolutionary
SpouseSaraswatibai Savarkar
RelativesVinayak Damodar Savarkar (brother), Narayan Damodar Savarkar (brother)

Ganesh Dāmodar Sāvarkar (13 June 1879[1] – 16 March 1945), also called Babarao Savarkar, was an Indian revolutionary, activist and founder of the Abhinav Bharat Society.[2]

Ganesh was the eldest of the Savarkar brothers, Ganesh, Vinayak, and Narayan, they also had a sister Mainabai, who was the penultimate child of their parents, Narayan being the youngest.[3]: 107  His parents' death laid the liability of his family at an age of twenty years.[1]

The Savarkar brothers (Left to right) Narayan, Ganesh and Vinayak, with Shanta, sister Maina Kale and Yamuna

He led an armed movement against the British colonial government in India, he was sentenced to transportation for life as a result. The then collector of Nasik, A. M. T. Jackson was assassinated by Anant Laxman Kanhere in retaliation.[3]: 117  Dhananjay Keer describes Jackson as "part of the oppressive machinery of the British Empire" and "...responsible for deporting Babarao..."[4]: 197 

M. J. Akbar writes that "The five friends who started the RSS were B. S. Moonje, L. V. Paranjpe, Dr. Tholkar, Babarao Savarkar and Hedgewar himself".[5]: 306  Rity Kohli writes that Savarkar's essay on nationalism "Rashtra Mimansa"[6]: 471  was abridged into "We, and our Nationhood, Defined", by Golwalkar, in 1938, which was the first systematic statement of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ideology.[7]

  1. ^ a b Som Nath Aggarwal (1995). The heroes of Cellular Jail. Publication Bureau, Punjabi University. p. 59. ISBN 978-81-7380-107-5.
  2. ^ N. Jayapalan (2001). History of India. Atlantic Publishers & Dist. p. 21. ISBN 978-81-7156-917-5.
  3. ^ a b Sain, Pravina Bhim (1989). Remembering Our Leaders: Mahadeo Govind Ranade. Children's Book Trust. ISBN 978-81-7011-767-4.
  4. ^ Dhananjay Keer (1976). Shahu Chhatrapati: a royal revolutionary. Popular Prakashan.
  5. ^ M. J. Akbar (1985). India: the siege within. Penguin Books. ISBN 9780140075762.
  6. ^ Jagadish Narayan Sarkar (1991). Studies in cultural development of India: collection of essays in honour of Prof. Jagadish Narayan Sarkar. Punthi Pustak. ISBN 9788185094434.
  7. ^ Ritu Kohli (1993). Political ideas of M.S. Golwalkar: Hindutva, nationalism, secularism. Deep & Deep Publications. p. 4. ISBN 978-81-7100-566-6.