New Delhi: India attained Freedom from British rule on August 1, 1947. While the world is aware of the tall names such as Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Subhash Chandra Bose, and others who relentlessly fought to free the country from foreign rule, many others remain relegated to the pages of history and are seldom mentioned. One such name is that of revolutionary fighter, lawyer, Sanskrit scholar, and journalist Shymaji Varma, whose 127th birth anniversary falls today.
When PM Modi fulfilled the last wishes of Shyamji Varma
Here is a story on how Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid an emotional and memorable tribute to the great patriot and revolutionary, Shyamji Krishna Varma.
Shyamji Krishna Varma passed away on 30 March 1930 in Geneva, Switzerland, holding on to the hope that his ashes would return to a free and Independent India. However, his ‘last wish’ was realised only after five decades of India attaining freedom from colonial rule.
The dream was realised in August 2003, after Narendra Modi took over as Gujarat Chief Minister. The then Gujarat CM brought his ashes back from Geneva 56 years after India’s freedom, honouring the freedom fighter’s final request.
On 22nd August 2003, PM Modi reached St. George’s cemetery in Geneva, Switzerland, to collect Shyamji Krishna Varma’s ashes from the Ville de Genève and the Swiss government, fulfilling this patriot’s long-held wish.
A few years later, in 2010, PM Modi also inaugurated the Kranti Peeth memorial in Mandvi, replicating the India House in London. It houses statues of Shyam ji and his wife alongside their ashes.
Today, PM Modi paid tribute to the revolutionary freedom fighter on his birth anniversary.
In a social media post, PM Modi highlighted Shyamji Krishna Varma’s unwavering spirit and dedication to the nation, emphasising that his legacy will continue to inspire generations. He said that Shyamji Krishna Varma’s revolutionary actions infused remarkable strength into the resolve for the country’s independence.
“Hundreds of salutations to the great freedom fighter and brave son of Mother India, Shyamji Krishna Verma, on his birth anniversary. With his revolutionary steps, he infused amazing power in the resolve for the independence of the country. His dedication and spirit of service towards the nation will continue to inspire every generation,” PM Modi said in a post on X.
Role of Shyamji in India’s Freedom Struggle
Shyamji Krishna Varma was born on 4 October 1857, the year Indians revolted against the British for the first time. This revolt has become famous in history as India’s First War of Independence.
Shyamji was born in the Surat district of Gujarat. He completed his early education in India and then went to England for further studies, completing his education at Balliol College in Oxford.
He founded the influential Indian Home Rule Society, India House, and The Indian Sociologist in 1905 in London. India House was set up for the hostel facilities of Indian students and also to promote nationalist views among Indian students in Britain.
His most influential work was the newspaper ‘The Indian Sociologist,’ which he founded in 1905 in London.
Shyamji Krishna Verma edited “The Indian Sociologist” journal from 1905 to 1914 and again between 1920 and 1922.
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–IANS with Inputs from Mediaeye News
