Prime Minister Narendra Modi, currently on an official visit to France, paid homage to freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in Marseille, a city significant in India’s struggle for independence.
“Landed in Marseille. In India’s quest for freedom, this city holds special significance. It was here that the great Veer Savarkar attempted a courageous escape,” Modi posted on X.
He also acknowledged the efforts of the French activists who had opposed Savarkar’s extradition to the British. “I also want to thank the people of Marseille and the French activists of that time who demanded that he not be handed over to British custody. The bravery of Veer Savarkar continues to inspire generations!,” PM Modi’s post on X read.
On July 8, 1910, Savarkar, being transported to India on the British ship ‘Morea’, slipped out of a porthole and swam to the shore, where he was captured by French authorities and later returned to the British. Following this incident, Savarkar was sentenced to life imprisonment at the Cellular Jail in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Modi, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, is in Marseille to inaugurate the new Consulate General of India. He will also visit the Mazargues War Cemetery to pay tribute to Indian soldiers who fought in the World Wars.