8 months ago
Nehru opposed Bharat Ratna for Savarkar
A long time ago, India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, did not want to give the highest award, Bharat Ratna, to V D Savarkar.
Savarkar was important in the freedom struggle, but later he became controversial.
Nehru wrote letters saying it wouldn't be a good idea to give him the award.
He also didn't want Savarkar to be invited to the National Defence Academy.
Later, a jail where Savarkar was kept became a memorial.
Nehru advised President Radhakrishnan against giving Bharat Ratna to Savarkar.
Savarkar was suggested for the award by the Punjab unit of the Hindu Mahasabha.
Nehru acknowledged Savarkar's early role in the freedom struggle but noted his controversial later career.
Nehru also advised against inviting Savarkar to the National Defence Academy.
The Cellular Jail in Andaman, where Savarkar was imprisoned, was later declared a national memorial.
- Who
- Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, V D Savarkar, V K Krishna Menon, J S Tilak
- What
- Nehru advised against conferring Bharat Ratna on Savarkar
- Where
- India, Andaman, Khadakwasla
- When
- June 1963, January 1961, February 1979
- Why
- Savarkar became a controversial figure after his early role in the freedom struggle
Key facts
- Prime Minister
- Jawaharlal Nehru
- President
- Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
- Suggestion Source
- Punjab unit of the Hindu Mahasabha
- Date of Nehru's Response
- June 1963
- Defence Minister
- V K Krishna Menon
- Date of Nehru's Letter to Defence Minister
- January 18, 1961
- Cellular Jail Location
- Andaman
- Memorial Inauguration Date
- February 1979
Quotes
Jawaharlal Nehru
India's first Prime Minister
“I enclose a letter which I have received. You might find out if it is true that Shri V D Savarkar has been invited to visit the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla. If he has actually been invited and has accepted the invitation, then I think it will not be wise to withdraw the invitation at this stage. That will raise a controversy which is not desirable. It would probably have been better not to invite him or to encourage him in any special way. In case Savarkar has been invited and is going there, no particular fuss should be made about his visit and no great publicity given. He can be shown round. He is, I believe, very old, approaching 90.”
indianexpress.com
“I do not agree with you in your suggestion that this jail or any other jail should be kept intact as a memorial. Every jail in India has had distinguished Indians in it for considerable periods. Are we supposed to keep up all these jails then as some kind of memorials of past times? Only recently the Delhi District Jail, famous for many years because of the distinguished people who stayed there, was demolished.”
indianexpress.com
