मेरा आजीवन कारावास / माझी जन्मठेप (स्वातंत्र्यवीर सावरकर - काले पानी का ऐतिहासिक संस्मरण)

PUBLISHER'S NOTE It is but natural that we should feel particular pleasure in publishing the Book, "The story of my transportation for life" which is the English version translated by Prof. V. N. Naik, M.A., Principal, Narayan Topiwalla College, Mulund, from the original Marathi Book " MAZI JANMATHEP" written by Mr. V. D. Savarkar during his internment at Ratnagiri soon after his release from the prison in Andamans and at other places in India, where he was detained for well neigh fourteen years. The pages depict the story of the sufferings and persecutions inflicted upon the author and other political prisoners and it was no surprise that the book should have been so popular among the Marathi reading public that its first edition which was published in the year 1927, was sold within a few months. A second edition also was in print, when all of a sudden, the then Government of Bombay thought it advisable to prescribe the book. It was only in the year 1947 that the ban thereon was removed by the popular Government and the second edition was published that very year. The translation in English we are presenting to our readers is a version from this second edition. Prof. Naik has not only rendered a correct and classical translation, bus has brought out the real spirit of the author in the pages of this book and has so faithfully rendered the account of the physical and mental torture and the harrowing tales of inhuman sufferings inflicted upon a person whose only fault was that he felt that India should not be ruled by a foreign Government. If at all, reform in that prison life has come, it was due to the social and educative work of Mr. Savarkar during his stay in that "Dark dungeon and house of despair". The poet describes our sweetest songs to be those that tell of the saddest thoughts and in that sense the book truly reads like a romance and confirms that truth is stronger than fiction. In a word it is a human document and no phantasy. We cannot but close this note unless we offer our thanks to Principal V. N. Naik for translating the Book into English for us which he has done so faithfully and ably. We also record our thanks to Prof. V. G. Mydeo, M.A. for the valuable help and assistance he gave us from time to time. We hope the Book we are presenting to the reading public will not only make it an interesting reading but will be appreciated by them as a historical record of the sufferings inuicted upon one of the sons of India.