Tag: Maharashtra
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Today marks the birth anniversary (4 November 1845) of Vasudev Balwant Phadke, one of the pioneering figures who inaugurated the revolutionary era during British rule in India. Phadke raised a fighting force of about three hundred determined young men and waged a campaign of resistance against the colonial occupiers. At the heart of his struggle…
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Religious Tradition and Political Struggle Traditional Roots of the Festival Anant Chaturdashi, observed on the 14th day of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapada (August–September), is one of India’s important Hindu festivals. Traditionally dedicated to Lord Vishnu as the infinite (Anant) sustainer of the universe, it revolves around the tying of the sacred Anant Sutra –…
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In 1904, a young Vinayak Damodar Savarkar stood solemnly before a portrait of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and proposed a bold and electrifying idea. He renamed his earlier organization, Mitra Mela, to Abhinav Bharat – meaning “New India” – a title that soon echoed as a threat in the corridors of British power, not just in…
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In 1905, being in his early twenties, Vinayak Damodar (Veer) Savarkar emerged as a fiery student leader in Poona, galvanizing youth against British imperialism. A staunch proponent of Swadeshi, Savarkar saw the boycott of foreign goods as the moral counterpart to the political opposition to the Partition of Bengal by Viceroy Lord Curzon planned to…
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Social-Reformist Dimension of Hindutva, Part 3 Savarkar: The Social Reformer Who Saw Beyond Political Independence Vinayak Damodar (Veer) Savarkar was more than just a political figure. He was a profound social reformer who understood the intrinsic link between social transformation and lasting political freedom. While his political contributions are widely recognized, his insights into the…
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Social-Reformist Dimension of Hindutva, Part 2 The discourse on social reforms in India remains a subject of debate even in the 21st century. The need for such reforms arose as a result of the interaction between the indigenous Hindu social structure and external influences, particularly under British rule. The colonial era introduced a new paradigm…
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Political Dimension of Hindutva, Part 4 When envisioning the future of Hindu Rashtra, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar did not propose a rigid, fixed model of governance. Instead, his ideas evolved within the historical and political context of his time. Rather than outlining a single, comprehensive framework, Savarkar explored various possibilities, ranging from a constitutional monarchy in…