Footprints of Indian Freedom Fighters in London: 2

Encouraged by a very fruitful visit to Ambedkar House, I researched for places associated with other Indian freedom fighters in London. I found many and visited several of them. First among them was the house situated at 65 Cromwell Avenue, Highgate. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, fondly called as Veer Savarkar or Tatyasaheb lived here from June 1906 to July 1909.

Savarkar was active in the freedom movement from a young age. He went to England on a scholarship arranged by revolutionary fighter, lawyer and journalist Shyamji Krishna Varma with additional support from Lokmanya Tilak. Savarkar enrolled at the Gray's Inn to study law. 

Krishna Varma founded India House at 65 Cromwell Avenue in 1905 with an aim to use it as a hostel for Indian students. It also functioned as headquarters of Indian Home Rule Society, soon becoming a centre for visiting Indian activists. 

Today the house stands quietly in a beautiful residential area. I visited it on a lovely day and spent a few moments looking at the blue plaque bearing Savarkar's name, imagining all the events this house must have witnessed in those times. It was quite overwhelming!

 

Another blue plaque that aroused my interest was the one put up at 23 Aldridge Road Villas in Ladbroke Grove. First deputy prime minister and home minister of India from 1947 to 1950 Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel resided at this address when he went to England to train as a barrister in 1910. This was a modest boarding house then. Patel was funding his own education using money he had saved working back home in India. He used to walk to the Middle Temple where he was enrolled for his studies. He completed his course in good time and returned to Gujarat in 1912 to start practising as a barrister.

Photos by Lata

He got involved in the freedom movement as one of Gandhiji's chief aides. He had very good organising skills. Also, he was an exceptional leader. This quality earned him the title Sardar. His contribution towards the unification of India earned him another sobriquet: Iron Man of India.

The blue plaque displayed on the house in his memory fills me with gratitude and respect for this venerable statesman. The plaque was put up by the Greater London Council in 1986. It got damaged due to some construction work. Later English Heritage replaced it with a replica in 1991.