Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 13 December 2025
In a moment heavy with history, memory, and national pride, a towering statue of Veer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was unveiled on the shores of the Andaman Sea at Beodnabad village in Rural South Andaman on December 12, marking a significant tribute to one of India’s most indomitable freedom fighters.
The statue was unveiled by RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, at a place that resonates deeply with the life and struggle of Savarkar, who endured some of the harshest years of his imprisonment in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Veer Savarkar, a revolutionary freedom fighter, poet, writer, and fierce nationalist, was incarcerated in the dreaded Cellular Jail from 1911 to 1921 after being sentenced to two life terms—amounting to 50 years of imprisonment—for his uncompromising resistance against British rule. Shackled, isolated, and subjected to inhuman conditions, Savarkar’s years in the Andamans forged an unbreakable spirit that would go on to shape India’s freedom movement and nationalist thought.
For decades, his contribution remained under-acknowledged in mainstream historical discourse. However, since the formation of the NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, sustained efforts have been made to bring Savarkar’s legacy into the national consciousness, restoring him to his rightful place in India’s freedom narrative.
Standing tall against the vast expanse of the Andaman Sea, the newly unveiled statue serves as a powerful reminder of sacrifice, resilience, and unwavering patriotism. It symbolically reconnects the present generation with the torment and triumph endured by Savarkar on these very islands, where the flames of freedom were kept alive through suffering and silence.
On the occasion, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Mr. Ameya Hete, Founder of the Mumbai-based Valuable Group, and the Zilla Parishad, South Andaman. The initiative to conceptualise and realise the installation of the statue was led by Ameya Hete and his team. The statue has been designed and sculpted by Padma Shri awardee Shri Ram Sutar, a Maharashtra Bhushan awardee and his team renowned for creating some of India’s most iconic monuments.
The unveiling ceremony was attended by several eminent dignitaries, including the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, NM, VSM (Retd.); Maharashtra’s Minister for Cultural Affairs and Information Technology, Adv. Ashish Shelar; Member of Parliament from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray; and Zilla Parishad Adhyaksh, South Andaman, Mr. Prakash Adhikari, among others.
Later in the day, a grand commemorative cultural programme titled “Sagara Pran Talamalala…” was held at the DBRAIT Auditorium, marking 116 years of the timeless ode penned by Savarkar. The event was a stirring tribute to his literary genius and revolutionary spirit, with performances that rekindled the flame of patriotism and echoed the anguish, hope, and resolve of India’s freedom struggle.
The cultural evening was graced by Dr. Mohan Bhagwat and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, along with the Lieutenant Governor, Maharashtra’s Minister for Cultural Affairs and Information Technology, Member of Parliament of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, public representatives, and other dignitaries, lending further gravitas to a day steeped in national remembrance.
As waves crashed softly along the Andaman coast, the statue of Veer Savarkar now stands as a silent yet eternal sentinel—bearing witness to a past forged in chains, and inspiring generations to uphold the ideals of courage, sacrifice, and unwavering love for the nation.
