All the prisoners of Cellular Jail were required to wear a token on the chest bearing the number of the prisoner and the date of scheduled release. The date of release of Savarkar would surprise everyone. It was in the year 1960. And they were then in 1920.
Some one would ask, “Will you survive to see that day?”
“Will the British rule survive to see that day?” Savarkar would shoot back.
In the initial seven or eight years life at Cellular Jail was worse then hell. It was a prolonged torture, a living nightmare. But gradually things changed. As the conditions of Cellular Jail became known to the outside world the government came under pressure. The newspapers world over were castigating the British for its inhuman treatment to prisoners. Political storms were building up putting further pressure on the rulers. Petitions and applications were reaching the higher ups for reforms in the jails. The international community was asking questions.
The government had to relent. Some facilities were provided to the prisoners. Some harmless political prisoners were released. Savarkar and Ganesh were no more assigned to the back breaking jobs. They were given light tasks.
Savarkar’s ‘Abhinav Bharat Society’ of London had disintegrated. Lala Hardayal was trying hard to save its American branches.
Somehow Barry had come to know about Savarkar’s Hardayal connection. Once he asked, “How do you know Hardayal?”
“The man who had confabulated with Sir Reginald Crax. Whom Crax had claimed as the one full of revolutionary ideas. The same fellow is Lala Hardayal. Not only me, lot of others world over know him. He is a famous character.”
“But I hear he has been arrested in USA,” Barry lied.
Savarkar shook his head. He knew that the Irish fellow was trying to demoralise him. Lately he had stopped in believing Barry. After all he was employee of the British.
Similarly, one day Jail Superintendent came to Savarkar and asked, “Have you ever been a friend of Lala Hardayal?”
“Yes,” Savarkar replied.
“He has been arrested in ‘Delhi Bomb Case’, he informed.”
“Whatever they do to him or implicate him in any number of cases, my faith in him will not go,” Savarkar declared.
One Russian officer informed Savarkar, “The people of Europe remember you. They consider you a revolutionary and know that you are in jail here.”
Savarkar smiled, “I am happy that they remember me as a revolutionary.”
In Europe ‘Abhinav Bharat’ members were very active especially in France. During 1914-18 Europe was engaged in First World War. Some member even hatched a plan to rescue the leaders and revolutionaries from Cellular Jail of Andeman by attacking it. The plan was to storm the jail. A ship was procured to take the members to Andeman. But the plan failed. British found out the plan and the ship was destroyed.
One day a prisoner from Punjab name Man Singh quarreled with the jail officials. There was some scuffle also.
Barry learnt about it. He rushed to Man Singh’s cell and abused him. Man Singh hit back with choice Punjabi gallies (abuses). Barry withdrew raging mad. He came back with a team of ten or twelve people who thrashed Man Singh good.
Man Singh helplessly screamed, “Friends! Save me. These people are going to kill me.”
Some prisoners did run to help him. Barry panicked and fled through back door. Savarkar complained about the incident to higher authorities. The complaint was ignored. As a result the prisoners went on strike.
Barry come to Savarkar to make peace. But Savarkar said in grave voice before he could say anything, “Mister Barry! Your mistreatment of prisoners has crossed all limits. I warn you of grave consequences.”
Barry tried all tricks to break the strike but failed.
Meanwhile, Man Singh was in the hospital. He was badly injured as the result of the beating. He could not even sit. The doctors tried their best to save him but Man Singh succumbed to the injuries.
Savarkar praised the patriotism of Man Singh and paid his tributes.
The prisoners decided upon hunger strike. The authorities refused to accept the memorandum of striking prisoners. So, old prisoners like Sardar Sohan Singh and Prithvi Singh Azad declared hunger strike.
Both the old warriors sat in their cells without eating any food. Jail authorities accepted some of their demands. Sohan Singh broke his fast. But Prithvi Singh did not yield. He wanted all the demands accepted. He continued his fast and got reduced to skeleton. Savarkar took pity on him and persuaded him to end the fast.
By that time all the demands had been met. The authorities had suddenly become human. They said, “Just obey the rules. There will be no more any trouble. You can even forgo the labour if you so wish.”
The prisoners were allowed to meet the family members once in five years. To avail of the chance Narayan arrived along with Savarkar’s wife to meet him. The jail superintendent arrange the meeting as per rules.
Vinayak Savarkar was happy to see his brother and his wife. Narayan had been let off from jail. Savarkar saw that Narayan and his brother were in good health. They had bravely pulled through the adverse situation and the trauma. It encouraged Savarkar.
He was a bit sad at not finding his sister-in-law with them whom he so respected. She was like mother to Vinayak. It was very surprising that she chose not to see her husband Ganesh.
So, he asked Narayan, “Why didn’t sister-in-law come?”
“She is no more in this world,” Narayan whispered. The news shocked Savarkar. He felt like weeping but held his tears boldly. Now he understood the visitor were avoiding meeting Ganesh. Perhaps, they wanted Savarkar to break the sad news to him. He talked to Narayan for one hour and spoke privately to his wife for half and hour. His wife wanted to stay in Andeman for a few days and see the natural beauty of the island.
Savarkar didn’t allow it because she was their weakness. Her presence there could weaken his resolves. He sent her back with Narayan.
Savarkar was not keeping well. But he didn’t care and got down to the business of teaching the prisoners letters. His class had prisoner students of all faiths including Muslims. Besides teaching them letters he tried to make them politically aware and true to their country.
One day a new prisoner revealed that many Indians on international ships passing by Andeman paid obeisance to the Island because their hero Savarkar was in the Cellular Jail there.
Once conditions in Jail became humane Vinayak Savarkar was obsessed with educating the unlettered prisoners. He cajoled and bribed even the prisoners to join his class. Barry was now nearing his retirement. He was fast changing. He no more ill treated the prisoners. He deliberately ignored the complaints against the prisoners. He had suddenly become kind to the prisoners.
Barry came to see Savarkar. In the wake of his retirement he was going to India on way to his homeland.
He spoke testily, “I have heard that your people are planning to blast me away in India.”
Savarkar said, “You are mistaken Mr. Barry. My men kill lions only. You are merely a jackal serving the British lion. Don’t worry for your life. You are too insignificant problem for us to worry about.”
Barry went to India and died with natural causes before reaching his country, Ireland.
Meanwhile, back in India a lot of things had happened. A long agitation against Rawlett Act had swept the country. The British were finding it tough going. The Congress was pressing for ‘Home Rule’ demand. Then, Jalianwala Bagh massacre shocked the country. The British were getting bad publicity all over the world for its savagery in India. Great pressures were being brought on England to show a human face in India.
To assuage the feelings of the enraged nation something was to be done. The Viceroy of India wrote to the British government. He suggested that an announcement should be made promising some constitutional changes in respect of India after the end of First World War.
Indians had joined war on the side of the British when they were promised that they would get some self-rule rights after the war.
The Minister for India in the British Government issued a statement in the British Parliament—
‘The policy of British Government is to introduce more and more Indians in administrative departments and to develop small independent institutions so that a responsible government for India under the British Empire gets created.’
Tilak welcomed the statement. In July, 1918 British issued a report after studying the demand for ‘Home Rule’ by the Indian leaders. The demand had been misinterpreted although some concessions were agreed to. The Indian leaders were disappointed.
Then, British Parliament passed ‘Reforms Bill’. According to it all the political prisoners were to be released.
There were some differences over this bill in the Congress. Some wanted to accept the bill while other were for its rejection. Tilak worked out a compromise. The ‘Reforms Bill’ was to be accepted but the struggle for the full independence was to continue.
Now the release of all the political prisoners was becoming a reality. The revolutionaries too including the kind of Vinayak Savarkar and his brother Ganesh fell under the definition of the political prisoners. They would also benefit from the provisions of the ‘Reforms Bill’ by getting released from the prisons.
On 2nd August, 1920 Bal Gangadhar Tilak passed away. Savarkar was grief stricken. Tilak was like a political father for him. To pay tributes to the departed soul Savarkar and the rest of the prisoners observed a day’s fast.
One day, when Savarkar was going towards his cell after locking the oil godown (where he was assigned some regulatory duty) a jail official ran to him in great excitement.
“I have a very good news for you, masterji.”
Savarkar was ‘Masterji’ since he was acting like a teacher to all the illiterate prisoners.’
“Good News…what?”
“You will be going to India very soon.” Savarkar could not believe it. Such rumours had made rounds even before.
Later, a friend confirmed the news.
Next morning, a jail official visited his cell and informed, “Mr. Savarkar, you will be going to the main land in a couple of days. Get prepared for the transfer.”
Savarkar had collected huge piles of books over the years which he had to dispose off. He donated some books to the jail library. A lot of books on light subjects were distributed among the prisoners who had been Savarkar’s pupil. Some he decided to take along with himself if possible.
On the day of the departure Savarkar and his brother Ganesh were brought out of the jail. A lot of other prisoners crowded around them to bid good bye. A guard managed to produce a garland for Savarkar.
There were some people outside as well.
The brothers were taken to the Port Blair docks where a ship stood anchored to taken them back. The ship was very crowded. It was full of madly boisterous prisoners who were also being stepped to the main land. Some of the prisoners were being thrashed by the guards. It was all a very disturbing scene.
The brothers were feeling suffocated in the hall. The noise was nauseating. It was hot inside. They pleaded for some fresh air. The guards handed them oxygen bags.
When revived the brothers began talking. They had got a chance to talk to each other after so many long long years. The last time they had meet was on 9th June, 1906 when Savarkar had left for London. And now it was 1920.
The poured their hearts to each other.
Ganesh told him about the ‘Abhinav Bharat’ society’s works in Nasik and Poona when he was there.
Five days of travel brought them within the seeing distance of the homeland. They were told that they were indeed seeing the Indian western coast.
Savarkar squealed, “Look Brother! We are back in the lap of Mother India.”
The brothers paid obeisance to the land.
The ship docked at Bombay port.
The brothers were taken to Alipore jail. On the way Ganesh was coughing painfully. He was suffering from T.B. In jail Ganesh was shut in a solitary cell.
In that jail there was a Chinese prisoner. Savarkar’s arrival greatly excited him. He took Savarkar to be some big sorcerer. But the reality deflated his excitement.
The brothers were kept in Alipore jail for eight days. Then they were sent to different jails. Savarkar was secretly brought to Bombay. The people who knew about his arrival were there to cheer him up and hail him at Nasik. From Nasik the train brought him too Bombay. All the windows of the train compartments were shut as a crowd had gathered at the station. The police had to resort to lathi charge to disperse the mob.
From Bombay Savarkar was again taken to Ratnagiri Jail. Here food was awful. There were other problems too. Braving all the hardship Savarkar again started his teaching campaign for the benefit of the illiterate prisoners.
The British government proposed his release subject to some conditions. One of them was that he must put on hold his anti-government political and militant activities. Narayan learnt about it and came to meet Savarkar in jail. After deep pondering Savarkar opted to accept the conditions for his release. After all, he was serving no purpose staying in the prisons.
All the associates in the country and abroad congratulated Savarkar upon his release.
Two weeks after his release he founded ‘Hindu Sabha’ in Ratnagiri. The main object of the party was to unite Hindus and work for Hindu revival. He wanted Hindus to stand up to defend their honour and the faith.
Then, plague broke out at Ratnagiri which hampered his campaign. With the permission of the administration he went to Nasik where he was welcomed by Hindu organisations.
He emphasised on the reforms in Hindu society.
When he retuned to Ratnagiri, a Khilafat Movement leader Shaukat Ali came to meet him. Shaukat Ali complained that Hindu Sabha agenda was creating a divide between the Hindus and Muslims.
Savarkar refused to change the agenda.
