The Story of
My Transportation for Life
(
A Biography of Black Days in Andaman
s)
English Translation of ‘Majhi Janmathep’ (Marathi)
Veer Savarkar
PUBLISHER'S NOTE
It is but natural that we should feel particular pleasure in publishing the Book,"The story of my transportation for life" which is the English version translated by Prof.V. N. Naik, M.A., Principal, Narayan Topiwalla College, Mulund, from the originalMarathi Book " MAZI JANMATHEP" written by Mr. V. D. Savarkar during hisinternment at Ratnagiri soon after his release from the prison in Andamans and at other places in India, where he was detained for well neigh fourteen years. The pages depict thestory of the sufferings and persecutions inflicted upon the author and other political prisoners and it was no surprise that the book should have been so popular among theMarathi reading public that its first edition which was published in the year 1927, wassold within a few months. A second edition also was in print, when all of a sudden, thethen Government of Bombay thought it advisable to prescribe the book. It was only in theyear 1947 that the ban thereon was removed by the popular Government and the secondedition was published that very year.The translation in English we are presenting to our readers is a version from thissecond edition. Prof. Naik has not only rendered a correct and classical translation, bushas brought out the real spirit of the author in the pages of this book and has so faithfullyrendered the account of the physical and mental torture and the harrowing tales of inhuman sufferings inflicted upon a person whose only fault was that he felt that Indiashould not be ruled by a foreign Government.If at all, reform in that prison life has come, it was due to the social and educativework of Mr. Savarkar during his stay in that "Dark dungeon and house of despair". The poet describes our sweetest songs to be those that tell of the saddest thoughts and in thatsense the book truly reads like a romance and confirms that truth is stronger than fiction.In a word it is a human document and no phantasy.We cannot but close this note unless we offer our thanks to Principal V. N. Naik for translating the Book into English for us which he has done so faithfully and ably. Wealso record our thanks to Prof. V. G. Mydeo, M.A. for the valuable help and assistance hegave us from time to time.We hope the Book we are presenting to the reading public will not only make itan interesting reading but will be appreciated by them as a historical record of thesufferings inuicted upon one of the sons of India.
TRANSLATOR'S NOTE
The book--The Story of my Transportation-is
an English version of Mr. V. D.Savarkar's original work in Marathi entitled,
qÉÉfÉÏ eÉlqÉPåûmÉ qÉÉfÉÏ eÉlqÉPåûmÉ qÉÉfÉÏ eÉlqÉPåûmÉ qÉÉfÉÏ eÉlqÉPåûmÉ
It is the story of the great rebel's incarceration for ten years in theCellular-Silver-Jail of the Andamans. Swatantrya Vir Savarkar was sentenced by theHigh Court of Bombay at the end of 1910 to fifty years' transportation to the Andamansis the result of his revolutionary activities in India and England. Actually he was releasedfrom
that
prison after a period of ten years, to finish up with his confinement in the jailsat Ratnagiri and Yeravada. The story begins
with
with his prison life at Dongri and endswith his last day in the jail at Yeravada.The thrill and interest of the original narrative, interspersed as it is with musingsand meditations on topics of the day, and on others of abiding interest for life, with all theinsight
and illumination that they bring along with them, I have tried to retain in theEnglish translation with such omissions and additions as the author himself has suggestedto form the basis of the translation. I have used
f
or that purpose the method of free andfair rendering of the original. I have not translated the original word for word, though Ihave not departed materially from the text before me. I am glad to inform the reader thatthe author himself has gone through the translation, and the English work appears beforehim with the seal of the author's approval.I need not dwell here on
the life and life-work of Mr. V. D. Savarkar, work that iswell-known to all who know anything of the Hindu-Mahasabha and it’s functioningduring the last ten years. His life from young manhood to old age has been one longsacrifice for the Ideal. And the story before the reader reveals the mood and temper, theyearning and strenuousness, the patience and courage behind that dedication. One maydiffer from Mr. Savarkar on many a point of detail and principle; but one cannot say, withthis book before him that he has not suffered and <sacrificed, and last but not the least, hehas not served the country by that sacrifice and suffering. As these page will reveal to thereader, he is no believer in more sentiment; he does not believe in rousing masssentiment, like the mounting wave of a storm-tossed sea, only to help it tumble down inthe sands, and
roll back
wasted to the sea from which it mounted so high. He hasdiscussed in this his prison-diary, so to say, for it is not a diary at all, many questions of public interest that must come home to the business and bosom of men in India, and particularly to the business and bosom of patriots and leaders who have striven hard andare striving hard today for unity and freedom in India. India is free, but she is riot free aswe should have liked it to be. We have still to toil and sweat in tears and blood to unite,consolidate and build up for the fruition of that grace of freedom.Savarkar is no narrow-minded Hindu Sanatanist. He does not swear by revolution,armed or otherwise, for the sake of revolution. He is
a hard-headed
Maharashtrian andthinker, and a far-sighted worker. He is a poet and man of letters, and an inspiringspeaker. He came back to politics in the evening of his spent-up life, the spring andvitality of which had been all but sapped by the unmitigated hardships of his life as a
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