Ganesh Damodar Savarkar

Ganesh Dāmodar Sāvarkar (13 June 1879^[1] – 16 March 1945), also called Babarao Savarkar, was an Indian revolutionary, activist and co-founder of the Abhinav Bharat Society.^[2]

Ganesh Damodar Savarkar
Born	13 June 1879 Bhagur, Bombay Presidency, British India (present-day Maharashtra, India)
Died	16 March 1945(1945-03-16) (aged 65) Sangli, Bombay Presidency, British India (present-day India)
Other names	Babarao Savarkar
Known for	Indian independence revolutionary
Spouse	Saraswatibai Savarkar
Relatives	Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (brother)

Early life

Ganesh was the eldest sibling of the Savarkar brothers Vinayak, and Narayan, they also had a sister Mainabai, who was the penultimate child of their parents. Ganesh took responsibility of developing and influencing his brothers’ since their childhood. His parents' death laid the liability of his family at an age of twenty years.^[1]

Independence activism

The Savarkar brothers (Left to right) Narayan, Ganesh and Vinayak, with Shanta, sister Maina Kale and Yamuna

He led an armed movement against the British colonial government in India, he was sentenced to transportation for life as a result. The then collector of Nasik, A. M. T. Jackson was assassinated by Anant Laxman Kanhere in retaliation.^[3]: 117 Dhananjay Keer describes Jackson as "part of the oppressive machinery of the British Empire" and "...responsible for deporting Babarao..."^[4]: 197

M. J. Akbar writes that "The five friends who started the RSS were B. S. Moonje, L. V. Paranjpe, Dr. Tholkar, Babarao Savarkar and Hedgewar himself".^[5]: 306 Rity Kohli writes that Savarkar's essay on nationalism "Rashtra Mimansa"^[6]: 471 was abridged into "We, and our Nationhood, Defined", by Golwalkar, in 1938, which was the first systematic statement of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ideology.^[7]