In a move to restore and turn the dilapidated house of Indian revolutionary Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, popularly known as “Veer Savarkar” at Nashik into a monument, the city mayor proposed to grant a sum of `50 lakh. The proposal was tabled in the general body meeting of the Nashik municipal corporation (NMC) earlier this month.
Savarkar lived in a single room in a “wada” (an old style two-storeyed house) in city’s Tilbhandeshwar lane. The room, till now, has remained aloof from human touch, considering its sanctity.
While some are praising the move, others have called it a political gimmick by the MNS before elections. Welcoming the move, social worker and politician Suryakant Rahalhar said, “The move will help in turning the room into a tourist spot.”
Local historian Nandan Rahane said that the proposal, if implemented, would help develop a historic monument.
“The government earlier built a Savarkar Smarak at Bhagur – the birthplace of Savarkar – and is looking after it. It is regularly visited by tourists,” said Mr Rahane.
Former deputy mayor from the Shiv Sena, Ajay Boraste, said that the move was a part of the vote-bank politics right before the forthcoming Lok Sabha and Legislative elections.
“If the mayor wanted to develop Veer Savarkar’s house, why didn’t he do so during his last term when he represented this municipal ward. He just wants votes in the name of Savarkar. Secondly, a Savarkar Smarak has already been built in Panchavati. It still awaits inauguration and no MNS MLA or party leader has even bothered to visit it,” Mr Boraste told The Asian Age. Interestingly, Mr Boraste has digitalised the antique photographs of Savarkar at a cost of `2.5 lakh and plan for their exhibition on February 28 next year. Savarkar along with his wife Yamunabai, elder brother Baba Rao and his sister-in-law Yeshubai lived in the house for a decade before joining the Indian independence movement.