Chapter 96 - Chain Reaction
With Savarkar’s London story, most people who tell it end it at his Marseille escape attempt.
But that honestly feels like the middle of the story, because what follows is more interesting and impactful.
First, it becomes a major international incident between Britain and France, which the French papers call L’Affaire Savarkar. This is a diplomatic conflict, much like (I’m sorry to make the comparison) Jamal Khashoggi, and it raged in the newspapers for a whole year.
Then, Savarkar’s trial takes place in Bombay, under three major charges, one of which is Conspiracy to kill Magistrate Jackson. That case has like a few hundred accused, most of whom get acquitted. During the trial, we see how Savarkar’s men betrayed him.
But the part that’s most interesting to me is his deputy, VVS Aiyar hoodwinks the authorities and makes it to Pondicherry under various disguises. He even makes it to Dongri Prison in disguise, where he gets a glimpse of Savarkar.
And when he’s in Pondicherry, he recruits a young man, Vanchinathan, and assigns him to assassinate the Collector of Tirunelveli, as revenge for the cruelties heaped on Chidambaram Pillai in prison.
Where it all came together for me was reading Savarkar’s memoir of prison, where he talks about a police inspector questioning him intensely about what knowledge he might have of the Collector’s assassination. Now, at this point, Savarkar has been in prison for a year-and-a-half with no communication with the outside world, save for one visit by his wife. And yet, he is considered a suspect in an assassination that happened on the other side of the country!
Which actually made sense — The mastermind of the Ashe Assassination was Aiyar. Savarkar could have told you that. But Aiyar was never arrested or charged, despite being out in Pondicherry in plain sight.
Anyway, we’ll see that whole plot unfold over the next couple of weeks. But for now, here’s the politicians of France and Britain freaking out over L’Affaire Savarkar.
Chain Reaction
“Savarkar?” Jean Jaures said to the small Indian woman in front of him, “The young law student?”
He had seen the name in the English newspapers over the years, right from when he had started as a political organizer. Jaurès was a representative of the Socialist Party in the National Assembly, and Savarkar was a revolutionary, likely to be hanged! How quickly time had passed!
Jaurès exchanged a glance with his deputy, Jean Longuet, who stood near the window, arms folded, listening without interruption. Longuet had already read the cables. He had the habit of absorbing a situation before offering it back, sharpened. It had been a win for a socialist politician like him to get Karl Marx’s grandson on his side, but right now, it mattered that Jean was a renowned lawyer who was no stranger to the International Court of Justice.
“Indeed. It is a travesty of justice,” Madame Cama said, her voice laced with quiet fury. “What was done is both illegal and unconscionable. It must be fought.”
Jaurès had long been fascinated by Madame Cama’s unyielding dedication to raising the plight of India within socialist circles. But now, there was more at stake than just the life of one man. Now, there was a cause. And he could use it—use it for both her and himself.
