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News18
27-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
Swatantra Vir Savarkar And Social Harmony
Last Updated: Swatantra Veer Savarkar spent half his life fighting for Bharata Mata's freedom from foreign occupation and the other half uplifting the downtrodden by bringing Samajik Samarasata Swatantra Vir Vinayak Damodar Savarkar's birth anniversary is on May 28. He was born in 1883 in Bhagur, a village near Nashik in Maharashtra. He was the second son of Damodar Pant and Radhabhai. Ganesh preceded him; his younger siblings were Narayan, another brother, and Mainabhai, a sister. We all know Savarkar's exploits as a school and college boy, his time at the India House in London, his arrest and the subsequent spine-tingling escape attempt from onboard a ship that was docked in Marseille in France and his days incarcerated in solitary confinement in the Cellular Jail in the Andamans. Former Prime Minister of Bharat, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in his famous speech, says, 'Savarkar means speed, sacrifice, penance, philosophy, debate, youth, strength, hitting the bullseye, sharpness, power, astonishment, a free soul, sternness, a ray of light, imagination, valuable thoughts. What a multifaceted personality he was – a great poet and a revolutionary." One facet he might have missed inadvertently is his face as a reformer and advocate of Samajik Samarasata, or social harmony. Samajik Samarasata, or social harmony, is one precious quality Bharat lost when it was under foreign occupation and a quality that Bharat is still searching for. Even today, we hear about the dual-tumbler system in the tea shops of the South and the differential treatment of people based on caste. We need to hang our heads down in shame, having allowed these inhuman practices to linger in our society well into the twenty-first century. The Sarsanghachalak of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Dr Mohan Bhagwat, has consistently said there shouldn't be any discrimination and all Hindus should share temples, water and shamshan (cremation ground). Samajik Samarasata is one of the five key pillars RSS wants the society to stand on, which the Sangh would practise and urge the society to follow suit during its Centenary year (2024-25). When Mahakavi Bharatiyar from the South sang, 'We're one race, one community, and everyone is a king in our country," it shouldn't be surprising that Savarkar from the western part of Bharat also felt the same way and was working towards creating an equal and fraternal society. Savarkar thundered, 'When I refuse to touch someone because he was born in a particular community but play with cats and dogs, I am committing a most heinous crime against humanity. Untouchability should be eradicated not only because it is incumbent on us but because it is impossible to justify this inhuman custom when we consider any aspect of dharma. Hence, this custom should be eradicated as a command of dharma." Source: Samagra Savarkar Vagmaya, Volume 3 On May 19, 1929, an ex-untouchable conference took place in Malvan in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. On the second day of the conference, Savarkar distributed Janeu, or sacred threads, to all the participants. The participants were then administered the sacred thread in a Vedic ceremony and collectively chanted the Gayatri mantra. Savarkar, addressing the participants on this historic occasion, spoke thus, 'A battle royal has been raging for the last seven generations over the right of studying the Vedas. Here are the Vedas. Here is the sacred thread. Take these two. Is that all? Even non-Hindus read the Vedas. Why can't the Hindu Mahars read them? It was all hypocrisy. Both yours and ours quarrel over this problem was a useless task. Let us expiate the sins we committed. We are all responsible for our political subjugation. That is the past. Now let us declare on oath that we shall rectify our past blunders and win back our wealth and glory. The people who regard untouchability which has been a disgrace to humanity as a part of their religion are really the fallen people." Source: Dhananjay Keer, Savarkar and his times. In the 1930s, the movement against untouchability was gaining traction. And so was the opposition to this movement by the regressive forces, the so-called upper castes. During Ganesh Chaturthi festivals, a group of these regressive forces disallowed the people from the oppressed community to take part in the celebrations in the Ratnagiri Vittal Mandir. Savarkar decided to create a new Ganesh Pandal catering to all walks of Hindu society, without any restrictions. A person from the oppressed community ritually installed the Ganesh Murti in the Pandal. Savarkar also conducted a Gayatri mantra reciting competition, which was incidentally won by a person from the (so-called) untouchable community. This was the time when Savarkar felt the need for a temple that would cater to all sections of society, where people from all communities and castes would come together with one feeling: Bhakti. This is where the seed for the Patit Pavan Mandir (Temple of the saviour of the downtrodden) was sown. The temple came up quickly with support from a local businessman, Bhagoji Baloji Keer. The temple opened with a Vedic ceremony on February 22, 1931. Bhagoji Keer performed the Prana Pratishta, declaring the temple open for worship. Historically, Bhagoji belonged to the Bhandari caste, who were traditionally toddy tappers and sea warriors (Bhandari comes from Bhandara or Treasury. It is also said that this community managed the treasury for the administrators). In 1938, when Savarkar was the president, Hindu Mahasabha released a press statement which read, 'Barrister Savarkar, President of the Mahasabha, even after he became the President, addressed three or four hundred meetings throughout Hindustan and exhorted not less than one hundred thousand people to remove untouchability and as a piece of public demonstration to prove how he personally held all Hindus equal, made untouchable leaders in almost every meeting offer him water or food and participated in it in the presence of all. He visited not less than a hundred habitations of untouchables and was received by them in public meetings, had organised not less than one thousand men, of whom five hundred invited untouchables participated in the anti-caste dinner last May. Even the intercaste marriages between touchables and untouchables received his public support for example in the case of the Kolhapur inter-caste marriage." Thus, Swatantra Veer Savarkar spent half his life fighting for Bharata Mata's freedom from foreign occupation and the other half uplifting the downtrodden by bringing Samajik Samarasata. On his birth anniversary, let us take a pledge to bring about social harmony by putting our hands to heart and say, 'We will not discriminate, and we will fight discrimination against any Hindu. All Hindus are equal, and we will share temples, water and cremation grounds with all my brethren. Bharat Mata Ki Jai!" As Thiruvalluvar says: எவ்வ துறைவது உலகம் உலகத்தோடு அவ்வ துறைவ தறிவு. (426) Evva Thuraivathu Ulagam Ulagaththodu Avva Thuraiva Tharivu. It is part of wisdom to conform to the ways of the world. top videos View all Let the way be equality and fraternity, shunning discrimination to create social harmony, as Swatantra Vir Savarkar taught us. Raja Baradwaj is a marketing communications professional who is currently working with a leading technology multi-national company. He is an avid reader, a history buff, cricket player, writer, Sanskrit & Dharma Sastra student. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views. Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: May 27, 2025, 17:25 IST News opinion Opinion | Swatantra Vir Savarkar And Social Harmony
News18
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Randeep Hooda Says He Has 'Become Calmer' After Marrying Lin Laishram
Randeep Hooda said his wife helped him become more open, grounded and at peace. Randeep Hooda is undergoing a personal transformation, which he attributes to his marriage to actress Lin Laishram in November 2023. The actor shared that getting married has changed his perspective on life, both personally and professionally. He reflected on this change, saying, 'I'm no longer the island I used to be. I can still be that island, but now there's always a bridge back to the mainland through Lin." According to Randeep, his wife has helped him become more open, grounded, and at peace. 'I've become calmer, more open to new experiences and more sociable. There have been great changes in my life, and I'm incredibly grateful to her," he told The Times of India. Interestingly, Randeep Hooda and Lin Laishram's bond goes back years before their wedding. The couple first met while working with veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah's renowned theatre group, Motley. Randeep, being Lin's senior, developed a professional camaraderie with her, which eventually blossomed into a deep personal connection. Talking about Lin's influence, Randeep credited her for introducing a more mindful and health-conscious routine into his life. 'She's a spiritual person, and her calming influence has brought a lot of peace into my life. She's introduced me to a positive routine with fewer late nights, and it's definitely been beneficial," he added. On the work front, Randeep recently played the antagonist in Jaat, starring Sunny Deol. However, his most significant recent professional milestone came with his directorial debut, Swatantra Veer Savarkar, where he not only directed but also portrayed the title role and co-wrote and produced the film. The experience gave him a fresh perspective on filmmaking. 'After directing a film myself, I have a newfound respect for my directors. I've always respected them, but stepping into their shoes gave me a deeper understanding of the endless list of issues they have to manage," Randeep explained. Although acting remains Randeep Hooda's first love, he admitted to missing the intensity and control that come with directing. Looking ahead, he's keeping busy by writing two new projects: one is an international film and the other is a high-octane action movie. First Published:
Time of India
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Randeep Hooda reveals how he lost 18 Kg in 28 days; 'There's nothing better than fasting for weight loss'
If there's one person who can shapeshift into the movie roles he does, it is none other than the versatile actor Randeep Hooda . He often stays fit and is known for his love for impeccable cinema and a bit of horse riding. Hooda recently revealed on one of the episodes of the Shubhankar Mishra Podcast that he lost 18 kilos in 28 days for his role in Swatantrya Veer Savarkar (2024). The 48-year-old fitness enthusiast discussed his extreme weight loss methods and shared his views on fasting as a means to maintain health and fitness. Hooda, known for his physical transformations in films like Sarbjit (2016) starring him and Aishwarya Rai in the lead role, explained that he took drastic measures to achieve the desired look for the climax scene of his latest film. He disclosed that he "stopped eating and drinking" and significantly reduced his food and water intake to authentically portray the character, though this decision impacted his health. He remained underweight for approximately a year and a half during the film's production. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Google Brain Co-Founder Andrew Ng, Recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo When questioned about recommending his extreme weight loss approach to others, Hooda advised against it but endorsed fasting as an effective method for weight loss and maintaining fitness. "There's nothing better than fasting," he stated, explaining that our digestive system works continuously throughout our lives. He emphasized that many health issues originate from the stomach or gut, and fasting provides them time to recover. The power of fasting for weight loss The actor suggested that fasting for 1-2 days can lead to increased activity levels and rejuvenation. He explained that fasting prevents the lethargy often experienced after eating. Hooda provided specific guidelines for fasting, recommending consumption of only water, black coffee, or black tea. He cautioned against drinking lemon water and coconut water. One needs to understand that longer fasting periods benefit both health and appearance. if you're considering trying fasting for weight loss . Randeep follows a disciplined diet and regular workout routine, consistently adapting his physique to meet the requirements of his various roles. His transformations are notable, and so are his extreme ways to achieve them. However, these are often done with support from trained fitness and diet professionals. One must always ensure to take advice from a nutritionist or a dietician before getting on fasting for weight loss. Shocking! Randeep Hooda severely injured after fainting while horse riding. Is his weight loss for 'Swatantra Veer Savarkar' the reason?
