Should We Fight for and Achieve Savarkar's Vision of Akhand Hindu Rashtra?

Mumbai, May 13 (NationPress) The Shiv Sena (UBT) expressed strong opposition to the ceasefire between India and Pakistan in an editorial published in ‘Saamana’, emphasizing that “no one will grant us an Akhand Hindu Rashtra. We must strive to achieve it ourselves.”

In a pointed critique, the Thackeray faction lamented, “The nation missed a significant chance to realize Veer Savarkar's vision of an 'Akhand Hindustan (unified Hindu nation).’ The sacrifices of the Indian Army and the lives lost among civilians raise the question: what have we gained?”

“Prime Minister Modi stated, ‘If Pakistan fires again, you (the armed forces) should respond with a bullet,’ implying potential military action. Why were the Pakistanis allowed to continue firing? The spirit of Veer Savarkar must be questioning this. PM Modi, Eknath Shinde, and others have forfeited their right to politicize Savarkar's legacy,” the editorial contended.

“Currently, BJP supporters are circulating reports that PM Modi has demanded the return of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir from Pakistan. They claim, ‘Our objective is to reclaim Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK). Only after this can we engage in talks with Pakistan.’ However, details are scarce,”

the editorial noted.

“The Indian Army had initiated arrangements to honor Veer Savarkar by reclaiming Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. If the conflict had persisted for four more days, India could have advanced into PoK, but President Trump’s intervention thwarted this,”

the editorial asserted.

“Members of the BJP and the Mindhe faction accuse the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena of abandoning Veer Savarkar's vision. They should protest by burning effigies of President Trump outside the American Embassy.”

“Veer Savarkar envisioned a unified India from Kashmir to Rameswaram, from Sindh to Assam. His dream was clear and noble. Prime Minister Modi and his ‘Mindhe’ associates are exploiting Savarkar’s name for political gain,” the editorial alleged.

“False devotees of Savarkar have silenced the firearms of the Army, which is fighting for a united India,” claimed the Shiv Sena (UBT).

“No one will hand us an Akhand Hindu Rashtra. We must fight for it. Hindu Rashtra is integral to Hindutva. Veer Savarkar articulated that Hindutva and Hindu Rashtra encompass ‘Asindhu Sindhu Paryanta Yasya Bharat Bhumika (From the Indus River to the Sindhu ocean, the land of Bharat extends).’ He further stated that ‘Pitrubhu: Punyabhushchaiva sa vai Hinduriti smrita (He is recognized as a Hindu who considers the land from the Indus River to the Indian Ocean as his fatherland and sacred land).’

“Savarkar defined that anyone who regards this Bharat, stretching from the Indus to the sea, as their fatherland and holy land, is a Hindu.

“Savarkar is a proponent of Akhand Hindustan, and Prime Minister Modi, Amit Shah, and others from Maharashtra profess support for these ideals. However, as the concept of Akhand Hindustan comes into focus, why have these individuals retreated? This should be labeled as political manipulation,” the editorial suggested.

“Nathuram Godse’s supporters argue that he assassinated Mahatma Gandhi out of frustration over Pakistan’s actions, as Gandhi endorsed the Partition. While Godse was executed, his ashes were not immersed in accordance with his wishes. His will stated that his ashes should only be immersed when India is united.

“Godse’s ideology has found acceptance in the Modi era, with celebrations of his birth and death anniversaries. However, if the conflict had continued for four more days without a sudden ceasefire, Kashmir, Lahore, and Karachi could have been integrated into India, allowing for the immersion of Godse’s ashes. Modi’s supporters have lost that opportunity as well. Modi and his followers failed to realize Veer Savarkar’s vision and did not even fulfill the immersion of Godse’s ashes,” the editorial concluded.

“In this moment, we witness the profound idealism in Veer Savarkar’s heart, which should not be obscured or manipulated amidst today’s political chaos, election rhetoric, or commercial interests. Before the halt of hostilities, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir should have been seized. Balochistan should have been liberated, and retribution should have been exacted,” the editorial asserted.