Mumbai, March 5: Dnyanada Prabhodhan, a Mahim-based non-profit organisation, has gathered support from more than one lakh people in less than a week for a signature campaign demanding national monument status for Savarkar Sadan, the residence of Swatantraveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar located in Shivaji Park, Dadar (West).
The organisation has also written to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on behalf of Savarkar’s followers, urging the government to grant the residence the status of a national monument, as it is also associated with the freedom fighter’s life and legacy.
Campaign amid ongoing PIL in Bombay High Court
The campaign comes amid an ongoing PIL in the Bombay High Court, where the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) recently filed an affidavit recommending that Savarkar Sadan be granted heritage protection to “prevent its demolition and ensure its preservation.” The ASI said the building is “suitable for inclusion either in the State Protected Monument list or the BMC Heritage list.”
However, the ASI clarified that it cannot declare the structure a monument of national importance as it has not been notified as a protected monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. For such a declaration, a structure must be more than 100 years old.
Organisation seeks Centre’s intervention
Prashant Pal, president of Dnyanada Prabhodhan, said, “Savarkar Sadan is not only a structure where the freedom fighter stayed for 28 years, but it is also the place where he undertook atmaarpan (self-sacrifice) after a 21-day fast. The place holds special national, cultural and historical significance in the history of the Indian freedom movement. It is a constitutional responsibility to protect such sites.”
Pal added that the campaign aims to garner up to 10 lakh signatures in the coming days from Savarkar supporters across the globe.
“The ASI has refused to grant Savarkar Sadan the status of a national monument only because it is not 100 years old. There are several other structures, such as Mohammed Ali Jinnah’s bungalow at Malabar Hill, that have been granted heritage status. Under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, the Central Government has the statutory power to declare a site as a ‘Monument of National Importance’, and it should do the same for Savarkar Sadan,” Pal said.
History of the structure
According to the ASI, Savarkar Sadan was originally a two-storey bungalow constructed in 1938, where Savarkar lived until his death in 1966. “It was a significant historical site where he held meetings with several prominent leaders, including Subhas Chandra Bose,” the affidavit states.
After Savarkar’s demise, additional floors were constructed in 1984, expanding the structure into a multi-storey building with eight flats.
Also Watch:
The ASI’s affidavit further noted that the Swatantryaveer Savarkar Rashtriya Smarak Trust owns only one room on the ground floor, which currently functions as a mini-museum. Savarkar’s daughter-in-law, Sunanda Vishwas Savarkar (92), continues to reside in the building, while the remaining flats are vacant.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/
