Maharashtra Minister Shelar pays tribute to VD Savarkar at Andaman's Cellular Jail

ANI May 17, 2025 300 views

Maharashtra Minister Ashish Shelar visited the Cellular Jail in Andaman, where VD Savarkar was imprisoned. He paid tribute to Savarkar and recalled the torture faced by freedom fighters. Shelar requested the Chief Secretary's support to build a Savarkar memorial. The Cellular Jail housed many revolutionaries during British rule.

"Touching the walls on which Savarkar wrote his immortal poems, I was filled with excitement." – Ashish Shelar
Sri Vijaya Puram, May 17: Ashish Shelar, Maharashtra cabinet minister for cultural affairs, visited the Cellular Jail in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where Vinayak Damodar Savarkar had spent his punishment term during British colonial rule.

Key Points

1

Shelar visits Savarkar's prison cell in Cellular Jail

2

Pays homage to Savarkar's sacrifices

3

Seeks memorial for Savarkar in Andaman

4

Recalls British-era torture faced by freedom fighters

"I went to the dark cell in the Cellular Jail in Andaman and Nicobar where the tyrannical British regime had imprisoned freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar to serve his sentence of imprisonment, and bowed down before the statue of Savarkar," Shelar said in a post on X on Friday.

Shelar further remembered the torture Savarkar might have faced at the cellular jail, adding, "Touching the walls on which Savarkar wrote his immortal poems, I was filled with excitement. That jail, the rope worn by Savarkar, and looking at those objects, one can imagine the deadly torture suffered by this great son of Mother India.. But at the same time, the meaning of these lines "Anadi Mi Anant Mi" Avadhya Mi Bhala... also begins to unfold."

Shelar later met with Chief Secretary of the union territory, Chandra Bhushan Kumar, requesting his cooperation to build a memorial of Veer Savarkar in Andaman Nicobar Islands.

He also informed the chief secretary that he had written to the Union Home Minister requesting the same. Shelar requested the support and cooperation of the local administration to build the memorial.

The cellular jail, also known as Kalapani was where multiple Indian freedom fighters spent their jail term, including Nani Gopal Mukherjee, Nand Kumar, Pulin Behari Das, Bhai Parmanand, Prithvi Singh Azad, Trailokyanath Chakravarty alias Maharaj, Ananta Singh, Pandit Ram Rakha and many others. The political prisoners of Alipore Bomb Case after the Bomb incident of 30 April 1908, were the first group of people sent to Kalapani.

People convicted in various conspiracy and bombing cases were also sent to the cellular jail on the island. Savarkar himself was convicted in the Second Nasik Conspiracy Case and sentenced to 50 years of imprisonment. He was brought to the Andamans in 1911 by the vessel SS Maharaja. Savarkar's book Majhi Janep (in Marathi) along with its English translation The Story of My Transportation for Life (1950) by VN Naik and its Hindi translation Ajanm Karavas (1966) narrate his life of prisoners along with the agonizing routine along with various methods of torture.

Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
Respect to Veer Savarkar for his sacrifices! 🇮🇳 It's heartening to see ministers remembering our freedom fighters. The Cellular Jail stands as a reminder of British atrocities - every Indian should visit at least once. Hope the memorial gets approved soon!
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Priya M.
While Savarkar's contribution is undeniable, we must also remember other freedom fighters who suffered in Kalapani. The jail housed revolutionaries from all communities - this memorial should honor everyone equally. Let's not make history one-dimensional.
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Amit S.
The Cellular Jail gives me goosebumps every time I read about it. Can't imagine the pain our freedom fighters endured. Savarkar's poetry written on those walls shows incredible resilience. More such memorials needed - our youth must know this history! 🙏
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Neha T.
Good initiative, but why only Savarkar memorial? The Cellular Jail represents collective sacrifice. Let's have a proper museum honoring ALL freedom fighters who suffered there - from Mukherjee to Parmanand. That would be true justice to history.
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Sanjay P.
Visited Cellular Jail last year - most moving experience of my life. The light-and-sound show made me cry. Every Indian school should organize trips here. Savarkar's story is inspiring, but so are others'. Let's honor them all equally. Jai Hind!
K
Kavita R.
While memorials are important, let's not forget the living conditions in Andaman today. The government should also focus on improving infrastructure and facilities for local islanders. Development and remembrance can go hand in hand.

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Tags:
Ashish Shelar VD Savarkar Cellular Jail Andaman Nicobar Freedom fighters British colonial rule
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