Need to have informed conversation about Savarkar, says FM Nirmala Sitharaman

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday said that there is a need to have an informed conversation about the contribution and ideas of freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.

"Veer Savarkar attracts so much conversation. He is one such a very important personality in the Indian history about whom so much is discussed without quality research," Sitharaman said here at a book launch event.

The union minister today releasing the book titled 'Savarkar-A Contested Legacy 1924-1966' authored by Vikram Sampath and published by Penguin Viking.

"Informed conversation (about Veer Savarkar) most of the time missing and that opinionated conversation is also not based on fact or any other fact, and as a result, it becomes based on emotions of strong likes and dislikes," Sitharaman said at the event organised by Prabha Khaitan Foundation.

In the process, she added, "We are doing a big disservice to the nation because Veer Savarkar like leaders stood their ground, and as a result, their contribution is distinct. We cannot afford to miss that distinct strand that also contributes to Indian history. So, it might sometimes, align with some, political ideology may even sound as aligning with an opposite ideology, but that is where we need well researched, solid fact-based, biographies or books on such leaders."

Speaking at a panel discussion moderated by Shubhrastha, Principal Economic Adviser Sanjeev Sanyal said he passionately feel about the need to change curriculums.

"I think it is something that we are working towards. There are some people working towards it but there is something that we need to first settle. One of them is that in order to begin to change curriculums and so on, you actually need to get the hard academic work actually done. There is nothing much written on Savarkar even though he is pretty mainstream," he added.

Author Vikram Sampath, said the job of "historians' is to illuminate the records. It is upto the readers to read the facts and make up their mind on the subject."

(ANI)