Home Minister Amit Shah and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat are expected to arrive in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands next week on a visit that will combine high-level administrative reviews with a series of commemorative events linked to Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s legacy.
Officials said the visit, likely to take place on December 11 or 12, will mark the 116th anniversary of Savarkar’s iconic poem Sagara Pran Talamala.
According to the sources, Shah is expected to attend an event in Beodnabad on December 12, where a statue of Savarkar will be unveiled. Bhagwat is also slated to join the ceremony. In the evening, the Home Minister is likely to address a public gathering at the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Institute of Technology in Sri Vijaya Puram, during which a song dedicated to Savarkar will be formally released.
Shah is also expected to inaugurate a newly built forensic science laboratory in Sri Vijaya Puram, a move that officials said will strengthen criminal investigation capabilities in the islands. “All the information shared so far is preliminary, and we expect a confirmed itinerary shortly,” a senior associated with the event said.
Alongside the commemorative events, the visit is expected to include reviews of major infrastructure and governance projects currently underway in the islands. Meetings with senior administrative officials are likely to focus on development priorities, sectoral progress, and long-term planning needs.
The visit holds added significance because of the archipelago’s historical association with Savarkar, who was imprisoned by the British in 1911. He spent years in solitary confinement and was subjected to hard labour during his incarceration in the penal colony.
This will be Shah’s second visit to the islands. His previous trip in January 2023 marked the 126th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, where he served as the chief guest at the culmination of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav Iconic Events Week’.
Security and safety arrangements have been intensified across key locations, with multiple agencies coordinating movement, deployment and logistics ahead of the high-profile events. Officials said preparations are in the final stages.
