Mysore/Mysuru: A torchlight procession was taken out as part of the death anniversary of freedom fighter Veer Savarkar, organised by Veer Savarkar Pratishthan in city yesterday.

The procession was flagged off from social reformer Basaveshwara’s statue near Gun House and passed through Chamaraja Double Road and culminated at Freedom Fighter’s Park on Narayana Shastri Road in city.

Addressing the gathering at a function organised at the park, Senior Advocate C.V. Keshavmurthy bemoaned over how the country is ignoring a personality like Veer Savarkar, even though the country hugely benefited from his life and sacrifice. There is a rise in number of people averse to Savarkar. If anybody hates Savarkar, it is akin to developing hatred towards the country,                          he noted.

“Even though a small number of youths have turned up for the procession, it shows that there are people in the country who still remember Savarkar. Three brothers Vasudev Chapekar, Damodar Chapekar and Balakrishna Chapekar laid down their lives for the sake of the country. They were awarded capital punishment for the assassination of British Officer Walter Charles Rand in Pune. Savarkar had trained hundreds of youths for the fight against British and the Sepoy Mutiny of May 10, 1857 should be considered as the first-ever Freedom Movement of India. When Savarkar wrote a book on the Movement, the book was banned. But Savarkar had his own way to reach his book to many revolutionary leaders,” said Keshavmurthy.

President of Savarkar Pratishtan Dr. Yashaswini, Dr. Chandrashekar of Aditya Hospital, former Corporator B.V. Manjunath, BJP City General Secretary B.M. Raghu, Convener of Mysuru Hanumanthotsava Samiti Sanjay, leaders Rakesh Bhat, Shivakumar, Kumar, Vikram Iyengar of Veer Savarkar Balaga, Sandesh Pawar, Jayasimha, K.M. Nishanth, T.S. Arun, Madhusudhan, Ranganath, Prathap, Thyagaraj, Dr. Paramesh Gowda, Hiriyanna, women leaders Rajamani, Vinutha and others were present.