India House

The Surat split of 1907 followed suppression of the extremists and the slow development of atma shakti lost its appeal. But at the same in time in London, numerous informal nationalist organizations were working. The most important among them was the India House.

The India House was based in London and was established by Shyamji Krishna Verma to promote the nationalist views among the Indians of Britain. It published a newspaper “The Indian Sociologist” which used its subtitle –An Organ of Freedom, and Political, Social, and Religious Reform.

Several revolutionaries got associated with the India house and most important ones are V D Savarkar and Madan Lal Dheengra. Others were V.N. Chatterjee, Lala Har Dayal, V. V. S. Aiyar, M.P.T. Acharya and P.M. Bapat. All of them later laid the foundation of militant nationalism in India. The newspaper was later banned for sedition.

Sacrifice of Madan Lal Dhingra 1909

On July 1, 1909, the Indian National Association was observing its annual day function. In London, many Indians and British had gathered to attend the function and here one of the early murders by the Indian Nationalists was carried out. Sir Curzon Wyllie was shot dead by Madan Lal Dhingra, in order to give the British a clear message to free India. He wished to committe suicide but was arrested. He was trialed and hanged on 17 August 1909. The sacrifice of Dhingra not only inspired the Indians but also the Irish, who were struggling at that time for autonomy.