Savarkar in London
– Chronology
1906
April
On the 14th, a protest meeting against the
partition of Bengal was held at Barisal ( now in Bangladesh ). Police used
brute force to disperse the gathering. Surendranath Banerjee was heavily fined.
May
5 - A meeting to
condemn the police action was held at Shyamji’s home by the Indian Home Rule
Society. At this meeting, Vitthalbhai Patel
( elder brother of Sardar Patel ) and Bhai Paramanand were
present. Dadabhai Naoroji and Gokhale were invited but did not attend.
6 - Similar meeting was held in Paris by Mr Banker, Mr
Godrej, Barrister Rana and others.
Vande Mataram
became our national anthem because it was banned in Dacca by Sir Banfield
Fuller, Lt Governor of East Bengal
June
9 – Savarkar left
Bombay for London by s.s Persia
14 – Report on
Savarkar by Special Branch, Pune was dispatched to London
24 – Savarkar
probably reached London.
26 – Savarkar
enrols with Grays Inn for his studies.
July
18 – Savarkar
called on Sir Wyllie, by appointment for obtaining an order for the House of
Commons to hear the debate on the Indian Budget on 20th July
20 – Debate in
House of Commons on Indian Budget.
22 – Public
meeting in Chandos Hall. Lecture by Barrister Parekh
Subject – The
Recent Persecution in Bengal.
Social Democratic
Federation arranged series of lectures. Parekh’s was one of them
October
5 Banerjee was
coronated ?/
Letter of R C
Dutt
Daily News/ Daily
Chronicle/ Mirror / Telegraph /
20 – Gandhi
reached London. He headed a delegation to protest against injustices suffered
by Indians in South Africa. He met Savarkar in India House.
November 23
Dadabhai going to
India to accept office of President of Congress Party.. Public celebrations in
London
P M Bapat wrote a
book India demands Home Rule. As a result Bombay university withdrew Mangaldas
Nathubhai scholarship
December 20
Mr Hyndman –The
Rapids of Revolution
1907
January
Suffragette
movement – Daily News, Tribune,
February
Irish Home Rule
movement
Daily Mirror-
military training
March
14 Morley sets up
a committee for condition of Indian students in U.K.
May
Shyamji left
London for Paris
10 Savarkar
celebrated anniversary of 1857 War at 78 Goldsmith Avenue, Acton, London
W3 ( riots in Rawalpindi,,
Daily Graphic, Daily Telegraph, Evening
News, Tribune, )
Lala Lajpat Rai
and Sardar Ajit Singh were deported to Mandalay (Burma). So
strict was the security that the two leaders did not know that they were kept
in prison in the same place, Mandalay.
July
Passive
resistance in France
August
Madame Cama unfurled Indian National flag in front of 1,000
delegates from all over the world at the International Socialist Conference in
Stuttgart, Germany. Ramsey MacDonald was one of the delegates. He later became
British Prime Minister,
Others included Lenin and Rosa
Luxemburg who was hanged during Communist uprising in the days of Weimar
Republic.
November
30 – Indian
students in U.K. – report was published.
Number of
students
London 380 (320 studied Law)
Edinburgh 150
Cambridge 085
Oxford 032
Manchester 016
Birmingham 011
Others 016
-----------------------
Total 700
1908
February
Turmoil in
Portugal. King and Prince killed, younger prince on throne.
May
Shivaji’s
birthday celebrated in London. Programme arranged by Free India Society
10 – 50th
anniversary of the 1857 War was celebrated in India House
Dramas in English
theatres
Mr Rees –
questions in House of Commons.
September
21 Meeting in
Caxton Hall to protest against the sentence of Transportation for 6 years given
to Tilak
October
Board of Trade
figures – effect of Swadeshi.
Millowners want
to reduce wages by 5%- labour unrest
Bipin babu in
London – news in papers
November
Meetings in
Caxton Hall – Daily Chronicle
December
20 – Annual
session of Indian National Congress held in Caxton Hall – It was to be held in
Nagpur, but Govt banned it there/
29 – Savarkar
organised celebration of birthday of Guru Govind Singh, in Caxton Hall
( Times, Daily
Telegraph, Mirror, Daily Express )
1909
February
Standard – sedition
among students in England. Two Historic Documents
Kunjabihari
Bhattacharyajee – Daily Dispatch – photograph
Vasudev
Bhattacharya – Lee Warner
Times – article
on India
28 Babarao
Savarkar arrested in Mumbai
April
3 Savarkar left
India House
Standard –
representative meets Savarkar
Sunday Chronicle
– representative meets Savarkar
Also Daily Mail,
Manchester Guardian , Dispatch also sent representatives to meet Savarkar.
May
On the 1st , Shyamji was struck off the register
of Barristers by benchers of the Inner Temple.
June
8 Babarao sent to
Transportation for Life and forfeiture of all his property.
Three days later, Viceroy Lord Minto sent a telegram to the
Secretary of State for India, “ Ganesh Damodar Savarkar convicted under section
121 and 124A of the India Penal Code and sentenced to transportation for life
and forfeiture of property.”
July
1 Madanlal
Dhingra shot dead Sir Curzon Wyllie
5 Meeting in
Caxton Hall to condemn Dhingra. Savarkar protests
6 Savarkar’s
letter of explanation published in Times (London)
Daily Dispatch -
news
In 1903, Shyamji had endowed a sum of 1,000 pounds to the
Oxford University in memory of philosopher Herbert Spencer who died in that
year. This was returned to him in July 1909. The once venerated Sanskrit scholar
had suddenly become a persona non grata
because now he was seeking independence for India.
14 th - At the end of all the farce the benchers of Grays
Inn ruled, " None of the charges
was proven. Savarkar is a permanent member of this society
( Grays Inn) and would continue to enjoy the privileges of
membership. There was still suspicion about him and, as such he would not be
called to the Bar as yet.
( What happened to the principle that an accused person is
innocent unless proved guilty ? It was conveniently set aside by those who
practised and taught law!! ) He may be called later, if his behaviour is
satisfactory."
23 rd Savarkar wrote in his newsletter, " When it
became obvious that the evidence was collected by the Government of India, it
was clear who was behind this episode."
August
On 3 August Viceroy Lord Minto sent a telegram from Simla to
India Office, " It is understood that Madanlal Dhingra is to be executed
on the 17th August. If body cremated, undesirable that ashes should be sent to
India."
The Times reported
on 11 August 1909, “ The mail from India brings the following notification
issued at Simla on July 23 – ‘ In exercise of the power conferred by section 19
of the Sea Customs Act 1878 ( viii of 1878 ) the Governor-General is pleased to
prohibit the bringing by sea or land into British India of any copy of the book
or pamphlet in Marathi on the subject of the Indian Mutiny by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar or any English
translation or version of the same.’
Savarkar's book served as a source of inspiration to Indian
revolutionaries for next 40 years ]
16 Dhingra’s
statement published as handbill in London.
Newspapers –
Daily Mirror – we challenge the police
Times / Standard
etc
Check – American
and Irish Newspapers for news.
17 Dhingra was
sent to the gallows at Pentonville Prison at 09:00 hrs
November
5 – Queens Road
Hall – meeting of Vijayadashmi.
Gandhi praises
Savarkar
This was the last
newsletter sent by Savarkar
December
21 Mr Jackson,
Collector of Nasik was shot dead in Nasik by Kanhere.
1910
March
13 – Savarkar was
arrested at London (Victoria) station.
14 – Savarkar was
brought in front of Bow Street Magistrate.
July
8 – Savarkar’s
dramatic attempt to escape from s.s Moria at Marseilles
compiled by Dr V
S Godbole 21-24 September 2004