PM Modi's Visit to French City of Marseille Has a Veer Savarkar Connection

Paris: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday reached the French city of Marseille with President Emmanuel Macron during his visit to the country. The site, which honours the sacrifice of Indian soldiers who died during World War I and II. He also paid tributes to Veer Savarkar in Marseille. The PM will also inaugurate a new Consulate here aimed at deepening of India-France ties.

"President Macron and I reached Marseille a short while ago. This visit will witness important programmes aimed at further connecting India and France. The Indian consulate which is being inaugurated will deepen people-to-people linkages. I will also pay homage to the Indian soldiers martyred in First and Second World Wars," the PM said in a post on X.

In another post, he said, "Landed in Marseille. In India’s quest for freedom, this city holds special significance. It was here that the great Veer Savarkar attempted a courageous escape."

"I also want to thank the people of Marseille and the French activists of that time who demanded that he not be handed over to British custody. The bravery of Veer Savarkar continues to inspire generations!"

So, how is Savarkar connected to French city of Marseille?

The city, 'La Marseille' is home to Napoleon Bonaparte and legendary footballer Zinedine Zidane. It was this place where Hindu nationalist Veer Savarkar attempted a brave escape on July 8, 1910, multiple reports said. He was being brought to India aboard a British ship Morea.

He was allowed to have food in between two soldiers only, but he made up his mind to run. Savarkar asked the guards to assist him to go to the toilet. He closed the gate, and slipped through a porthole, swam to the shore and ran for a few hundred metres before he came across French authorities.

Unable to understand English, the French policemen handed him over to the British constables. This however led to a diplomatic dispute, with France saying that the process violated international law, the TOI report added.

Savarkar was being taken to India for trial of waging war against AMT Jackson, the then-District Magistrate of Nashik. He was also accused of abetment to the murder of Jackson, the man who portrayed himself as India-loving but was brutal towards natives.

Jackson was assassinated by revolutionary Anant Kanhere in 1909.

Back in India, Savarkar was sentenced to life imprisonment in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Cellular Jail.

On Tuesday, the Prime Minister addressed a global Artificial Intelligence (AI) summit in Paris, and spoke in detail about the merits, and threats of the technological advancements. He elaborated on how Artificial Intelligence is playing a crucial role in daily lives of humans.

While advocating for the equitable distribution of AI benefits, particularly for the Global South, PM Modi also warned about biases in artificial intelligence. He further addressed concerns over job losses due to AI and underlined the need to find solutions to mitigate its impact.

"We must pull together our resources and talent and develop open-source systems that enhance trust and transparency and develop quality datasets, free from biases, in order to benefit the world. AI must be about people-centric applications. We must address concerns related to cybersecurity, disinformation, and deepfakes," PM Modi said.

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