INFORMATION
ON SAVARKAR
GATHERED BY
THE BRITISH SECRET POLICE
1906-1909
KEPT IN
INDIA OFFICE RECORDS
A
note for the readers.
Whatever
we may think of the British Raj, we have to admire their record keeping. India
Office Library, London keeps files by their secret police on Savarkar and
others. These were explored by Late Mukund Sonapatki over a long period from
1968 to 1980. He had to make notes in pencil. As computers became more easily
available I typed all his notes for posterity. Now they are being put on our
web-site www.satyashodh.com.
The
work is by no means finished. If some one has time they can go to India Office
Library (now at 3rd floor, British Library, Euston Road, London) and
carry further research so that we can know more about our past.
Persons
mentioned in the files.
After
the unsuccessful Indian War of Independence of 1857-59, the British crown took
over adminidtration of India from the hands of the (English) East India
Company. The British Cabinet included a Secretary of State for India who
controlled the affairs of India through the Viceroy (in India). The secretary
of State for India had his office in the building called The India Office (now
Foerign and Commonwealth Office) which is behind the famous Downing Street. He
had his own Council of advisers. These were mostly retired ICS officers or
Indian Army Officers.
We
find the following on such a council
Sir
Arthur Godley, K.C.B – Under Secretary of State for India
Sir
William Lee-Warner, K.C.S.I – Vice President of the Council
Sir
John Edge, K.C
Theodore
Morrison.
Lt
Col Sir W H Wyllie, K C I E, M V O. – Political A.D.C to Secretary of State for
India.
-----------
Others
mentioned are- R. Ritchie, Sir Charles Elliott, Sir Charles Lyall,
Mr
Dube
Research
is needed about these persons.
V
S Godbole 23 August 2007
14
Turnberry Walk
Bedford
MK41,
8AZ
U.K.
----------------------------------------------------------------
L/P&S/7/317/2432
Letter from Sir Richmond to R Ritchie dated
14th
June 1906
V
D Savarkar is a brahmin youth aged about 22. He was educated at the Fergusson
College, Poona where he graduated. While in the college he attended a mass
meeting of students under the presidency of N C Kelkar,
(
editor of Maratta ) who addressed the meeting, advising students to support the
" Swadeshi " movement after which the meeting was thrown open for
discussion. It was at this meeting that Savarkar first came under notice as a
fiery and unbridled speaker. It is reported that at this meeting Savarkar urged
his countrymen to dispose everything that is English, and to abstain from
purchasing foreign goods. He suggested that all students should burn their
clothes made of English & Foreign cloth on Dasara day at Lakdipool.
For
this breach of college discipline Savarkar was fined Rs 10. The fine was
subscribed by the other students and handed over to Savarkar.
Since
leaving college he has gone to Nasik, where he is taking a active part in the
" Swadeshi " movement. At a meeting held at Nasik regarding the
Bengal Government's student circular, Savarkar informed the audience that he
was of the opinion that the movement was distinctly in the interests of
civilisation and was not directed against the Government, and that they should
not cease to participate in it and that no harm could befall those interesting
themselves in the movement. At another meeting held at Nasik, Savarkar is
reported to have made a rabid speech. But the details of this speech have not been
furnished. The police have been requested by the District Magistrate to keep an
eye on him.
Savarkar
is apparently looked upon as Sine Qua Non by students, and recently he has been
invited by them to establish in Poona a society for the political emancipation
of India. Savarkar responded to the invitation and convened a meeting for the
purpose at which he and others spoke. Savarkar wound up his address by dialling
on the subject of youth and vigour, scoffed at the experience of old age, which
he compared to faded flowers not fit for garlanding the goddess of nation, and
thus led up to Shivaji and Ramdas and latter's advice as given in a stanza of
which the first 3 lines may be translated as follows, " Collect many men,
make their thoughts one, and fall together.
The
fourth line of the stanza was omitted by Savarkar but its very omission
produced the desired effect. It runs in the " Mlenchhas " Savarkar
excuses himself and said the assembly would understand what he intended to say
but could not say it openly, as he was aware of the presence of detectives, a
fact of which he was glad as if they helped in the work about to be taken up so
much the better for the country.
Savarkar's
quotation was taken up by repeated cries of " Bande Mataram "
"
Shri Shivaji Maharaj Ki Jai " " Shri Ramdas Ki Jai " etc.
Savarkar continued that they had lost everything but that they should not shed
tears, it behoved them to shed blood to regain what they had lost. Tears, he
said, were woman's lot, work for men. He ended up by saying what they had lost
was their religion and this is what they had to establish.
Savarkar
is reported to be developing into a popular agitator and is proceeding to
England to lay before the people there the grievances of his fellow countrymen.
He expenses are to be defrayed out of the Shivaji scholarship started by S K
Varma now residing in London.
The
exact date of his departure is not known but he is being entertained by those
who sympathise with his cause as if he were on the point of leaving the country.
--------------------------------------
Remarks
by W L Warner.
All
we can do is to make his acquaintance and take notes, but not shadow him in any
way. 3/6/06.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr
Ritchie
Mr
Savarkar called on me today, by appointment, about obtaining an order for the
House of Commons to hear the debate on the Indian Budget on the 20th July - a
small man with an intelligent face and a nervous manner. He is staying with S K
Varma at the India House and has entered Grays Inn to study for the Bar. Sir W
Lee Warner saw him in my room and we agree in thinking that there is no
objection to his being given the order he asks for.
W
H C Wyllie. 18/7/06.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indian
students in England / Essay by John
Pollen, CIE, LLD
----------------------
Indian
students in UK 6/845
Report
submitted 30 November 1907, pages 316. Actual report consists of 63 pages. Rest
of the pages are full of testimonies of various witnesses
On
14 March 1907 the Secretary of State appointed a committee to enquire and
report upon the position in this country of young Indians who come to England
to study ...
Members
Sir
William Lee Warner KCSI of India Office, ( Chairman )
Lt
Col Sir Curzon Wyllie of India Office
Theodore
Morison of India Council ?
M
J E Shuckburgh ( Secretary )
100
persons testified, some English officers, some Indians, 64 Europeans
Amir
Ali and Dadabhai Naoroji did not help even when asked for.
Students
at Oxford were reluctant to help
The
committee went to London, Cambridge, Oxford and then to Edinburgh.
Number
of students : London 380
Edinburgh 50
Cambridge 85
Oxford 32
Manchester 6
Birmingham 11
Others 26
----- --------------------
Total 700
(
Note : Population of India was 300 million )
Discipline
was strict at Oxford and Cambridge, much lax in London.
320
were studying Law in London. One member remarked, " The risk in London is
greater than risk in Calcutta. "
Another
feature of London was isolation. Even English students from outside London felt
lonely, what to talk of Indian students.
One
officer of the Inns of Court said in 1902 that some of the Indian students were
addicted, spendthrift, pleasure hunters. But committee members felt that on the
whole students were satisfactory. Some Indian students brought references and
saw English officers. But then did not bother afterwards to keep contact with
them.
Why
did the students behave in this way ?
(1)
They were away from home
(2)
They were unaware about the English education system
(3)
They were unable to find suitable accommodation and could not adjust to mode of
living in the U K.
(4)
They were unable to adopt English way of life.
More
and more students turned to the study of Law even if originally they came to U
K for a different subject, because the subject was easy. The Bar examination in
England was far more easier than in India. In India the Barrister enjoyed many
privileges.
Sir
John Edge said, " In India Vakils (?) and Barristers should be brought to
same level. Inns of Court should take a harder examination, without passing
this examination one should not be allowed to practice in India.
Indian students and politics
(1)
Before coming to England Indian students are unhappy about British rule.
(2)
This dissatisfaction increases after coming to England. They feel that the
expulsion of the British is the only hope for India.
The
committee then turned to India House. There are in England, representatives of
the Extremists in Indian Politics, and they spare no pain to win adherents to
their cause among the Indian students as soon as the latter arrive in this country.
Probably the most active of these has been, for sometime past, Mr S K Varma who
conducts a paper in London called the Indian Sociologist in which he urges his
countrymen to " boycott " the British Government as the surest means
of driving the British out of India. He has also founded a lodging house in
Cromwell Avenue, Highgate called " India House " at which students
willing to put up with a certain amount of discomfort are accommodated at a
very moderate charge. Representatives of the India House visit the railway
stations at which Indian Students arrive and offer them the advantage of these
cheap lodgings. On reaching the India House they are plied with the arguments
of Mr Varma's adherents and are no doubt frequently converted to his views. (Our
note : See Biography by Karandikar page 165 )
We
call attention to the following card of invitation to a meeting at Tilak House
( 78 Goldsmith Avenue, Acton ) which is another centre of Indian malcontents in
London. Under auspices of the "
Free India League " it is decided to commemorate the golden jubilee of the
Patriotic Rising of 1857. This meeting is to be held on Saturday 11th May, the
day of declaration of independence.
Some
government scholarship holders strongly condemned the British administration in
India. Therefore Government of India should be careful in awarding such
scholarships. They should insist on certificates from the relevant colleges to
the effect that the students are not political extremists. If they are careless
in this the students from such colleges should be barred from entering England.
Witnesses
(1) Sheikh Abdul Kadir
(2) Amir Ali. He sent a letter on behalf of
East Indian
Association
(3) Sir Charles Elliott
(4) Charuchandra Ghosh
(5) Douthwaite
In
Cambridge there was some racial discrimination. Students did not like use of
the words, natives, blacks or eyests?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday
6th May 1908
The
inaugural meeting of the London Branch of the All India Muslim League.
President Ameer Ali
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John
McCarthy, acting supdt CID - New Scotland Yard
Report
of a meeting at the " India House "
2nd September 1908
Pole,
Baron Parglas - 27 Perry Vale, Forest Hill - Egyptian " At the same
meeting a letter was read purporting to be written by a B.P. in which he
expressed regret at not being able to attend the meeting and went on to say
that, " I am quite ready to give my entire assistance to your only too
just cause " and " the events in Turkey will I trust be followed up
also in Egypt, and this will no doubt assist and further the endeavours of your
people. " and a good deal more in that strain.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A
meeting was held on 5th December 1908 at Alexandra Hall, Cambridge. Reported in
The Times of 7th December 1908. Mrs Datta was in chair. B C Pal was one of
speakers.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
L/P&J/6/908/4600
contains Savarkar's invitation for commemorating the birth anniversary of Shri
Guru Govind Singh on 29th December 1908.
Note
: Report in The Times of 30th December 1908
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5th
January 1909 The Standard
News
about Two historical statements and an editorial.
----------------------------------------------------------
Special
Branch - New Scotland Yard S.W. 11th
March 1909
I
beg to report that according to enquiries in Indian circles, it is believed
that Harnam Singh who was rusticated from Cirencester College in July 1908 for
wearing a Bande Mataram Button, is the man who recently wrote Gurumukhi appeal
to the Sikhs.
Harnam
Singh came to England in July 1907, and was introduced into Grays Inn by G
Shankar and S Krishnavarma. He afterwards went to study at Cirencester
Agricultural College and on his banishment from that institute, he returned to London, where he was much feted by his
compatriots for his action and patriotism with regard to the commemoration
medal.
In
December last he took an active part in the series of meetings held by Indian
agitators at the Caxton Hall, Westminster, after which he disappeared from
London, and now said to be residing in Paris.
He
is a native of Amritsar, is said to be a man in good circumstances, and to have
a thorough knowledge of the Gurumukhi Vernacular.
J
McBrien - Inspector
J McCarthy - Acting Supdt
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sir
Charles Lyall,
Mr
Douthwaite, under Treasurer of Gray's Inn called yesterday to enquire about two
Indian students, Harnamsingh & Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, who have qualified
for the Bar and have applied to be called on 5th May.
Harnamsingh
is the student who behaved so badly at the Royal Agricultural College
Cirencester and Savarkar is another notorious agitator and a follower of Bipin
Chandra Pal.
Mr
Morison and I explained to Mr Douthwaite the disloyal character of these two
young men and in consequence of their representations a subcommittee of three
Benchers of Gray's Inn has been appointed to consider the matter.
Mr
Douthwaite very kindly called again this morning to explain the position and to
ask us for any written information we could give him corroborative of the
statements against these students.
He
has since sent the accompanying letter formally asking for this information,
and it is desirable that our answer should reach Mr Douthwaite by Monday
evening next.
From
the printed papers accompanying Mr Douthwaite's letter it will be seen that Shyamji
Krishna Varma is one of the sponsors for both the students and the files in the
J & P Department contain the incriminating evidence of the association of
these students with the proceedings of Shyamji Krishna Varma at the India
House.
I
think that a careful statement of these students' disqualifications to be
called to the Bar from our point of view might with advantage be sent to Mr
Douthwaite.
W H C Wylie.
29/4/09
Gray's
Inn 29th
April 1909
Dear
Sir Curzon Wyllie,
The
Benchers at Gray's Inn at their meeting last night adjourned until Wednesday
next the further consideration of the eligibility for call to the English Bar
of Harnam Singh and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, two students of this society
about whom I spoke to you yesterday. Both these students are qualified for the
Degree of Barrister according to the ordinary regulations of the Inns of Court
and they have applied to be called with other students on the 5th of May - next
Wednesday. Their cases have been adjourned because of the intimation I received
from you yesterday to the effect that the India Office were aware of certain
matters concerning these students, which suggested that they were not fit and
proper persons to be called. I know both you and Mr Morison appreciated the
fact that although this intimation was quite sufficient to justify a
postponement of the matter for a few days in the period intervening between the
consideration of their eligibility and the ceremony of " call ", a
refusal to call these students could only rest upon very definite evidence
concerning them which could be held to render them ineligible.
I
now write to ask therefore that I may receive as soon as possible any definite
information concerning Harmnam Singh and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar which is
deemed to affect the eligibility of both or either of them for call to the
English Bar.
Any
document which I receive will be submitted to a committee of three Benchers of
Gray's Inn who have been appointed to consider the matter.
Believe
me yours faithfully
D
W Douthwaite
Enclosed
are copies of the admission documents of both students.
Gray's
Inn 4th
May 1909
Dear
Sir Curzon Wyllie,
Thank
you very much indeed for your letter which will be very helpful.
You
will be glad to hear that my committee have decided to report to the Benchers
tomorrow night that neither Harnam Singh nor Savarkar should be called to the
Bar until full enquiry has taken place into the matters alleged against them.
I
have no doubt that the committee's report will be adopted. Certainly neither of
them will be called this term.
The
committee feel ( as I expected ) that except for the Police report there was a
lack of substantial matter against Harnam Singh.
They
would not refuse to call him on the Cirencester incident alone. We must
remember of course - that they have the Judges to think of.
Yours very truly
D W Douthwaite
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grays
Inn May 6th 1909
Dear
Sir Curzon Wyllie,
I
am directed by the Treasurer of Gray's Inn to inform you that your
communication in reference to the case of the two Indian students, Harnam Singh
and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was considered by the Benchers of this Inn
yesterday in connection with the application from these students then pending
before them for admission to the Bar.
It
was decided that in face of your communication the consideration of this
application should be suspended and that in the meantime the Benchers should
investigate the subject matter of your report. Under the regulations of this
society, a preliminary enquiry has to be held by the discipline Committee with
a view of ascertaining whether upon the facts there is a case of complaint
calling for investigation.
The
Committee will sit for this purpose at Gray's Inn on next Wednesday, May the
12th at 5.30 when it is expected that the Indian office will submit to them the
evidence oral and documentary upon which the statements contained in their
communication to this society were founded. In dealing with a matter of such
grave importance the Benchers have a serious responsibility to discharge, not
merely in the public interest but also in the interest of the students concerned
and of the society itself and they can not take action unless they are
satisfied upon evidence of the truth of the matters alleged.
I
am, Dear Sir Curzon Wyllie,
Yours
faithfully
D
W Douthwaite.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Post
& Tel
Buckenhall Hall
( 6 May 1909 )
Munford
2M Munford,
Norfolk
Station,
Brandon
Telephone
22 Thetford
Dear
Sir Curzon Wyllie,
On
seeing Sir John Edge and Lord Marnaghin I found that the council of
and
that a report was in hand. In these circumstances
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Daily News interviewed Bipin
Chandra Pal about Savarkar.
Published
on Saturday 8th May 1909.
India
House carries on a propaganda, and if its sympathisers are not called to the
Bar on that ground, then it follows that every member of the Irish Land league
should be treated in the same way.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
18
Queens Gate S.W
May
9th, 1909
My
dear Wyllie,
Will
you kindly read this letter from Mr Underdom with regard to the Indian students
for the Bar ? The only point on which I want you to have the kindness to give
me information, is this - am I right in supposing that the advising committee,
just established by the Secretary of State will be prepared to answer enquiries
regarding the conduct or character of students...............to the committee
by the Inns of Court..........and generally act in consultation with the Regal
authorities in the matter of providing for control and of exercising discretion
in the ...........to the Inn.
Mr
Undertom's letter is dated April 28th 1909, but I have just found it here, and
as I shall meet him on the 12th an early answer from you, if profitable will be
very convenient to Queens Gate.
Lyall
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Daily
News Monday
10th May 1909
Grays
Inn Hindoos
Old
students views in India House
The
statements published in Saturday's "Daily
News" with regard to the constitution of India House are confirmed by
an interview which a representative has had with Mr Dube, an old resident there
who was appointed to Lord Morley's Advisory Committee.
"
I came to this country " he said, " more than two years ago, and as I
did not know anybody in London, and did not wish to put up at an hotel, I went
to India House where I understood all Indians were welcome. I spent two or
three weeks there. There were a member of Indian students who entertained a
variety of opinions on political questions. Residence in the house certainly
does not imply agreement with any political creed. "
Additional
weight is given to his testimony by the circumstance that on technical grounds
Mr Dube justifies the action taken by the Benchers of Gray's Inn with regard to
the calling to the Bar of the two Indian Students whose views are alleged to be
seditious.
"
It is a matter entirely in the discretion of the Benchers " he said,
" If it has come to the knowledge of the Benchers that these two young men
have actually professed disloyalty to the King and Constitution, thus they have
a perfect right not to call them to the Bar. The information of disloyal
professions must, of course, have been communicated to the Benchers by someone.
How they are going to decide what is sedition is another matter. "
---------------------------------------
May
11th
18,
Queens Gate. S W.
My
dear Wyllie,
I
return this letter with my thanks for the information in the subject that you
have written to me.
Yours
sincerely
Lyall
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
India Office
Whitehall S.W
May 12th, 1909
Dear
Mr Douthwaite,
I
must apologise for the delay in acknowledging your letter of the 6th inst.
You
will see from Mr Morison's letter, which I enclose that Mr Lint Smith is
prepared to give evidence in support of the statements made by him regarding
Savarkar, and I have ascertained that
Sergeant Parker and police constable Hallett are prepared to give evidence that
Savarkar spoke at the meting in the Caxton Hall on Dec. 29th as reported in the
Govt of India confidential letter to the Secretary of State No. 3 of 4th March
1909 para 5.
Enclosed
I send a Scotland yard special branch report which you possibly care to see.
I
dare say you know that Savarkar's brother is now the subject of a criminal
prosecution in connexion with sedition in India.
Yours
very truly
W
H C wyllie
India Office
Whitehall S.W
12th May 09
Dear
Mr Douthwaite,
I
have consulted Mr Lint Smith of the Evening Standard and he authorises me to
say that he is ready to give evidence before the Benchers in support of the
statements made by him regarding Savarkar which have been communicated to you.
He desires to be informed of the time and place at which his evidence will take
place.
The report from Scotland Yard which I forwarded to you contains
certain reports of speeches which Savarkar is alleged to have made at secret
meetings at India House. The evidence upon which Scotland Yard relies cannot be
produced, it was given to the police in confidence and it is quite impossible
to disclose the source from which it was derived. We believe however that the
information which Scotland Yard has obtained with regard to Savarkar is correct
and the statements which we have forwarded to you are accepted as trustworthy
in this office.
I
should like to add that neither I nor Sir Curzon Wyllie is prosecuting Savarkar
before the Benchers. A doubt has been expressed as to the fitness of this man
to be called to the Bar and we are putting before you such information as we
possess. But we do not challenge the right of Benchers to call anybody they
like and we have never taken pains to collect evidence with regard to any
particular student with a view of preventing his call to the Bar, had we done
so we should now no doubt have much more direct evidence to put before you
regarding Savarkar.
We
cordially sympathise with the Benchers in desiring to keep the honoured name of
Barrister free from reproach and if any information that is in our possession
can be of service to the Benchers in that behalf we are glad to communicate it,
but the good name of the Bar is after all the concern of the Benchers and not
of the India Office and we cannot take upon ourselves the responsibility of
advising you whom you shall and whom you shall not call.
Believe
me
Yours
sincerely
T
Morison.
Gray's Inn
13th May 1909
Dear
Sir Curzon Wyllie,
Harnam
Singh is to be informed that no further proceedings will be taken against him
but he will be admonished by the Treasurer in the presence of the Bench.
Savarkar
is to be called on to answer three charges :-
1)
That by assisting in the circulation of pamphlets and by taking part in
seditious meetings he incited the Nation of India to revolt.
2)
That he advocated assassination
3)
That he expressed approval of assassination.
Liberty
is left to add to this indictment of course with notice to him.
Our
enquiry will, I think, be held on 9th June.
I
will let you know when the date is fixed and it may be that I shall ( if you
will permit me ) trouble you with another visit shortly with reference to Mr
Lint Smith's appearance and other matters.
I
expect that Harnam Singh will be called next term. I shall be writing to both
students tomorrow.
Douthwaite
No - 727 of 1909
Govt of India
Home Dept
Political
To
Sir Arthur Godley G.C.B.
His Majesty's Under Secretary of State
for India
Simla 13th
May 1909
Sir,
In
continuation of the letters noted in the margin, I am directed to forward,
for
the information of the Secretary of State , a copy of a letter from the Govt of
Bombay, No 4830 SD dated the 28th April 1909 and enclosures regarding the
finding of certain letters and seditious literature in the house of G D
Savarkar of Nasik and the Institution of proceedings against him under sections
121, 121-A and 124-A of the Indian Penal Code.
[ 1) Despatch from the Govt of India
in the Home Dept, No 3 Political, dated
the 4th March 1909
2)
Letter from the Govt of India in the Home Dept. No. 481. Political, dated the
25th March 1909 ]
2)
I am to add that, on the 11th January 1909, orders were issued under section 26
of the Indian Post Office Act, 1898, directing the interception of V D
Savarkar's book on the Indian Mutiny.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your most obedient servant
H.A.Stuart.
Secretary to the Govt of India.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copy
of Telegram
From
Viceroy. Dated Simla 15th May 09.
Received
at London Office 2 09 PM.
Reuters
wired 7 May that Benchers, Gray's Inn had postponed calling to Bar two Indian
students owing to connexion with Indian sedition. If either student is V D
Savarkar this connexion is undoubted. We are sending by this mail important
documents establishing his active participation in seditious movement.
India Office
Whitehall S.W
My
Dear Lyall,
The
Benchers have given Savarkar a written statement of the charges against him. He
is allowed till 22nd May in which to frame his written reply. The reply will be
considered on 26th May by the Benchers.
If
Savarkar fails in his written statement to refute the charges brought against
him, he will be examined by the Benchers on 9th June.
We
ought to have the papers from India by 5th June if they leave by next Saturday
from Bombay, so that I think they will be in time to hoist our friend.
Yours
sincerely
T
Morison
17th
May 1909
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grays Inn
18th May 1909
Dear
Sir Curzon Wyllie,
Thank
you for your letter enclosing copy of a telegram. No doubt I am right in
supposing that when these documents ( referred to in the telegram ) arrive they
will not be confidential.
It
would be embarrassing if, after the Bench had postponed - as they may have to
do - the consideration of the matter pending the arrival of the documents, we
were unable to produce them at the enquiry.
No
doubt this point has occurred to you. Meanwhile I will take care that the
matter is treated as confidential.
I
remain yours faithfully
D
W Douthwaite
India Office
Whitehall S.W
Sir
Arthur Godley,
I
have added a forward to the draft telegram and suggest that it should be issued
at once
Lyall 19/5/09
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
India Office
Whitehall S.W
My
Dear Lyall,
Wyllie
and I think that a telegram to this effect should go to India today or tomorrow
to make sure that we get all the incriminating evidence before the Benchers
decide.
Yours
sincerely
T
Morison
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To
Viceroy
( Home Dept )
Your
telegram - 15th May 1909
V
D Savarkar is one of the students whose call to Bar is postponed. Benchers will
decide case 9th June, send all documents by this mail. The other is Harnam
Singh. Is there any conclusive evidence of his connexion with Gurumukhi leaflet
?
Sent
19th May 1909.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D
O No. 237 Political
Home
Dept
Simla
- 20th May 09
India
Dear
Sir Arthur Godley,
In
reply to Secretary of State's telegram of yesterday, received this morning, I
am desired to refer to the papers sent with my letter No. 727 - Political dated
13th May 1909 and to paras 3 & 5 of the Govt of India's Political dispatch,
No 3 dated 4th march 1909 and to enclosures 1 and 2 of that dispatch, attention
is particularly invited to the first enclosure.
2)
Regarding Harnam Singh, I am to say that we have no conclusive evidence of his
connexion with the Gurumukhi leaflet referred to in the Secretary of State's
telegram. It will be remembered that this youth left the Cirencester College
because he was not allowed to wear a medal in commemoration of the Indian
Mutiny " Martyrs " It is reported that he said he got this medal from
Savarkar. A Scotland Yard report of the 26th February last states that he was
then in Paris assisting Shyamji Krishna Varma
Yours
very truly
H
A Stuart.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
India Office
Whitehall S.W.
Mr
Morison,
These
and the papers..........the Government of India's Telegram of 15th instant I am
afraid they don't add much to the case. The last the Vande Mataram essay
apparently if by Savarkar himself could be useful
C.I.Lyall
29/5/09
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
India Office
Whitehall S.W.
1st June 1909
My
dear Lyall,
I
do not think that there is anything in these papers from India which the
Benchers have not already in their possession. Scotland Yard had an early copy
of the letters signed Tatya and have also a copy of the Bande Mataram pamphlet
I believe, we want evidence to connect Savarkar with it. I don't find anything
in these papers which proves such a connection
Yours
Sincerely
T.Morison
India Office
Whitehall S.W.
Sir
Arthur Godley,
The
Government of India send the papers which in their telegram of the 15th May,
they said, " Established the acting participation of V D Savarkar in the
Indian Seditious movements. "
Please
see Mr Morison's note below. These papers do not appear to add anything to what
is already known and in the possession of the Benchers of Grays Inn. But Sir W
Curzon Wyllie might communicate a copy of the print to Mr Douthwaite.
C.I.Lyall 2/6/1909
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
India Office
Whitehall S.W.
June 4th 1909
Dear
Mr Douthwaite,
The
papers about Mr Savarkar, which I mentioned in a recent letter as being on
their way from India have arrived, but they do not appear to add anything to
what is already known and in the possession of the Benchers of Grays Inn.
W.H.C.Wyllie.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
India Office
Whitehall S.W.
8/6/09
To
Mr
Morison,
There
is nothing new here about either Savarkar or Harnam Singh.
C
I Lyall
Grays
Inn 10th June 1909
D
W Douthwaite - under treasurer
Sir
Curzon Wyllie, K C I E,
The
India Office, Whitehall
Dear
Sir Curzon Wyllie,
The
Benchers of Gray's Inn considered at a meeting held yesterday your letter of
4th inst., informing me that certain documents relating to Mr V D Savarkar
which you mentioned to me in your letter of 17th May as being on their way from
India, had now arrived but did not appear to add anything to the information
already in the Benchers possession.
I
was directed to ask that the Benchers may receive copies of any documents sent
by the Govt of India in pursuance of the intimation contained in the telegram
of the 15th of May of which you were good enough to send me a copy.
I
am dear Sir Curzon Wyllie
Yours
faithfully
D
W Douthwaite
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From
Viceroy 11th
June 1909
In
continuation of Home department letter No. 727 ( political ) dated 13th May
last G D Savarkar convicted under sections 121 and 124A, Indian Penal Code and
sentenced to transportation for life and forfeiture of property under former,
and two years under latter section, sentences to run concurrently. Third charge
declared invalid.
India Office
Whitehall S.W.
11th June 1909
Dear
Mr Douthwaite
Under
Treasurer - Grays Inn
With
reference to your letter of yesterday, I have much pleasure in sending you the
papers relating to Mr Savarkar lately received from the Government of India.
You
will observe that the enclosure to the letter from the Government of India No.
727 dated 13th May 1909 is marked confidential.
If
the Benchers of Grays Inn wish to treat it as a public document, I would ask
that before doing so, I may again be referred to.
I
am, dear Mr Douthwaite
Yours
faithfully
W
H C Wyllie
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
India Office
24/6/1909
To
Governor General
Vinayak
Savarkar : your telegram 3rd inst. I do not clearly understand what your Sikh
emissary is to do. If to find evidence here, that could amount to nothing
beyond hearsay unless he could produce witnesses or evidence taken by
commission neither of which proceedings is very feasible. Again is he to be
placed under control of Scotland Yard ? If not he might easily be counter
working Scotland Yard. Not again is it at all unlikely that he might be
discovered by the enemy and if he were murdered that would only add to our
difficulties. Are you sure that even possible success against Savarkar is worth
all that risks. To send such an emissary as a general and continuous aid to
Scotland Yard is quite a different thing and is thought here to be well worth considering,
if you could help us to the right sort of man.
(
From J & P File 26/6/1909 )
From
Viceroy, Simla 3rd July 1909
Received
at London Office 1.36 p.m.
Vinayak
Savarkar. Our telegram of 15th May last and Home Secretary's letter of 20th
May. Bombay Government anxious to proceed against Savarkar for conspiracy. His
brother Ganesh has been convicted under section 121 Indian Penal Code. We agree
that this is desirable and propose to send to London Indian Police officer
having intimate knowledge of conspiracy case here. We are advised that best
evidence against Savarkar will be obtained from Sikhs and therefore have
selected Sikh deputy superintendent, Dyal Singh Gyani. We propose that he
should receive full pay of Rs 400 a month and present local allowance Rs 100
with travelling expenses and 10/6d day
subsistence allowance in England. We request you sanction by telegraph to
deputation on these terms.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
India Office
Whitehall S.W.
Confidential
Sir
Arthur Godley
I
recommend that this be sanctioned by telegraph for reasons which I have
explained to you verbally.
---------------------
To
Viceroy
Your
telegram of 3rd inst. Savarkar, I sanction your proposals.
5th
July 1909.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Daily Dispatch of Manchester published
photographs ?
7th
July 1909 Big article by Virendranath Chattopadhya
"
India must be free. The real meaning of the Indian outrages. "
"
And although in the pregnant words of Disraeli, " assassination has never
changed the history of the world " young Indians have slowly but surely
learnt with success at least one branch of applied Chemistry, and today number
of those who know how to make bombs is to be reckoned not in hundreds, but in
tens of thousands...... under the circumstances, there is only one solution and
that is the one that is offered by Indian Nationalism
Copy
of Telegram
From
Viceroy. Dated 9th July 1909
Received
at London Office : 3.18 PM
Your
telegram of the 5th inst. Sikh police officer.
Development
of events here since my telegram of the 3rd inst. makes it desirable to retain
services for the present of the officer we had in view, but we think formally
of your proposal to have an Indian police officer attached continuously to
Scotland Yard and we will address you later about sending for that purpose
either the Sikh or another experienced detective. He would be able to obtain
information about Vinayak which Govt of Bombay require.
(
From J & P file 2490 of 1909 )
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Telegram
from Viceroy - Simla. 3rd August 1909.
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.
(
950/2566 - Lady Wyllie's respond to resolution of grief, passed in India. )
Aziz
Ahmad a Mullah from Lahore run a mosque in Glasgow. He wrote, " North
India is quiet. If Madanlal Dhingra is hanged he will become a martyr and this
will start a large movement. Hanging should therefore be cancelled.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
L/PS/8/9
Letter by Arthur Crawford to Sir Richmond Ritchie, dated 28th Aug 1909.
Savarkar ( Babarao ) has been transported for life.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Harnam
Singh was determined to put up the medal until 9 June.
Letter
from John McClellan, Principal of Cirencester College, to W Coldstream
Harnam
Singh should come back without putting up the medal. Not to do so would be a
folly, as he is likely to get a gold medal in his studies. Afterwards, Harnam
Singh went to London and then to Cambridge.
Medal
was circular with a flag in enamel, apparently, on it. The flag had three bands
of colour, horizontally, the top band of green, the middle one yellow and the
lowest one red. The top band bore device of lotus, the middle
"
Bande Mataram " and the lowest band bore a crescent, a Sikh emblem, and a
Sun. Round the flag were the words, " In memory of the martyrs of 1857.
"
(
Our note : The same flag was unfurled by Madam Cama at the International
Socialist Congress at Stuttgart. See Savarkar's Biography by Karandikar page
175 )
Harnam
Singh - I got the medal from Savarkar in May, in vacation time at 3 Glazebury
Road, staying with other Indian at Mrs Pryor's : where were Aminchand,
Mozumdar, J R Khosla.
I
was staying at India House last week. It is managed by Joshi of Gujrat, I
think. Master is a parsee not there now.
Telegram
from W C ( Wyllie ? ) to Harnam Singh 65 Cromwell Avenue, Highgate. " Will
be glad if you can come here and see me today 3 o'clock or 6 or tomorrow 10.
"
Telegram
from Highgate handed at 1.29 received 1.35 June 9th 1908
To
: Coldsmith, ICS ( retired ) 60 West Cromwell Road
"
Harnam Singh left London this morning, I am writing to him about your message.
"
It
was suggested that the Principal should apologise to all Indian students . It
was also suggested that this problem should be resolved by ragging and India
Office should not meddle. But Wyllie said that effects of ragging would be
harmful.
Maharaja
of Nabha had given scholarships to the two.
Harnam
Singh was the son of Sirdar Aya Singh - Amritsar District Judge in Punjab
Maharaja
should seek apologies from the two or should send them a telegram asking them
to come back to India. Harnam Singh actually lost his scholarship later on.
Wyllie
tried to bar entry of Harnam Singh and Rafik Mahamad in colleges in Cambridge
and Reading. In December 1908, Harnam Singh passed Part I in Diploma in
Agriculture. Rafik caused trouble in Reading too. He said that as a Indian the
English have no right over him.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disloyal
behaviour of Indian students at Caxton Hall November 3, 1909
Criticism
on lecture by B C Pal
Curzon
Wyllie, Sir James La Touche, Velinkar and Dube were present at the lecture by B
C Pal.
Deputy
Supdt Power arrived from Bombay on 10th March 1910 with necessary papers which
have been deposited at Bow Street Police Station
Savarkar
was arrested at London ( Victoria ) station on 13 March 1910.
Kennedy
Report - Inspector General of Police
Upto
Marseilles incident the prisoner was not handcuffed.
J
A Guider - Special Assistant to the Deputy Inspector General of Police
He
believes he answered the call of native before he escaped. After emerging from
the porthole he dropped into the water and had to swim about 10 to 12 ft to get
to the quay. 9 ft high wall climbed with the help of rings. Mr Power still in bed
and Parker appeared shaving when Savarkar was brought back.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
See
The Times of India 12th July 1910 about Savarkar's attempted escape. It says
Savarkar was naked.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Koregaonkar's
testimony
Information
about revolutionary party in London.
I
left for London on 29th May 1906 by the P & O steamer Macedonia. I shared the
cabin with M L Dhingra and two others. This was how I became acquainted with
Dhingra.
Dhingra
came to know about India House and he persuaded myself and my friend Shinde to
go there. There we met Savarkar who talked with us and invited us to come again.
This was about November 1906. We went again and made acquaintance with P M
Bapat who was staying in India House then. One evening it was in May 1907, I
dined there and saw S K Varma discussing with Savarkar, Bapat, Gauri Shankar
and one or two others whom I did not know. All were against S K Varma for the
passive resistance doctrine which he preached in Indian Sociologist. They were
all for active resistance. During the months of May and June I was staying at
India House. Dhingra recommended me the place strongly. All sorts of opinions
used to be freely discussed. A few were moderates; most however were rank
extremists. Not being prepared for such extreme views I soon left the house and
was never a lodger at it since. But the influence of all those forces was
strong on me. I admired Savarkar and had a great respect for Bapat who had
sacrificed everything for love of the motherland.
Then
Savarkar unfolded to me his scheme of making India independent. Arms were to be
sent into the country; men were to be sent out to Belgium, America, Switzerland
and Egypt to have military training as well as to learn the manufacture of
arms; seditious literature was to be poured into the country; most of it is to
be directed to stir up the Indian Army; direct preaching to the sepoys was to
be carried on; every province, every district, every village was to have its
own branch of the secret societies which were to be established everywhere and
in ten or fifteen years the flag of Indian independence was to be unfurled. All
could join this movement, Government servants as well as State servants. Those
who could not join as active members through fear could come in as sympathisers
who would finance the movement from outside, who would take none of the risks
of the society but who therefore would not be entitled to demand any of their
secrets. The vision of freedom to be achieved in the near future stirred my
imagination and I joined the ranks of the party as "sympathisers"
being afraid of the risks of attending active membership. I gave five pounds at
once. This I subsequently learnt was utilised in helping towards bomb-making.
As
I learnt afterwards the inception of the bomb was Dhingra'. He it was who
insisted that the time had come for bombs. Others were less enthusiastic. At
last the step was decided on, somewhere in the middle of the year 1907. Bapat
and Abbas a Mohemmadan were sent with funds collected from London. Students on
various excuses to Paris. Hemchandra Das was already there. Those three set
about the affair earnestly, found a Russian revolutionary and from him learnt
the art of making bombs and other explosives. They soon after returned to
India.
In
Paris they were helped financially and otherwise by Mrs Cama Mr and Mrs Rana
Shyamji and probably Godrej. They had promised the party that they would not
resist to throw bombs till one year after they had returned to India and they
would teach at least a hundred people in India before they began bomb throwing.
The first part of the promise had not been kept, the latter is believed to be
kept by them by the revolutionary party. S K Varma soon after his going to
Paris and become an active resistor one who believed in an armed rising.
In
May 1907 the first mutiny meeting of the Revolutionary Party was held at
Nitinsen Das's home, as S K Varma had refused the use of India House for that
occasion. I was present. Ali Khan, a Kashmiri was President. Savarkar Varma and
Bapat delivered the speeches. Harnam Singh myself and several others were
spectators.
In
the beginning of the year 1908 Aiyer a man of very moderate views used to come
to India House. He was so completely won over, that at present , with the
exception of Savarkar he is the most important man of the Party. He writes to
Tamil paper in India. Ali and Savarkar share almost all the secrets of the
party which are most jealously kept by them.
In
the year 1908 due to my living in South Kensington and having very hard work at
College to do, I very rarely met Dhingra and any other extremists. But in May I
went to the Mutiny meeting at India House and sang Bande Mataram at the opening
of the proceedings. Mr Rana was president. After the meeting mutiny badges were
distributed by Rutnam Pathar, a South African Indian. Dr Rajan and Ali were
staying at India House at the time and continued there till the house was
closed. The former used to speak some times at the India House meetings.
About
this time J D N Das and Dhingra became friends, very intimate friends. His
great idea was to start a shooting club. He tried to arrange with certain
English friends, but as they were not willing the idea had finally to be given
up.
I
hear several Brownings were brought to London at this time by Govind Amin whose
connection with India House began in 1908. Das bought one from him I hear and
Dhingra and Das used to go to Tottenham Court shooting range to practice there.
Das was even a better shot than Dhingra. He used to attend India House
frequently and was a lodger in it for nearly a year. He had revolutionary
views.
Govind
Amin was also staying in India House for a considerable period. He used to
attend most of the meetings and I have heard Savarkar say that Govind was his
right hand. He is a student at the North London Polytechnic of Mechanical
Engineering. As he was clever in his line, I suggested to Savarkar that Govind
should be sent to Belgium to study manufacturing of arms. When I left London
the proposal was under consideration. I had also urged that some men of our
party should go to Spain to take part in the war there. I do not know if that
has been done as I left soon after. I know that several Indians have taken part
in the Persian Revolution, joining whichever party they could get hold of to
learn actual warfare.
All
this time the political propaganda was very active. The following pamphlets
reached me from time to time in London. They came anonymously of course.
(1)
Organisation of secret societies in Russia.
(2)
Ugantar Prafulla
(3)
A grave warning
(4)
A Hindi pamphlet for Sepoys
(5)
A Gurumukhi pamphlet
(6)
Two Historical documents
(7)
Mrs Cama's message to India
Besides
this I received on pamphlet called " Khalsa " during the meeting in
the honour of Guru Govind Singh at Caxton Hall.
Some
pamphlets were first sent to New York or Germany and then sent to India to give
the impression that they were not sent from London. They sent the pamphlets
wrapped up in English papers. They never repeated the trick they had used once.
Sometimes they sent pamphlets in packets of 100 to 200 to confidential agents
all over India who then redistributed them.
They
also sent revolvers and rifles into the country, but how I cannot say. Once
Savarkar asked me what I thought of the idea of sending revolvers in a package
of second class boots, but whether he had made use of this idea, I don't know.
The
society has got branches everywhere, in Egypt, Paris, Hamburg, New York,
Switzerland, Vancouver and so on. Members of the party are studying arms in
Switzerland and America. I do not know of any of their activities from July
1908 to September 1908 as I was then on my tour in America. Pal and Khaparde
used to come at India House first, but afterwards they left off altogether.
I
took up at this time the translation of Savarkar's Mutiny book which he had
written in Marathi. Phadke had translated a major part of the book, myself and
Kunte translated the remainder. Phadke was the member of the party at first,
but he soon left off.
At
this time we knew Har Dayal. He was a clever man, and we had respect for him,
but it was difficult to work for him. He was manager of India House for a short
time.
There
were exciting incidents at Bhaubij ceremony at Bibi Dhandevi's house. The red
mutiny flag was up and one Dube got up and pulled it down. There was a big row.
Finally it had to be put up. Pal and Khaparde were present. There were also a
number of English men and ladies.
I
know Harnam Singh well. Savarkar and Harnam Singh came in the same steamer.
Savarkar gained over Harnam Singh completely to his views. The latter left the
Civil Service to serve the country. He continued wearing the Mutiny badge in
spite of protests from the Principal of Cirencester Agricultural College. He
was dismissed. He was disbarred temporarily but was finally called. I heard a
rumour that the Gurumukhi pamphlet was written by him.
Chatturbhuj
a cook at India House seemed to be innocent and did not take an active part.
After him came Mohammed who was also innocent.
A
great friend of Savarkar was Rafik Mohammed Khan who alone with Harnam Singh
was expelled from Cirencester College for wearing the Mutiny Badge. Khan and
Harnam Singh were great friends. Whenever in London Khan used to attend India
House meetings.
Acharya
a Madrasi came to London in the middle of 1908 and soon became an active member
of the party. He was editor of Tamil paper " India " He wrote out the
corrected proofs of the Mutiny book, Savarkar used to like him very much.
Dhingra
J D N Das and myself and several others started a " Shakti Puja Samiti
" for teaching Jui Jitsu, boxing, wrestling and if it was well patronised
for teaching shooting. There was an airgun at India House and amateur shooting
was in progress. Of the Shakti Puja mentioned Dhingra was President, Das Vice
President, myself Treasurer. Throughout as a "sympathiser" only the
financial side was entrusted to me.
I
introduced a friend of mine Kirtikar to India House and for nearly a year he
continued residing there. It was found out soon afterwards that he was a
detective and as I had introduced him, the suspicion naturally fell upon me.
They seemed apparently to be satisfied with my explanations, but they did not
trust me very much after this incident. Another reason why they suspected me
was that I was member of The National Indian Association and was on the best of
terms with Englishmen and Anglo Indians. At the same time came with Mr Aiyer
one Dr Rajan to India House who continued staying at that place until it was
closed. His duty was to write small biographies in Tamil such as the life of
Rani of Jhansi, for the papers. After India House was closed we held one Sunday
meeting at his place.
One
Parsee named Master used to be manager of India House for sometime and an
active member of the party but he was suspected by many to be a detective.
I
used to know G C Varma very well. He went to Dhingra in Brixton jail, being the
first to do so. Savarkar used to trust him to a great extent, but many persons
considered him to be a detective in the employ of India House.
Once
in Savarkar's room I found a small blue cover pamphlet which was the Marathi
Bande Mataram pamphlet. Once entering the room of Savarkar I found Varma Govind
and Savarkar typing something. As soon as my presence was known, they hid the
paper away. They were thin foolscap papers, that much I could see.
India
House meetings as is well known held every Sunday. The subjects were various -
" How to import arms into the country " how Italy won its
independence, India's future constitution.
Latterly
Savarkar used to stay at 140 Sinclair Road as a boarder with B Pal with whose
son he contracted a very great friendship. Suckhasagar Dutt, brother of
Ullaskar Dutt was also staying with B Pal. He used to attend India House
meetings along with Ashutosh Mitter, who also was staying with Pal.
Haider
Raza was the manager of India House for some time. But when he heard Savarkar
was disbarred he got frightened and left India House. It seemed as if he had
left the party altogether. He was a friend of Patel, a moderate among
moderates. On the Sunday following Wyllie murder, however both Patel and Haider
Raza were present. I was not present but I hear both expressed their profound
admiration of Dhingra.
Latterly
a Muhammadan from Aligarh whose name I believe is Ali has joined the party and
used to come to Savarkar very often.
I
have learnt that they have actually typewritten the whole literature on bombs
and other explosives and that numerous copies have been sent to accredited
agents in India. I was present at the Guru Govind Singh meeting. About a dozen
Sikhs were present. Afterwards a private dinner was given to them at India
House. One Malik whom I do not know at all was present. Violent speeches were
delivered and the enthusiasm was intense when we all sang
"
Ai Mardano Hindi Jawano " a very intensely revolutionary song. I did not
know any of the Sikhs except Harnam Singh and Anant Singh, of the latter of
whom I know nothing beyond that he was a religious enthusiast and belonged to
the Crystal Palace Engineering College.
I
went to Paris in the Easter vacation 1909 with Kashi Prasad Jaiswal a friend of
mine from Oxford. He used to know Mr and Mrs Rana well. I dined on two or three
occasions with them. At that time Hardayal was an invalid at his house. I did
not meet any other Indian in Paris whom I knew. I never called on Shyamji.
Phadake
was for more than six months an active member of the party. He translated a
considerable portion of the Mutiny book into English. It was through him that
the order for printing the book in Marathi was placed with a firm in Germany he
knew. The Mutiny book ( translation ) was quite ready when I left London. The
English translation has been printed in Paris, I believe.
Dhingra,
as I have already said I knew him quite intimately. The only other who knew him
intimately as myself were J D N Das and Santiago, a Ceylonese.
He
was in Lahore Government College till his F A then he was taken in the
settlement department, Punjab. There he
was treated badly by Englishmen and he then began to hate Englishmen. He wanted
to continue at College but his people did not want him to continue there. At
last he was sent to England to study Engineering. He never used to speak about
his affairs and was even close with me. But he had been to Australia from
whence he was turned out. He used to speak bitterly of the colonials. He had
been through Assam. He has travelled as far as East of Turkasthan working part
of his way as a stoker on the P & O. He was ill treated by his superior
English officers and hence his bitter hatred for Englishmen. I learnt that he
formed a resolution of giving his life to the country sometime in December
1908. His hatred of Englishmen was intense. This was fed by the article against
Indians that used to appear in the English papers from time to time. He used to
read articles over and over again like " Coloured men and English Women
" which appeared in " London Opinion " " Babu Black Sheep
" which appeared in " Cassell's Weekly " and various other
articles. These used to make him wild. He used to attend India House meetings
but only sometimes. It was all mere talk he used to grumble.
"
Englishmen only understand Force " he used to say again and again. He had
various schemes. He wanted to kill largest number of Englishmen
indiscriminately. I recently learnt that he had a scheme in his hand of blowing
up a P & O steamer. He went to Savarkar and told him of his resolution.
Savarkar's idea was to get hold of Lord Curzon and if not Curzon then Morley or
Asquith. Dhingra watched Curzon Morley and Asquith. Once he nearly got Curzon
opposite Savoy Hotel but two photographers were standing very near him and so
Curzon escaped almost miraculously. He then formed the idea of blowing up House
of Commons ; that was not possible. He then thought of going to the House and
shooting indiscriminately at members from the gallery. But due to the violence
of suffragettes the gallery of the House was closed to the public; hence also
that fell through.
He
joined the National Indian Association for the express purpose of knowing some
important people. He saw Curzon with the same idea. I thought naturally he did
all this because he could finish his course and then he would try to get into
Public Works Department for which reason he was trying to make friends with the
powers that be. He told me his idea was to return to India in October or
November after he had appeared for AMICE and as he used to come to me daily
even after the college diploma examination to solve examination questions, I
never had the least suspicion of what he was about. He used to admire Savarkar
for his power of organisation. He used to speak of him almost with affection.
After Pandit S K Varma's defence of the Mozaffapore Bomb Dhingra used to speak
very highly of him, he used to read S K Varma's paper with avidity and was very
fond of reading the extract from the English Magazine on the heroes of the
Russian Revolution which appeared in his paper.
Dhingra
hated talk. He was very much against my speaking at India House Meetings and
coming too much to the front " your work is in India " he used to
say. He himself never spoke at any meeting. Dhingra's ideal was Kanai Lal Dutt
who killed Narendranath Goswami of Alipore jail. When I was studying in Russell
Square Dhingra used to come to me every day while returning from his college in
Gower Street. We used to study together. He came to see me also on the day that
he committed the murder. I noticed nothing unusual with him. He did not appear
the least excited. He wanted his drawings which I gave him. He tried to
dissuade me gently from being present at the " At Home " on the ground
that my B Sc examination was so near. But I was resolute because that was the
last social function I would be able to enjoy in London. I was present at the
" At Home ". Afterwards I told some of my friends that Dhingra had
come to me on the day of the murder and hence they circulated the rumour that I
knew of Dhingra's crime all along.
I
have learnt that Dhingra himself went to Savarkar and told him that he was
anxious to do it as soon as possible. Hence the National Indian Association's
" At Home " was utilised. Curzon Wyllie had recently became very
obnoxious because he had employed a number of detectives to watch the India
House Party. It was he who had started the idea of starting a home for London
Indians to make them loyal. It was he who had gone to Paris to collect
information about Savarkar, Harnam Singh and others. He himself was a clever
detective, hence he must die. The aim and object of the whole dead was to
create the greatest amount of sensation and to establish terrorism. Hence it
was decided to shoot the most important person in the room. If Sir William Lee
was there he being more important than Curzon Wyllie, was to be first shot at,
if he did not turn up, then Wyllie was to be got at. After him having made sure
that he was dead Dhingra was to shoot indiscriminately at every Englishman he
could meet even using his knife. Hence Dhingra had armed himself with 2 or 3
revolvers and a long knife. Santiago had been staying with Dhingra in his rooms
in Bayswater. Dhingra had a talk with him in the morning. Santiago did not
notice anything unusual with Dhingra. His landlady who saw him going out at 7
in the evening on the day of the murder, did not have any suspicion that he was
contemplating a crime.
I
had been to see Dhingra in jail. He only spoke to me of common places. He was
anxious to know if Wyllie's place had been filled. He expressed his resentment
that Pollen should request him to give him permission to plead in his defence
as a barrister. He expressed deep pleasure at S K Varma's letter in the Times
praising Dhingra's act as one of Martyrdom. I sent Dhingra some money, clothes
etc.
Nitinsen
Das also went to see him in Brixton Jail. He is a member of the revolutionary
party. He had promised to him that he would act as one of his trustees along
with S K Varma who had told that he would consider it a great honour if Dhingra
would allow him to be a trustee. Nitinsen Das used to go to India House
meetings and he was related to S K Varma. I have a shrewd suspicion that S K
Varma knew all along Dhingra's intentions. Else why that suggestive article in
the July number of the Indian Sociologist ?
So
far as I know Savarkar has no intentions of coming to India. I believe he would
like to return to India, but he believes that the step would not be safe. I
used to pay money to Savarkar when he asked for it, to be utilised for
political propaganda. When Savarkar had to plead before the full bench of Grays
Inn showing cause for why he should not be disbarred I appeared before the
Bench to translate the Bande Mataram, Marathi pamphlet. Finally Savarkar was
disbarred till the next sessions, his name not being erased from the rolls.
The
Indo-Egyptian club was formed recently in London, but as I attended none of
their meetings I do not know much about them. The meetings were quite open.
Some of the Egyptians nationalists used some time to come to India House.
I
did not see Mrs Cama in Paris. I saw her several times in London. She finances
the movement largely. Mr and Mrs Rana also finance it and Mr Godrej.
I
do not think that any cipher was used in the correspondence between Savarkar
and S K Varma. Savarkar is in fact against the use of cipher as breeding
suspicion unnecessarily. Ambiguous language was in his ideas more safe. It had
proposed to him that cipher would be an advantage but he argued me out of it.
I
had been to Red Lion Passage Restaurant. There was a quiet meeting of important
members to consider what programme was to be for the future. It was decided
that in spite of the closing of India House Sunday meetings were to be
continued in the lodgings of various members. The mutiny book ( English
translation ) was ready. It was decided to thrust it into the country as soon
as possible. By this time the book should have reached India.
Virendranath
Chattopadhya is a recent addition to the party. From a passive resister and a
follower of B C Pal he has developed into an ardent supporter of the
revolutionary movement.
I
have heard Acharya a Madrasi say that he is quite prepared to shoot an
Englishman any day when he feels called upon to do so.
My
true connection with the Revolutionary Party begins from the beginning of the
year 1909. Till then I used to know a few of them but only slightly. S K Varma
is not the real head of the party though he is believed to be so by some. I do
not believe there is any recognised leader. Most of the work is done by
Savarkar and Aiyar and they share most of the secrets. These young men take all
the risk and as they sometimes say half bitterly S K Varma gets all the credit.
But they do not grudge him the credit, since the attention of the authorities
is directed towards him and they can work all the better for it.
The
indefiniteness of some my statements is due to the fact that I was merely a
sympathiser and also due to my being suspected by the party because I
introduced a detective, Kirtikar to India House. Savarkar gave me his
friendship but did not confide to me any of the party's secrets which I was not
entitled to demand, being only a sympathiser.
I
very much regret that I was so far led away by the influences by which I was
surrounded so completely as to become a sympathiser of such party. I feel now
how impossible it is under the present conditions of caste quarrelling against
caste to win Swaraj. My eyes are completely opened to my folly and by a clear
and clean future I hope to atone entirely for the regrettable recent past.
H
K Koregaonkar
India Office
Records
Indexes and
Register
Record desk
1 Political
and Secret dept
2 Judicial and
Public dept ( P&J )
1909
Mr SAVARKAR
ZL/P&S/7/36
ZL/P&J/6/31
P&J
847,1021,1608,1694,1713,1759,1796,1960,2293,2299,2378,
2395,2516,2521,2561,2635,2648,2741,2881,2899,3027,3317,
3405,3460,3498,3496,3503,3546,3823,3936,3950,3986,3987,
3995,4216,4287,4545.
L/P & J/ 6/903
- 4223 Indian students in England.
L/P&J/6/Vol
989
/Vol 1032,1028,1018,1051,1035,1062,1046
3460 to 3823/10 - 1032 Savarkar case.
3496
3823 - 1028
2881 - 1018
3986 - 284/11
- 1051
3987 - 1035
4216 - 778/11
-1062
4435 - 1046
L/P & J/
6/897 - Complete file on Harnam Singh - 3787
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
L/P&J/6/1849
(1909)
L/P&J/6/855 (1909)
Z/L/PS/7/32 - index 2432 seen
/33
- index finished
/34
- 2564/5 V D Savarkar, book he is about to publish
/34
- x 1155 - Indians in USA, Hemchandra Das / Subhashchandra Bose should
be watched
1032/3823 Savarkar case.
1062 Photo (
of what ? )
1051/284 Plan
of the boat.
Mousieur Paul
Cambon - French embassador in London.
F A Campbell -
The undersecretary fo state for India
Monsieur
Pichon ?
1910 files
1062 Photo /
4216
1051/284/Plan
of boat /3986
1032/3823
Savarkar case
L/P&J/6/908/1908/4836
L/P&S/7/317
Letters ( what letters ?