INDIAN INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH INTO TRUE HISTORY
NEWSLETTER NO. 41 OF
1. NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS
1.1 Rationalism of Veer Savarkar (in English)
At long last the
book will be published on the auspicious day of Gudi Padwa (
Copies will be
available in
Back page of the
book is as follows -
Vinayak
Damodar SAVARKAR, popularly known as Veer Savarkar was the unsung hero of the
Indian freedom struggle against the British rule (1906-47). He made an
outstanding contribution to this great cause. Leaders like Gandhi, Nehru and
Bose adopted Savarkar’s main philosophies, but many years later. At the time of
the Indian independence in 1947, many prominent leaders of the Congress Party,
including its President, were members of Savarkar’s secret revolutionary
society called The Abhinav Bharat. He was the main source of their
inspiration and, yet, was never given any credit for this.
Savarkar suffered terribly for 27
years at the hands of the English rulers. He spent 10 ½ years of hard labour in
jail in Andaman Islands, 1,000 miles off east coast of India, followed by
further 3 years in various jails in India and then 13 ½ years in internment
there. Despite having suffered this appalling persecution, Savarkar had the
greatness to proclaim, “ I never hated the English just because they were
English.” He sincerely believed in the universal brotherhood of man.
In prison, Savarkar faced religious fanaticism from Muslims too. Although he was then in a helpless condition, he fought against their tyranny and defeated them and won their respect. Yet he said in 1927, “ I never hated Muslims nor even despised them.” He was a Humanist
During his
internment of 13 ½ years, Savarkar was forced to live in a remote place called
Ratnagiri and could move within the district but was forbidden to take part in
politics. Undaunted by this, he concentrated on the task of social
reforms and had to fight against the entrenched attitudes of orthodox people.
By 1933, with his sheer resourcefulness he managed to achieve four incredible
social changes in Ratnagiri.
* Removal
of the practice of untouchability.
* Dining
together by Hindus of ALL castes, including untouchables.
* Opening
up of a new temple for ALL Hindus including untouchables.
* Running
of a Café open to ALL Hindus including untouchables.
After his release from the internment in 1937, Savarkar fearlessly opposed Gandhi’s policy of perpetual capitulation to Muslim demands as it was clearly proving to be disastrous to the nation. For this reason, Savarkar was much misunderstood and maligned which continues to be so even today. But unlike many public figures of his times, he did not abandon his principles to suit the public mood.
Savarkar was above all a
Rationalist and this aspect of his life has largely remained unknown to the
public. This book is, therefore, designed to enlighten the readers of this
vital part of his character. It is also a valuable guide for the rejuvenation
of the Hindu Nation.
VANDE MATARAM
We are extremely
grateful for Dr Agarkar for his valuable help in making the final corrections
at printers in Pune
1.2 One Law
for the rich, one for the poor
On 10 August 2001 the Daily Mail reported
Reprieved by NHS: Violent doctor is spared jail after judge
says that he’s more use in a hospital
A hospital doctor who broke a Tube worker’s nose after his
train was delayed was spared jail yesterday – after a judge said the Health
Service needed him more. But Dr John Nelson will still have to pay out nearly
£9,000 over the incident in which he struck out because he feared the hold-up
would mean him missing his plane to
The 37-year-old anaesthetist headbutted Alan Deabill as he
and his colleague tried to restrain him after Nelson had slapped another
Underground worker.
A jury at Middlesex Guildhall Crown Court found him guilty
of assault causing actual bodily harm, which carries a maximum sentence of five
years.
But Judge Duncan Matheson said that after a ‘great deal of
anxious thought’ he would not jail him.
‘At the end of the day, the conclusion I’ve come to is it’s
not in the public interest I should deprive the NHS and the hospital where you
work and your patients of your skills and services as I surely would be doing
if I sent you to prison. ‘You are a doctor and have a specialism as a qualified
anaesthetist and have received a lengthy training, both as a doctor and as a
specialist in anaesthetics.
‘I recognise you are an expensive commodity, and a resource
to the NHS, a resource which is not exactly in abundant supply.’
Nelson, who worked at Charing Cross Hospital in London, was
fined £1,000 (£750 for the assault on Mr Deabill and £250 for the assault on Mr
Lardner) and told to pay £1,500 in compensation for attacking Mr Deabill and
another worker, Steven Lardner, in June last year at Kennington station, South
London.
He must also pay prosecution and defence costs totalling
£6,300.
Judge told him,” There is a very strong case for saying
this sort of offence should have an immediate custodial sentence even for
somebody with a good character. You’ve done a lot of damage to your reputation,
professional and private, and the scars will remain.”
He added, “ There isn’t one rule for professional people
and the affluent, and another for those who don’t have advantages. In one
sense, with your education and professional qualification it’s almost more
serious because you should have known better.”
“Equally I’ve to make sure, if I don’t send you to prison,
it’s not a case of you being able to buy your way out of prison because you
happen to have money to pay compensation and costs.”
The incident happened as Nelson was trying to get to
The three men took Nelson back into the station, where he
tried to get away on another train but was kept on a platform until police arrived.
Mr Deabill was taken to hospital where an X-ray revealed a broken nose.
Peter Rowlands, defending said the men had used
considerable force to restrain Nelson, who suffered extensive bruising. Nelson,
of Clapham,
He now faces investigation by the General Medical Council
and could be struck off.
This is how the British justice system works in 2001, just
imagine what it would have been like in 1901!
2.
AROUND
3. History
today
3.1 Racism in
We Hindus always
feel sympathy for East Europeans as they were suppressed for so long by the
* On 4 October
2002, Darren Lewis reported for the Daily Mirror
Bent Defies Race
Yobs
Striker Marcus
Bent was racially taunted and spat at by Sartid fans as Ipswich battled through
to the second round of the UEFA Cup in
Bent who scored
the game’s only goal from a penalty after nine minutes, said, “ There was a lot
of racist abuse, a lot of spitting when you went near the crowd. You could hear
them doing monkey chants.
But the boys
dealt with it, I dealt with it, and all that really matters is we came away
with a win.” Former Champions League winner Finidi George, who played all over
Europe with
Similar incidents
involving players from Arsenal,
** On 14 October
2002 Ken Dyer reported for the Evening Standard.
Cole: Even
stadium medics were racist
Ashley Cole today
revealed that the racist abuse was so widespread during
European football
officials UEFA could close down the stadium in the Slovakian capital and order
the team to play away home following an investigation into the abuse which both
Arsenal defender and
Cole said, “ It
has to be stopped. I don’t like to see the country or the team suffer, but
something has got to be done. It hardly happens in
Heskey said, “You
could hear the abuse. It was very loud, especially in the second half. Police
were around but they seemed to do nothing about it, so what can you do?”
“ A lot was said
in the dressing room and the players could not believe it. At club level we
never get that. Playing in
On 15 October
2002 Mike Davies reported for the
Emile Heskey has
urged UEFA to act over the racist chanting, which marred
“Yes, I would
support a ban. UEFA has to do something,” Heskey said.
“You feel hurt they are looking at your
colour, not you as a person.
He added, “ I
wouldn’t travel abroad as an English fan. I’d go to the home matches, but I’d
rather keep it at that because of fans in other countries.”
Last night,
sources within UEFA said a ban on
Last week, PSV
Eindhoven (a Dutch team) were fined just £9,500 after their supporters abused
Arsenal’s Thierry Henry during a Champion League match.
Football
Association director of communications Paul Newman said :’The penalties that
are imposed is the key to all this now. UEFA’s disciplinary body has to decide
what’s appropriate. It wasn’t one or two people, it was the whole stadium and
that’s not acceptable.’
Newman also
revealed Heskey and Cole will receive written apologies from the Slovakian
Football Association over their treatment.
On 16 October
2002 Charlie Whelan wrote for the Evening Standard
UEFA’s shame for
not tackling racists
“ …. what we need
here is solidarity, not factionalism. If the players are indeed to mount their
own action, then they should do so together – black and white walking off as
one.
And since both
the clubs and football authorities have been so slow to tackle this problem –
Arsenal, who fielded nine black players against PSV, did not even officially
lodge a complaint about the incident – it may come down to player solidarity.
With no one on the pitch, there is no one to racially abuse, and UEFA would be
shamed into taking action.
The Football
Association also have some hard thinking to do. They must make it clear that
England are not prepared to play in places where there is a record of racist
abuse and that may even mean not participating in the European Championships.
Ridding the game
of racism is much more important than short-term glory.
Mind you, the
racist chanting did not seem to bother the television commentators who, like
their colleagues from years gone by, ignored it on Saturday.
Thank God for
Alan Green, of Radio Five Live, who constantly made it clear what was happening
and condemning it throughout the match.”
3.2 How
history gets falsified today
3.2.1 Nathuram
Godse
Nathuram Godse
shot and killed Gandhi on 30 January 1948. He never denied that and went to the
gallows for it. Unfortunately his side of the story was never allowed to be
told by the Governments of Congress Party. Over last 2 to 3 years a drama named
Mee Nathuram Bolatoya (This is Nathuram speaking) has appeared on Marathi
stage. The shows are very popular. A well-wisher recently sent an audio
cassette to Godbole who was surprised by the falsification carried out by the
producer. Here are the main points -
(1) There is
depiction of a Muslim Inspector named Shaikh. His daughter is pregnant and
seeks salvation of Nathuram.
There are many
books on last chapter of Gandhi. One does not find an Inspector named Shaikh in
any of the books.
(2) Nathuram
meets Sindhu Godse, wife of his co-accused brother Gopal.
Sindhu says to
Nathuram that Congress Party government closed their contracts with her company,
one by one. This is fiction. Sindhu had no business when Nathuram went to the
gallows. She started her business of Structural Steel Fabrication, some 2 years
afterwards.
This is absurd.
Things were extremely bad for Brahmins in
(4) Nathuram
tells Sindhu that it is against his principles to request Government of India
that he should be sent to gallows in Pune instead of Ambala, so that he could
meet his parents before leaving this world. They were too old to travel.
Again, this is
false. Nathuram did make such a request because his parents were old and could
not stand the strain of travelling to Ambala. But the Iron Man, Sardar Patel
refused the request of a dying man.
(5) There is
scene of meeting in Ambala jail between Nathuram and Gandhi’s son Ramdas. It is
childish to suggest that Nathuram could have ordered coffee for his guest
Ramdas.
Moreover, such a
meeting NEVER took place. True, there was correspondence between the two.
However, when Nathuram asked Ramdas to convince him that he was wrong during a
meeting, Ramdas chickened out. Why? Because Nathuram in his letter of 3 June
1949 said, “ You can argue emotionally or logically and try to convince me that
what I did was wrong. Or may be that I will convince you that I was right all
along.” Ramdas being Gandhi’s son, never wanted to take chances. He never met
Nathuram.
(6) The producer
fails to emphasise that it was not the partition of
Note – the
cassette was made by Anand Rangbhoomi of Navi Mumbai,
3.2.2 Savarkar
British had been
predominantly recruiting Muslims from Punjab and
Moreover, Gandhi’s
policy of constant capitulation to Muslim demands had also created a sense of
superiority among Muslims and inferiority among Hindus. Military training of
Hindus was the only answer. If not, Muslims would have joined in the armed
forces in large numbers again and be trained in warfare.
* It had been
Savarkar’s misfortune that other leaders realised the importance of his
preaching years later. Shewalkar says that at the time of Savarkar’s 61st
birthday (i.e. in May1944) a well-known Socialist leader said, “I worship the
Savarkar of 1910.” This is absurd. Due to his support of Hindu youth joining as
recruits in armed forces Savarkar had become an outcast during World War II.
The remark was made by a Socialist leader in 1937 after Savarkar was released from
internment.
* Violence
/non-violence
Shewalkar refers
to the paper Talwar run by Savarkar in 1906 and says that in opinion of
Savarkar it is absurd to talk of constitutional movement when
Once again, this
is wrong. The thoughts were expressed by Savarkar in his letter from jail in
* Savarkar’s
elder brother Babarao was sent to Transportation for Life to
* In jail in
The truth is that
Babarao was still in jail in
* Social work of
Savarkar while in internment in Ratnagiri (1924-37)
This part of
Savarkar’s life is extremely difficult to describe. We just cannot imagine the
social conditions of those days.
Shewalkar says, “
On the day of Dasara (Vijayadashami) Savarkar used to go out and offer people
Sona leaves (as has been the custom of hundreds of years). People would welcome
him and ask to come inside their houses. Savarkar used to say, ”I have an
untouchable with me. I will come in only if he too can come in.” The owner of
house would ask Savarkar and the untouchable to come in the drawing room. Then
Savarkar would pretend that he was thirsty. The house owner would offer him a
glass of water. Savarkar would say, ”No. Let this untouchable draw water from
your well and we all drink that water.”
What a mockery of
formidable obstacles faced by Savarkar!!
The cassette was
recorded by Alurkar Audio and Video Production of Pune.
Savarkar’s life
was incredible. It is difficult to tell the true story of his life. There is no
need to lie or falsify to show respect for him.
Despite our
association with
In ancient times, Romans under Emperor Claudius invaded
* After the collapse of
* In 1066 came the Norman invasion. (
* In 1282, Edward I defeated and killed King of Wales. After
this
*
*
James I of
In 1707 moves were set in motion to combine Parliaments of
the two countries together. The Act of Union of 1707 was passed by both
Parliaments and
*
* If you look at old issues of the Royal Asiatic Society of
London you can see the title Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and
Thus there are four Nations,
It is for this reason that we have some common Bank and
Public Holidays, but also some local ones. In 2004 these days are as below-
2 January and 2 August are holidays in
12 April and 30 August are holidays in
17 March (St Patrick’s Day) and 12 July are holidays in
St George is Patron Saint of England and St Andrews that of
English being the dominant nation, outsiders use the word
English to denote people of the
Recently there was series of BBC2 about
The famous battle in air against German bombers in the 1940s
is called ‘Battle of Britain’. The world
* One also has to remember that there was discrimination
against the Catholics and the Jews in
Until recently Americans were described as WASPS - White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestants.
On Sunday 25
January 2004, Golden Globe awards took place in
We
have got to learn to use such information in our arguments with our
adversaries.
4 Why we cannot tell the truth.
People still ask
us, “If what you say about Tajmahal is correct why don’t Indian Historians
accept it?” Here is a typical example of today’s life in the west illustrating
why we cannot speak the truth.
On 18 February
2002, Chris Brooke reported for the Daily Mail
£170,000 for
cancer care whistle-blower forced to resign
A hospital
secretary forced to quit her job after blowing the whistle about the treatment
of cancer patients is to receive up to £170,000 compensation.
Irene Mounsey,
53, successfully took health chiefs to an employment tribunal, claiming she was
victimised for two years after speaking out in support of concerns raised by
her surgeon boss.
However, she won
her case on the basis that health chiefs had breached new legislation designed
to protect whistle-blowers.
Consultant Robert
Phipps had warned NHS management in
Mrs Mounsey said
she too raised concerns about the chaotic cancer care at St Luke’s Hospital.
But she claimed management turned on her and Mr Phipps
She was
threatened with disciplinary action over her performance after she appeared on
a regional television news programme in support of the surgeon.
Executives at the
Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust ordered an inquiry into the interview. But Mrs
Mounsey became so stressed by the backlash that she resigned on the grounds of
ill health in January this year. She took the case to a tribunal and won her
case in August. Yesterday, a hearing decided to delay a decision on her payout
until next February.
Her husband
Graham, a retired company manager, represented her at the tribunal. Mrs Mounsey
from
She said
yesterday she hoped her victory would give others the confidence to speak out.
‘I didn’t want to
go through this fight but I wasn’t going to give in. People shouldn’t be
victimised because of speaking out. It’s very difficult to do that and cope
with the consequences which are more than just financial.’
Mrs Mounsey spoke
about the toll the fight has taken on her mental health. ‘Near the end I used
to feel sick walking into work,’ she said.
‘I’m incapable of
working at the moment but even if I could, I’m 53 now. Who’s going to employ
someone who has been off for two years and is a whistle-blower?’
Her boss Mr
Phipps left his job in September 2000 and he has already won his case for unfair
dismissal.
When he was
suspended, Mrs Mounsey said the action of three managers who searched her
office made her feel ‘bullied and harassed.’
When Yorkshire
Television featured action taken against the surgeon, Mrs Mounsey appeared in
February 2001 to declare; ‘Mr Phipps is being made a scapegoat.’
Lawyers for the
trust admitted that it broke the law by threatening action over her
whistle-blowing.
Legislation has
been introduced to protect the rights of staff who speak out on matters of
legitimate public interest.
However Bradford
Hospitals NHS Trust continue to deny Mrs Mounsey’s claims that she had been
victimised and has defended its care of cancer patients, dismissing her
allegations as ‘without foundation.’
5.1 Tagore and
Jana Gana Mana
There is no doubt
that the song Jana Gana Mana was chosen as India’s national anthem by Nehru and
his puppets to please Muslims. But recently a malicious rumour has been
spreading through E Mail, that the song Jana Gana Mana was composed by Ravindranath
Tagore to welcome King George V and Queen Mary at the time of Delhi Darbar in
1911. Nothing can be more perverse. Tagore was never a subservient person. He
was a man of deep self-respect. Shree Godbole therefore sent out two E Mails
pointing out the truth.
The facts are as
follows -
* Yes Rabindranath Tagore did write Jana Gana Mana song. But
it had nothing to do with welcoming King George V. And that song was NOT played
at Delhi Durbar on 12 December 1911.
* The song played at Delhi Durbar was written by another
Tagore. His name was Yatindra Mohan Tagore (Thakur). He was Ravindranath's
grandfather's brother's grandson.
I hope to get the text of this song in early 2004.
* In 1911, just 15 days after the Delhi Durbar, Jana Gana
Mana was sung at the annual session of the Congress Party at
* As far as I know Ravindranath did not even attend the
Delhi Durbar. He was furious with the British after the partition of
* At the time of Jalianwala Bagh Massacre in
* It is now almost forgotten that in 1904 Ravindranath
composed a poem praising Shivaji. I do have it Bengali.
" 1912 was an eventful year. Early that year he
(Tagore) was given the first important public reception of his career when
Bangiya Sahitya Parishad felicitated him in
Godbole hopes to
get more details in 2004. It is disgraceful that person like Tagore should be
maligned in this way.
Of course, we
should have the guts to sing the full text of Vande Mataram at our functions.
It has a strong historical connection with the Indian freedom struggle against
the British. But that is no excuse for maligning person like Tagore.
5.2 British
Historians, Muslims and Tragedy of
After conquering
Shree Godbole had
given some inclination on the subject in his newsletter number 6 of 16 February
1982. Now he is writing up a full article on the subject. Late Historian Shree
Setumadhavrao Pagdi had also given some indication of this in his article in
1974. At present, Godbole’s article runs into 19 pages, some details are to be
added. But if you wish to read the article as it is please contact Godbole.
* Future work
Pagdi had written
some important historical essays. Unfortunately they are all in Marathi. Shree
Godbole intends to collect them and make the knowledge available in English for
wider reading. If you can help Godbole with Pagdi’s articles, please contact
him.
8. BEHAVIOUR OF CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS TODAY
8.1 THE CHRISTIANS
A terrorist bomb
was found at the entrance to a Roman Catholic school in
The pipe bomb was
spotted a few minutes before children arrived for the first day of the new
term. As the device was made safe by Army bomb experts, children used the
alternative entry to Holy Cross Primary in the north of the city. The girls’
school next to a Protestant enclave of the city’s Ardoyne area was at the
centre of a three-month loyalist protest in 2001.
Police and troops
were needed to escort children to the school gates through a gauntlet of abuse.
Father Aidan Troy, chairman of governors at the school, said the incident was
horrific. ’We thought we had left all this behind.’ He added. ’Thank God no
child was hurt.’
Fr Troy said he
thought it was the ‘irresponsible action’ of a minority rather than expressive
of the feelings of the entire community. The foiled attack, which Sinn Fein
assembly member Gerry Kelly attributed to the loyalist Ulster Defence
association, was widely condemned.’ The New Year has just begun and already we
have a disgraceful attack on children by a faction of UDA,’ said Mr Kelly.
SDLP assembly
member Alban Maginness described the targeting of children as cowardly.
8.2 THE MUSLIMS
BBC1 carries a
consumer affairs programme called Watchdog. On 10 February 2004 (1900 to 1930
hrs) it dealt with raw holiday deals, which some people had to endure. A devout
Christian couple booked their holidays to the
Later the Foreign
Office confirmed that Government of Maldives did indeed forbid carrying Bible
by visitors.
8.2.2
So-called Honour killings continue to take place
On 12 December
2003 Jan McGirk reported from Islambad for The Independent. She says –
Afsheen Musarrat
was allegedly killed by her father for love and honour.
He confessed to
strangling the 23-year-old computer student after she eloped with her college
sweetheart last month, and claimed that only her death could recover the
family’s sullied reputation.
“I gave her
sleeping pills in a cup of tea and then strangled her with her scarf,”
Musarrat Sahu
admitted to police in a signed statement this week. “Look sir, when I have no
honour, I have nothing else,” he said. “Honour is the only thing a man has.”
Handcuffed in the
police station, Mr Sahu, a lawyer, recalled Afsheen’s final moments, “ I can
still hear her screams; she was my favourite daughter. I want to destroy my
hands and end my life,” he sobbed.
Hassan Mustafa,
her lover, was also the bride’s second cousin and has been hiding since her
murder on 12 November. Feudal custom demands that he also be killed for defying
the clan. Police are trying to find him and put him in protective custody.
More than 450
honour killings have been recorded this year but the majority go unreported.
Although illegal, these murders are rarely prosecuted, because police are
reluctant to meddle in family affairs.
Brothers,
fathers, or uncles routinely kill women who appear to have flouted the strict
tribal code, and they often stand to gain money or property instead of
punishment for their crime. Islamic law allows a victim’s heirs to pardon the murderer
in exchange for “blood money”.
The case is
extraordinary because the President, General Musharraf, who presents himself to
the west as a moderate Muslim who protects human rights, was challenged by the
local media to bring the killer to justice according to
Afsheen’s
ill-fated romance began at university where she dated Hassan Mustafa, a distant
cousin from the same village in the
A marriage with a
more suitable cousin was arranged for Afsheen but she, distraught, ran off with
Hassan to
“her family swore
they would not harm her but they didn’t keep their word.” Hassan told reporters
by telephone.” My life is in danger.”
Allah Ditta, the
family’s 75-year-old patriarch, and ten others are suspected of a role in the
murder, according to Hamid Mukhtar Gondal, the
“The girl was
ill, she had a breathing problem,” he told reporters.” It was because of this
illness that she died.” While this test case dominated headlines, several other
honour killings have occurred since Afsheen’s body was exhumed. Rana Ijaz
Ahmad, Human Rights Adviser to
But
When
The London
Newspaper Metro reported on 17 June 2003
Football fan
convicted of racist chant
A football fan
who joined in racist chanting at a match has been convicted in a landmark court
case. Two judges ruled Sean Ratcliffe was guilty of taking part in chanting of
a racist nature, contrary to the 1991 Football (Offences) Act, in what is
believed to be the first case of its kind to reach the High Court. The
21-year-old from
8.2.4 The
Ahemadis
On 3 October 2003
Jonathan Peters reported for the Daily Telegraph. He said
Members of the
Ahmadi community will today inaugurate what they describe as the largest mosque
complex in
The Baitul Futuh
Mosque in Morden, south
The
community is not recognised by other Muslims as genuinely Islamic.
The building, a
few miles from the community’s first London centre in Putney, south-west
London, built nearly 80 years ago, is expected to be packed with devotees from
around the world for the inaugural prayers to be held by the worldwide supreme
head of the community, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad.
But Iqbal
Sacranie, the secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said the
community had exaggerated its numbers and influence. He argued that it should
not even use the word mosque to describe the building. “They can call their
place of worship by any other name except for a mosque because that is for
Muslims.” he said. “They are outside the fold of Islam.”
A person could be
a Muslim only if he or she believed that the prophet Mohammed was the last and
final messenger of God, he said.
VANDE MATARAM