Amit Shah Credits Savarkar with Laying Foundation of Cultural Nationalism

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday paid rich tributes to freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, asserting that Savarkar laid the ideological foundation of “Cultural Nationalism” that continues to shape modern India. Speaking at a commemorative event in Sri Vijayapuram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Shah praised the revolutionary leader as both an extraordinary writer and a fearless fighter. The event marked the completion of 115 years of Savarkar’s celebrated poetry collection Sagara Prana Talamalla.

Addressing the gathering, Shah said Savarkar’s ideas must be passed from parents to children to preserve and strengthen India’s cultural identity. He credited Savarkar with conceptualising “Cultural Nationalism,” an ideology he said forms the backbone of the governance model under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Calling Savarkar a patriot, social reformer, poet, and philosopher, Shah emphasised that his intellectual contributions remain unmatched in India’s independence movement.

Highlighting Savarkar’s literary brilliance, Amit Shah said he has studied the revolutionary’s writings extensively but remains unable to decide whether he excelled more as a poet or as a prose writer. Savarkar, he noted, later became a skilled linguist, enriching Indian languages by creating over 600 new words. These linguistic contributions, Shah added, reflect Savarkar’s vision of strengthening India’s cultural and linguistic heritage.

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The Home Minister also spoke about the unveiling of Savarkar’s statue at the historic Cellular Jail by RSS Chief Dr Mohan Bhagwat. Shah said the statue symbolises Savarkar’s immense sacrifice, unwavering resolve, and dedication to the motherland. He added that future generations would draw inspiration from Savarkar’s courage, commitment to duty, and vision of a unified and prosperous nation.

In his address, Shah reminded the audience that the Cellular Jail—once feared as a place from where no prisoner ever returned—is today regarded as a national pilgrimage site because of the sacrifices made by Savarkar and many other freedom fighters. He also invoked the memory of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, noting that the Azad Hind Fauj first hoisted the tricolour in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Netaji had proposed naming the islands ‘Shaheed’ and ‘Swaraj’, a proposal later fulfilled by Prime Minister Modi.

Calling the Andaman-Nicobar region sacred, Shah said freedom fighters from all parts of India had shed their blood on this land. He added that the unveiling of Savarkar’s statue by Dr Bhagwat—representing an organisation that upholds Savarkar’s ideology—makes the moment historically significant. He concluded by saying that the land, the memory of Savarkar, and the statue itself will stand as eternal symbols of India’s freedom struggle and cultural pride.

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