Ganga
FULL MEMBER
- Joined
- May 19, 2010
- Messages
- 777
- Reaction score
- 0
While most Indians know Subhas Chandra Bose met Adolf Hitler in 1941 for India's freedom, he was apparently not the first. According to a new Marathi book that will hit the stands in September, ruler of erstwhile Baroda state, Sayajirao Gaekwad, met the German dictator during the 1936 Berlin Olympics for the same reason.
Gaekwad even signed a secret pact with Hitler to get his support for India's freedom. It was known as the Baroda-Berlin Pact.
Gaekwad's personal assistantVishnu Nene was sent to Germany to arrange the meeting. "Gaekwad believed an enemy's enemy is a friend. So, he decided to join hands with Hitler," says Dr Damodar Nene, who has written a new biography of Gaekwad and gives details of the pact. He is Vishnu Nene's son. The book, Sayajirao Gaekwad Chi Biography' has been published by Ved Gandharva publishers of Pune.
To ensure that the British don't suspect anything, Gaekwad took their permission to attend the Berlin Olympics. "His box was placed right under Hitler's during the opening ceremony," Nene says.
Gaekwad is believed to have promised Hitler the support of all Hindu princes in case of a war in Europe. "It was agreed that Hindu princes would back Hitler during the World War II and Hitler would support India in its freedom struggle. The pact was kept a well-guarded secret as the British would have considered it an act of treason," Nene adds.
"Gaekwad signed the pact as chancellor of the Chamber of Princes and was confident that all the members would support him," Nene says. The chamber was established in 1920 by royal proclamation to provide a forum to rulers of the princely states to voice their concerns to the British. It survived until 1947.
The Maratha king had even sponsored a group of sportspersons from Amravati who wanted to participate in the Olympics. "He asked the sportspersons to carry a saffron flag during opening celebrations as they were representing Baroda," Nene said. The pact was forgotten after Gaekwad died in 1939 even as the world stood on the brink of a devastating war.
http://http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/Hitlers-secret-friend-Sayajirao-Gaekwad/articleshow/6313013.cms
Gaekwad even signed a secret pact with Hitler to get his support for India's freedom. It was known as the Baroda-Berlin Pact.
Gaekwad's personal assistantVishnu Nene was sent to Germany to arrange the meeting. "Gaekwad believed an enemy's enemy is a friend. So, he decided to join hands with Hitler," says Dr Damodar Nene, who has written a new biography of Gaekwad and gives details of the pact. He is Vishnu Nene's son. The book, Sayajirao Gaekwad Chi Biography' has been published by Ved Gandharva publishers of Pune.
To ensure that the British don't suspect anything, Gaekwad took their permission to attend the Berlin Olympics. "His box was placed right under Hitler's during the opening ceremony," Nene says.
Gaekwad is believed to have promised Hitler the support of all Hindu princes in case of a war in Europe. "It was agreed that Hindu princes would back Hitler during the World War II and Hitler would support India in its freedom struggle. The pact was kept a well-guarded secret as the British would have considered it an act of treason," Nene adds.
"Gaekwad signed the pact as chancellor of the Chamber of Princes and was confident that all the members would support him," Nene says. The chamber was established in 1920 by royal proclamation to provide a forum to rulers of the princely states to voice their concerns to the British. It survived until 1947.
The Maratha king had even sponsored a group of sportspersons from Amravati who wanted to participate in the Olympics. "He asked the sportspersons to carry a saffron flag during opening celebrations as they were representing Baroda," Nene said. The pact was forgotten after Gaekwad died in 1939 even as the world stood on the brink of a devastating war.
http://http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/Hitlers-secret-friend-Sayajirao-Gaekwad/articleshow/6313013.cms