Lata Ji, who had sung Veer Savarkar’s poem ‘Sagara Pran Talmalala’, had lamented that Veer Savarkar did not get the respect he deserved

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The legendary singer and her family shared a special bond with Veer Savarkar. Veer Savarkar had written the lyrics of Shat Janma Shodhitana for Lata ji’s father’s play Sanyasta Khadag.

Legendary singer Lata ji breathed her last today (February 6) in Mumbai. She was 92 and was undergoing treatment at Breach Candy hospital in Mumbai after she tested positive for Covid-19 last month.

The legendary singer and her family shared a very close bond with Veer Savarkar. On many occasions, she had lamented that Veer Savarkar did not get the respect he deserved in Independent India.

On Veer Savarkar’s birth anniversary in 2019, Lata ji had posted on microblogging platform Twitter “Namaskar. Aaj Swatantrya Veer Savarkar ji ki jayanti hai.Main unke vyaktitva ko,unki desh bhakti ko pranam karti hun.Aaj kal kuch log Savarkar ji ke virodh mein baatein karte hai,par wo log ye nahi  jaante ki Savarkar ji kitne bade deshbhakt aur swabhimaani the.” (Namaskar. Today is the birth anniversary of Veer Savarkar ji. I bow to his personality, and his patriotism. Nowadays, a few people have been criticising Savarkar ji. However, those people do not know the stature of Savarkar’s patriotism and self-respect.)

The great freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, popularly known as Veer Savarkar, had composed the famous patriotic poem Ne majsi ne parat matrubhoomila, sagara pran talmalala, extolling the sea to take him back to the motherland. He was in France at the time and was missing his motherland.

Lata ji’s brother Pandit Hridaynath Mangeshkar ji had composed the music for the poem and the legendary singer had herself lent voice to the very popular patriotic composition.

In an interview to a Marathi daily in 2009, Lata has said, “When the tunes for the poem was being composed, Tatya (Savarkar ji) was alive. I went to him with the invitation to attend the event. But, since he was unwell, he blessed but could not attend the function.”

In the same interview she had said that many people don’t understand the sacrifices Veer Savarkar made for this great country and he could not get the respect he deserved.

After Independence, a campaign was run by the vested interests for years to malign Veer Savarkar and his personality. Many myths were concocted to belittle his sacrifices.

While paying tributes to the legendary freedom fighter on his birth anniversary in 2020, Lata ji had shared a clip along with her tweet, which was an audio of the song Shat Janma Shodhitana. This song was composed by Lata ji’s father Deenanath Mangeshkar ji. The lyrics was written by Veer Savarkar for Deenanath ji’s play Sanyasta Khadag.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while paying his tributes to the legendary singer, said, “I am anguished beyond words. The kind and caring Lata Didi has left us. She leaves a void in our nation that cannot be filled. The coming generations will remember her as a stalwart of Indian culture, whose melodious voice had an unparalleled ability to mesmerise people.”

“I consider it my honour that I have always received immense affection from Lata Didi. My interactions with her will remain unforgettable. I grieve with my fellow Indians on the passing away of Lata Didi. Spoke to her family and expressed condolences. Om Shanti,” he added.

The legendary singer was awarded the highest civilian honour of the country, Bharat Ratna, in 2001.

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