There was someone who stood with Veer Savarkar when he was standing with his Punyabhumi and Pitribhumi Bharat. Yamunabai Savarkar affectionately called Mai, a lady as great as her more illustrious husband. Her real name was Yashoda, and she came from a background, totally different to that of Vinayak Savarkar’s. Where her husband came from a modest family, supported by his elder brother, she came from a rich and influential family. Born to Ramchandra Trimbak aka Bhaurao and Lakshmibai aka Manutai Chiplunkar in Thane district on December 4,1888, her real name was Yashoda. Her father Bhaurao Chiplunkar was the Dewan of the principality of Jawahar in Thane District, and she grew up in the lap of luxury. Fondly called Jiji, she was unassuming and down to earth inspite of coming from a very wealthy background. She was friends with Savarkar’s sister in law Yashoda, wife of his elder brother Babarao.

The Chiplunkars were good friends with the Savarkar family, and Bhaurao was impressed by Vinayak’s intellect, his erudition, his integrity. It was Savarkar’s Mama, who bought forth the alliance, and Bhaurao agreed to bear Savarkar’s educational expenses too. Vinayak in turn, greatly respected Bhaurao, and saw in him the father figure he had missed early in life. Mai and Vinayak entered into wedlock at Nashik in February 1901, she entered into his home and soon imbibed her husband’s nationalism and patriotic spirit. Fond of singing, she lent voice to Vinayak’s patriotic poems and ballads, and make the other women members of the family memorize them. She became a member of the Atmanishtha Yuvati Samaj, a body started for women by Babarao’s wife Yashoda. It was to inculcate the nationalist feelings in women, and make them politically aware. Their meetings would typically begin with the patriotic songs of Aba Darekar, and then would read out Savarkar’s poems and his anti British articles from the Keshari.

Mai soon became a grandmother when her daughter Prabhat gave birth to a son in 1949, and her son Vishwas to a daughter in 1953. However by 1956, Mai soon became ill, and was kept at AK Talwalkar’s Nursing Home in Dadar. Though she came back home, Mai was again struck with lyphoma in 1956 and bought back to Dadar. In the meantime Savarkar’s health too was not good, he had suffered a fracture, and the long time he spent in Cellular Jail had broken him down. Finally she passed away on November 8, 1963, Savarkar almost swooned when he heard of it. The woman who had walked with him in life, been by his side in the worst of his times, was no more. “Mai has passed, her life has been fulfilled”. As willed by him, her body was not kept in state, but taken straight to the crematorium. He himself did not attend her cremation, did not desire any public emotion. Mai was a simple woman, who walked shoulder to shoulder with her husband, took care of his needs. She ensured his clothes were always neatly ironed, and managed the family within very modest means. Considering she came from a very rich family, she adjusted wonderfully within her husband’s very humble household. She spent time in the garden watering plants just to be with Savarkar. Though Savarkar himself was an atheist, and did not perform Puja, he neverthless gave full freedom to Mai to do it, which he just observed. He ensured his numerous public engagements did not burden Mai in her household work. She not only supported him in his social reform campaign, but also took care of a Dalit girl, whom Savarkar adopted and bought into the home. When a mob descended on Savarkar Sadan, after Gandhi’s assassination, she bravely faced it with a stick in her hand.

Credit – @sadaashree

 

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