Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to France took place shortly after the 75th anniversary celebrations of the Indian Constitution. During his visit to Marseille, Modi claimed how in the quest for freedom, rightwing ideologue V.D. Savarkar “courageously” escaped from a boat in 1910, when he was being taken to India on charges of murdering a British official.
The grandiose claim associated with that escape has been exposed by Arun Shourie in his recently published book, The New Icon: Savarkar And the Facts. Shourie did so by referring to ‘Documents Relating to Freedom Movement of India’, published by the Government of Bombay in 1956. They showed that Savarkar only jumped into water 10-12 feet from the shore and was caught by the police while running on the sand to escape the authorities.
However, the more important issue is why Modi selectively flagged only Savarkar’s much trumpeted escape in the context of India’s freedom struggle, ignoring the well documented, deeper connection between Napoleon and Tipu Sultan for overthrowing the British occupation of India.
In face of criticism from the French media and the EU, Modi attended as guest of honour at the historic Bastille Day Celebrations in France on July 14, 2023. That day is celebrated every year to commemorate the central ideals of the French Revolution – liberty, equality and fraternity – which deeply impacted our freedom struggle and the framing of our Constitution. In the context of the 75th anniversary of our Constitution, Modi should have recalled those ideals, invoked time and again in our Constituent Assembly and are enshrined in our preamble. Instead, he recalled Savarkar, who rejected the Indian Constitution after it was adopted on November 26, 1949.
Modi, while invoking Savarkar’s name on French soil, should have considered the state visits of earlier leaders such as former President K.R. Narayanan. In his speech at a banquet hosted by French President Jacqes Chirac on April 17, 2000, Narayanan referred to correspondence between Tipu Sultan and Napoleon about forming a strategic alliance against Britishers.
One such letter of Napoleon to Tipu Sultan is there in the appendix of The Sword of Tipu Sultan authored by Bhagwan Gidwani. Napoleon wrote to him, “You have already been informed of my arrival on the borders of the Red Sea, with an innumerable and invincible Army, full of the desire of delivering you from the iron yoke of England.” The letter was intercepted by the Britishers and could not reach its destination.
President Narayanan referred to that letter and said, “Napoleon’s démarche perhaps underlined the strategic affinity that links India and France and the responsibility we hold in creating a more equal and democratic international order in the multipolar world.” By referring to this letter, President Narayanan, in a way, also indicated that the strategic dialogue between the two countries could be traced to 18th century.
Former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru while moving the Objectives Resolution in the Constituent Assembly on December 13, 1946 made a reference to the Constituent Assembly of France and recalled its enduring spirit to animate the work of Indian Constituent Assembly. He said,“My mind goes back to that mighty revolution which took place also over 150 years ago and to that Constituent Assembly that met in that gracious and lovely city of Paris which has fought so many battles for freedom, to the difficulties that Constituent Assembly had and to how the King and other authorities came in its way, and still it continued”.
He went on to add, “The House will remember that when these difficulties came and even the room for a meeting was denied to the then Constituent Assembly, they be took themselves to an open tennis court and met there and took the oath, which is called the Oath of the Tennis Court, that they continued meeting in spite of Kings, in spite of the others, and did not disperse till they had finished the task they had undertaken”. He then earnestly hoped that the manner in which the French Constituent Assembly resolved to carry out its task in face of the insurmountable difficulties would guide the Constituent Assembly of India. He stated, “Well, I trust that it is in that solemn spirit that we too are meeting here and that we, too, whether we meet in this chamber or other Chambers, or in the fields or in the market-place, will go on meeting and continue our work till we have finished it”.
Instead of wasting time on Savarkar, Modi should have recalled the other historical linkages between India and France.
S.N. Sahu served as Officer on Special Duty to President of India K.R. Narayanan.
