Vināyak Dāmodar Sāvarkar (िवनायक दामोदर सावरकर) (May 28, 1883 – February 26, 1966) was

an Indian freedom fighter, a revolutionary[3] and politician. He was the proponent of liberty as the
ultimate ideal. He is credited with developing the Hindu nationalist political ideology Hindutva.
Savarkar was a poet, writer and playwright. He launched a movement for religious reform
advocating dismantling the system of caste in Hindu culture, and reconversion of the converted
Hindus back to Hindu religion. The five philosophical dimensions of Savarkar were
Utilitarianism, Rationalism and Positivism, Humanism and Universalism, Pragmatism and
Realism[4]
Savarkar's revolutionary activities began when studying in India and England, where he was
associated with the India House and founded student societies including Abhinav Bharat Society
and the Free India Society, as well as publications espousing the cause of complete Indian
independence by revolutionary means.[5] Savarkar published The Indian War of Independence
about the Indian rebellion of 1857 that was banned by British authorities. He was arrested in
1910 for his connections with the revolutionary group India House. Following a failed attempt to
escape while being transported from Marseilles, Savarkar was sentenced to two life terms
amounting to 50 years' imprisonment and moved to the Cellular Jail in the Andaman and Nicobar
Islands.
While in jail, Savarkar wrote the work describing Hindutva, openly espousing Hindu
nationalism. He was released in 1921 under restrictions after signing a plea for clemency in
which he renounced revolutionary activities. Travelling widely, Savarkar became a forceful
orator and writer, advocating Hindu political and social unity. Serving as the president of the
Hindu Mahasabha, Savarkar endorsed the ideal of India as a Hindu Rashtra and opposed the
Quit India struggle in 1942, calling it a "Quit India but keep your army" movement. He became a
fierce critic of the Indian National Congress and its acceptance of India's partition, and was one
of those accused in the assassination of Indian leader Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. He was
acquitted as the charges could not be proven.
The airport at Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar's capital has been named Veer Savarkar
International Airport.[6] The commemorative blue plaque on India House fixed by the Historic
Building and Monuments Commission for England reads "Vinayak Damodar Savarkar 1883-
1966 Indian patriot and philosopher lived here".[7]
Vinayak was born in the family of Damodar and Radhabai Savarkar in the village of Bhagur,
near the city of Nasik, Maharashtra. He had three other siblings namely Ganesh, Narayan, and a
sister named Mainabai. Vinayak was born in a Marathi Chitpawan Brahmin family[citation
needed]. The family had a good social standing due to their jagirdars (landlords) lineage[citation
needed]. Vinayak's mother died when he was nine years old during an outbreak of cholera.[citation
needed]
The siblings also lost their father seven years later when he died of plague in 1899.[citation
needed]

After death of parents the eldest sibling Ganesh, known as Babarao, took responsibility of the
family. Babarao played a supportive and influential role in Vinayak's teenage life. During this
period, Vinayak organised a youth group called Mitra Mela (Band of Friends) and encouraged
revolutionary and nationalist views of passion using this group.[8] In 1901, Vinayak Savarkar
married Yamunabai, daughter of Ramchandra Triambak Chiplunkar, who supported his
university education. Subsequently in 1902, he enrolled in Fergusson College, in Pune (then
Poona).[8] As a young man, he was inspired by the new generation of radical political leaders
namely Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal and Lala Lajpat Rai[8] along with the political
struggle against the partition of Bengal and the rising Swadeshi campaign. He was involved in
various nationalist activities at various levels. In 1905, during Dussehra festivities Vinayak
organised setting up of a bonfire of foreign goods and clothes. Along with his fellow students
and friends he formed a political outfit called Abhinav Bharat. Vinayak was soon expelled from
college due to his activities but was still permitted to take his Bachelor of Arts degree
examinations. After completing his degree, nationalist activist Shyam Krishnavarma helped
Vinayak to go to England to study law, on a scholarship.[8] It was during this period that Garam
Dal, (literally translated as Hot Faction) was formed under the leadership of Tilak, due to the
split of Indian National Congress. The members of Garam Dal, did not acknowledge the
moderate Indian National Congress leadership agenda which advocated dialogue and
reconciliation with the British Raj. Tilak advocated the philosophy of Swaraj and was soon
imprisoned for his support of revolutionary activities.[8]
Bhagat Singh ((28 September 1907[9] – 23 March 1931[2][1] ) was an Indian freedom fighter,
considered to be one of the most influential revolutionaries of the Indian independence
movement. He is often referred to as Shaheed Bhagat Singh (the word shaheed meaning
"martyr"). Born to a Jat[10] Sikh family which had earlier been involved in revolutionary activities
against the British Raj, Singh, as a teenager, became an atheist and had studied European
revolutionary movements. He also became attracted to anarchism and marxist ideologies.[11] He
became involved in numerous revolutionary organizations. He quickly rose through the ranks of
the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) and became one of its leaders, converting it to the
Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA). Singh gained support when he underwent a
64-day fast in jail, demanding equal rights for Indian and British political prisoners.[12] He was
hanged for shooting a police officer in response to the killing of veteran freedom fighter Lala
Lajpat Rai. His legacy prompted youth in India to begin fighting for Indian independence and
contributed to the rise of socialism in India
Bhagat Singh was born into a Sandhu Jatt[11] family to Sardar Kishan Singh Sandhu and
Vidyavati in the Khatkar Kalan village near Banga in the Lyallpur district of Punjab.[14] Singh's
given name of Bhagat means "devotee", and he was nicknamed "Bhaganwala" by his
grandmother, meaning "The lucky one".[15] He came from a patriotic Jatt Sikh family, some of
whom had participated in movements supporting the independence of India and others who had
served in Maharaja Ranjit Singh's army.[16] His grandfather, Arjun Singh, was a follower of
Swami Dayananda Saraswati's Hindu reformist movement, Arya Samaj,[17] which would carry a
heavy influence on Singh. His uncles, Ajit Singh and Swaran Singh, as well as his father were
members of the Ghadar Party, led by Kartar Singh Sarabha Grewal and Har Dayal. Ajit Singh
was forced to flee to Persia because of pending cases against him while Swaran Singh was
hanged on 19 December 1927 for his involvement in the Kakori train robbery of 1925.[18]
Unlike many Sikhs his age, Singh did not attend Khalsa High School in Lahore, because his
grandfather did not approve of the school officials' loyalism to the British authorities.[19] Instead,
his father enrolled him in Dayanand Anglo Vedic High School, an Arya Samajist school.[20] At
age 13, Singh began to follow Mahatma Gandhi's Non-Cooperation Movement. At this point he
had openly defied the British and had followed Gandhi's wishes by burning his government-
school books and any British-imported clothing. Following Gandhi's withdrawal of the
movement after the violent murders of policemen by villagers from Chauri Chaura, Uttar
Pradesh, Singh, disgruntled with Gandhi's nonviolence action, joined the Young Revolutionary
Movement and began advocating a violent movement against the British.[21]
In 1923, Bhagat famously won an essay competition set by the Punjab Hindi Sahitya Sammelan.
This grabbed the attention of members of the Punjab Hindi Sahitya Sammelan including its
General Secretary Professor Bhim Sen Vidyalankar. At this age, he quoted famous Punjabi
literature and discussed the Problems of the Punjab. He read a lot of poetry and literature which
was written by Punjabi writers and his favourite poet was Allama Iqbal from Sialkot.[22]
In his teenage years, Bhagat Singh started studying at the National College in Lahore,[23] but ran
away from home to escape early marriage, and became a member of the organisation Naujawan
Bharat Sabha ("Youth Society of India").[11] In the Naujawan Bharat Sabha, Singh and his fellow
revolutionaries grew popular amongst the youth. He also joined the Hindustan Republican
Association through introduction by history teacher, Professor Vidyalankar,[24] which had
prominent leaders like Ram Prasad Bismil, Chandrashekhar Azad and Ashfaqulla Khan.[25]