Rassegna storica del Risorgimento

Savarkar and Mazzini
261
branches of Abhinav Bharat in Maharashtra, Mysore and Madhya Pradesh. u> In the meantime Savarkar rendered the translation of autobiography of Joseph Mazzini into Marathi in 1907. Before him, Surendra Nath Banerjea and Lala Lajpatrai had written on Mazzini; but Savarkar's work on Mazzini was a revolutionary departure frora the works of his predecessors. Banerjea on his own admission took care to teli the young Indians to abjure his (Mazzini's) revolutionary ideas, ,2> and Lajpatrai's book was mild enough. On the contrary Savarkar openly gave Mazzini's message to the youth to fight for the liberation of the motherland. Savarkar's mind was saturated with teachings of Mazzini. Dhananjay Keer wrote that he was Mazzinian personified .13>
Savarkar's book on Mazzini generated so much heat and pàssion that eager Maharashtrian, wrote Savarkar, absorbed the contents of the book in groups of twenty to twenty-five persons at a time.M> The book acquired a religious aura like other religious books and was carried in a palanquin strewn witli flowers and followed by processions. Many spirited parents, the revolutionary Kelkar reminisced to Savarkar, got parts of the book thoroughly crammed up by their children. Savarkar's biographer wrote:
Savarkar's "Mazzini" was the first book to enjoy an uncommon popularity in Maharashtra. Tt was so deeply loved that leading papers and Ieading raen in Maharashtra extolled it to the skies and it was taken out in procession by young and old devotees. Even Sir Valentine Chirol described this book as a nationalist text-book. Savarkar's Mazzini naturally was the first viotim of the Tndian Press Act.16)
No sooner was the confiscation order gazetted, there started a vigorous hunt to recover the copies of the book throughout Maharashtra. People were deterrnined to hide their precious possession and placed the book beneath the plaster of the walls or in old secret places. The raids were conducted on the branches of Abhinav Bharat for their secret activities and to recover the book. Even after this, the book survived for atleast two decades and passed through youngmen who continued to read it. ,7> The confiscation order to the book was lifted in 1946.
The book was greatly loved and adored for the introduction expounding the great mission of the Italian patriot. The fiery propaganda and burning patriotism 18' rand throughout the twenty-five pages of the introduction. In the introduction of the book Savarkar wrote that the human evolution and the politicai evolution are interlinked. The fundamental prdnciples of
ti) Ibidem.
,2> S. N. BANERJEA, A Nailon in Making. London, 1925, p. 43. ,3> DHANANTAY KEER, Veer Savarkar, Bombay, 1966, p. 34.
,4> B. D. KHER (ed.), Savarkar Sahitya Navaneet (in Marathi), Maharashtra Granth Bhandar, Bombay, 1958, p. 277. W) Ibidem.
**> DHANANJAY KBP.R, Veer Savarkar eh., p. 34. 17 B.D. KHEB (ed.), Savarkar cit., p. 279. W DHANANJAY KEER, Veer Savarkar oli, p. 34.