CM Rekha Gupta pays tribute to Shyamji Krishna Varma on his birth anniversary
Synopsis
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta honoured revolutionary Shyamji Krishna Varma on his birth anniversary on October 4, 2026, saluting the founder of India House in London and a towering figure of India's anti-colonial resistance.
Key Takeaways
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta paid tribute to Shyamji Krishna Varma on his birth anniversary, October 4, 2026 .
Varma was born on October 4, 1857 , in Mandvi, Kutch , present-day Gujarat.
He founded India House in Highgate, London in 1905 , a centre of revolutionary anti-colonial activity.
He launched the journal The Indian Sociologist to advocate armed resistance against British rule.
His ashes were repatriated from Geneva to India in 2003 by the Government of Gujarat ; a memorial, Kranti Teerth , was built in Mandvi.
Varma spent decades in exile in Paris and Geneva, never surrendering to British pressure.
On the birth anniversary of one of India's most fearless revolutionary thinkers, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta offered her homage to Shyamji Krishna Varma on Sunday, October 4, 2026 — saluting a freedom fighter whose defiance of British rule echoed from London to Kutch.
Posting on X in Hindi, CM Gupta wrote: 'महान क्रांतिकारी और मां भारती के अमर सपूत श्यामजी कृष्ण वर्मा जी की जयंती पर उन्हें कोटि-कोटि नमन।' — 'On the birth anniversary of the great revolutionary and immortal son of Mother India, Shyamji Krishna Varma, I offer him countless salutations.'
The revolutionary who took the fight to London
Shyamji Krishna Varma, born on October 4, 1857, in Mandvi, Kutch (present-day Gujarat), was a scholar, barrister, and uncompromising nationalist who chose to challenge British imperialism on its own soil. He founded the India House in Highgate, London, in 1905 — a nucleus of radical anti-colonial thought that nurtured a generation of revolutionaries, including Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. He also launched the journal The Indian Sociologist, which openly advocated resistance against British rule at a time when such words carried enormous personal risk. Varma spent decades in self-imposed exile — first in Paris, then Geneva — refusing to submit to British authority even as the empire pressured European governments to hand him over. He died in Geneva in 1930, his ashes remaining abroad for over seven decades. In 2003, the Government of Gujarat repatriated his ashes to India, and a memorial — Kranti Teerth — was established in Mandvi in his honour, finally bringing him home.A name reclaimed by history
For much of post-independence India, Varma remained a figure on the margins of the mainstream nationalist canon. In recent years, his legacy has received renewed institutional recognition, with his birth anniversary observed by political leaders across the spectrum as a moment to honour the radical, internationalist strand of India's freedom struggle. CM Gupta's tribute is part of that broader reclamation — a reminder that India's path to independence was forged not just in non-violent protest but also in the libraries, courtrooms, and safe houses of a global resistance network. Shyamji Krishna Varma's life stands as proof that the fight for Indian independence was always a worldwide endeavour — and that some of its most consequential battles were waged far from home.Point of View
Diaspora-led resistance. For the BJP, honouring figures like Shyamji Krishna Varma — whose ideological circle included Savarkar — carries both historical and symbolic weight, reinforcing the party's claim to a distinct strand of nationalist heritage. The annual cycle of such tributes also serves a pedagogical function, embedding lesser-known revolutionaries into public memory through the amplifying power of elected leaders' social media. As India's freedom-struggle centenary conversations deepen, expect Varma's internationalist legacy to receive growing institutional and academic attention.
NationPress
4 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Shyamji Krishna Varma?
Shyamji Krishna Varma (October 4, 1857 – March 30, 1930) was an Indian revolutionary, barrister, and scholar from Mandvi, Kutch, who founded India House in London in 1905 to organise resistance against British colonial rule.
What was India House in London?
India House was a centre established by Shyamji Krishna Varma in Highgate, London, in 1905. It served as a hub for Indian nationalists and revolutionaries, including V D Savarkar, who sought to end British rule in India.
Why did Shyamji Krishna Varma live in exile?
Varma chose exile in Paris and later Geneva to escape British attempts to arrest him for his anti-colonial writings and activities. He never returned to India and died in Geneva in 1930.
What is Kranti Teerth in Gujarat?
Kranti Teerth is a memorial complex built in Mandvi, Kutch, Gujarat, in honour of Shyamji Krishna Varma. It was established after the Government of Gujarat repatriated his ashes from Geneva in 2003.
Why did Delhi CM Rekha Gupta pay tribute to Shyamji Krishna Varma?
October 4 marks the birth anniversary of Shyamji Krishna Varma. CM Rekha Gupta posted a tribute on X in Hindi, offering 'countless salutations' to the revolutionary on this occasion.
