Category Center for Human Dignity and Development

He believed that heredity could not determine a person's intellect or talent and that India's freeVinayak Damodar Savarkar, whose died 56 years ago on February 26, was a man who moved from the notion of social justice and embraced the ideals of social cohesion. Social cohesion is about connectedness, inter-dependence, accord and cultural assimilation among communities. It not only encompasses ideas of equality, fraternity and liberty, but marches towards social harmony. In the Indian sociological context, it can be better understood as “samajik samarasta”, which is a philosophical idea deeply embedded in the social fabric of this country and has a broader meaning than social justice. The word “samarasta” is an amalgamation of “sa” for “samata” (equity), “ma” for “mamata” (dignity), “ra” for “ramata” (sincerity), “sa” for “samanata” (equality) and “ta” for “tartamyata” (continuity). It is a continuous process of bringing about and achieving an equitable society by providing dignified ways and means to all strata. Despite being born and brought up in the orthodox and religious Chitpavan Brahmin community, Savarkar refused to accept the evil practices of Hinduism. He mocked the idea that eating a certain kind of food corrupts one’s religion. He said, “Religion rests in one’s heart and not in the stomach.”om wouldn't last without social reforms.