Veteran journalist and political analyst Uday Mahurkar along with co-author Chirayu Pandit in their book Veer Savarkar: The Man Who Could Have Prevented Partition write about the visionary that Savarkar was and how he had envisioned the national security problems India is facing today. Speaking to OpIndia, Mahurkar said that Savarkar was the visionary of India’s national security and diplomacy.
“All the national security related problems India is facing today were predicted by him, right from war against China, Pakistan as well as the problem in Assam. He had even predicted the rise of radical Islam and the problems India is facing today because of it,” Mahurkar said.
The book, which also critically evaluates Savarkar critically, documents how Savarkar tried to prevent the partition of India in 1947. “It should be read and understood to prevent second partition in India. He really tried till very end to prevent the partition,” Mahurkar said. He further said but for Savarkar’s militarisation policy in late 30s and early 40s, India would’ve lost more land even in border states of Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat apart from what it lost in Kashmir.
Elaborating on the book, Mahurkar said that the book also speaks about the policies of Congress, Muslim appeasement, Savarkar and Hindutva. “it is about understanding his Hindutva,” he said. “Savarkar predicted war with China 8 years before it happened and even advised Nehru to arm India with nuclear bombs soon after the partition. But because we did not listen to him, it took us over 25 years to progress but by then China had overtaken us by leaps and bounds,” Mahurkar said.
On Savarkar being one of the most hated personalities by Congress and its supporters, Mahurkar said that Savarkar is a symbol of India’s integrity and unity and those who want to keep India divided will continue to hate him.
Mahurkar further said how in India, we recite poetries of Iqbal, who turned Islamist just few years after writing ‘Saare Jahan Se Achha’ and who envisioned creation of Pakistan much before Jinnah did. He said it was Iqbal who wanted separate homeland for Muslims. “The book should be read if we want to ensure India does not have another partition,” he said.
The book will be available in bookstores on 12th October 2021 and is up for preorder here.
