18 April is the martyr day of Damodar Hari Chapekar !
The purpose of this article is to let the people know about the revolutionary who in the prime of his life, was inspired to free his country from the shackles of the British and sacrificed his life to achieve his goal !
Chapekar Brothers (1870 - 1899):
 |
Killing of Rand !
In the year 1896, an epidemic of ‘plague’ struck Pune. The Government appointed an ICS officer named Rand to handle the epidemic. His white soldiers started repressing people in the name of checking the houses of the people. They used to break into their houses under the pretext of checking them and would molest women. Such atrocities in Pune kindled a fire of revenge in the hearts of the Chapekar brothers and soon, they got an opportunity to take revenge on Rand.The year 1897 was the 60th year of Queen Victoria’s regime. A program was organized even in Pune on this occasion at the ‘Raj-bhavan’ in ‘Ganesh Khind’. On 22nd June 1897, Rand and Yurts left after attending the program at night in their respective horse-carriages. The carriage in which Yurts was travelling was a little ahead. As the watchword ‘Gondya Aalaa Re Aalaa’ was called out by Vasudevrao, Balkrushna entered the coach of Yurts and emptied his revolver which was aimed at Yurts head.
Even then, the call was going on, therefore, Damodarpant understood what had happened. He was also happy that although he thought that he was deprived of the opportunity by Balkrushna, now was his chance to take action. He stopped Vasudevrao who was running after Rand who was in the 2nd and he jumped into the coach. He drew aside the curtains and emptied his revolver into Rand’s head from the back. Damodarpant got off the horse-carriage very happy for having accomplished his mission. None of the incidents was noticed by either of the coachmen.
Boundless sacrifice !
After a few months, Damodarpant and Balkrushna were caught due to the betrayal of the Dravid brothers. They were prosecuted and Damodarpant was hanged on 18th April 1898 whereas Balkrushna on 12th May 1899. The story of Chapekar brothers does not end here. Vasudevpant, the youngest brother was enraged to learn about the betrayal of the Dravid brothers. He killed the Dravid brothers with the help of his friend Mahadev Ranade and hanged himself on 8th May 1899. Damodarpant was only 27 years old when he killed Rand, Balkrushna was 24 years and the youngest Vasudevpant was just 18. The sacrifice and bravery of these young men, only in their early twenties, makes one feel proud even today. This is the only instance of heroic sacrifice in the whole world, made by 3 brothers for the welfare of their country.The Chapekar brothers were from Chinchwad near Pune. Their father Haripant was a "Kirtankar" who preaches about religion his sermon mixed with mythological stories. The "Kirtan" are held in temples. Kirtankar receives whatever the audience pays him - usually very paltry sum which will hardly meet daily needs. He used to frequent temples in Mumbai for 4 months ( Chaturmaas") during rainy season (June to September). Possibly due to financial difficulties Chaphekar brothers did not receive much formal education. They used to help their father in his "Kirtans". Damodar wanted to join Britsh army but was sent back because he was Brahmin. The British did not consider then Brahmin a martial race. The brothers were strong believer in Hindu religion and resented any attack on the religion or its practices and philosophy. They once beat a missionery for criticing Hindu religion and trying to convert Hindus to Christianity. Chapekars felt that a deliberate attempt was being made to humiliate their religion by the reformers at the instigation of the British government.
They organized an association for physical and military training which they called “the society for the removal of obstacles to the Hindu Religion”. Their activities took the form of attacking leading social reformers in the dark, putting tar on the Queen’s statue near the Esplanade in Bombay and burning the examination pandal. They became active members of the Ganapati melas the lustily sang songs praising Shivaji for “his daring deeds and exhorting the audience to risk their life on the battlefield in a national war to shed upon the earth the lifeblood of the enemies who destroyed their religion”.
About the end of 1896 plague assumed an epidemic form in Bombay presidency and the British mercantile community panicked lest it might reach the shores of the British isles and affect their commerce. The government of India was asked to pursue strong measures to stamp out the epidemic. A law was passed and special officers were appointed in plague-affected areas to fight the disease. Rand was posted to the city of Poona in February 1897 and lost no time in establishing a plague hospital and segregation or quarantine camps and starting a campaign to disinfect the affected localities.
British soldiers were used to implement the programme strictly. This caused no little harassment to the public when their houses were searched, their family worship-places desecrated, their household goods scattered or destroyed and their womenfolk very roughly handled. The plague officer Rand showed little deference for public opinion and his high-handed conduct came in for strong criticism from the local press. The "Kesari" and other papers asked the people not to suffer quietly the oppression of Rand’s rule. The Chapekars could not remain immune to the propagandas. In revenge they determined to kill Rand, the chief source of all the harassment.
They procured weapons and watched Rand’s movements for a few days. On 22 June 1897 there were celebrations at the Government House in Ganesh Khind on account of the Queen’s diamond jubilee. Fireworks were let off from the nearby hills which attracted large crowds from the city in which the Chapekars easily mingled. As Rand’s carriage came out of the Government House at midnight, Damodar jumped on the back seat and fired his gun at Rand at point-blank range.
The officer collapsed immediately, as also Lt. Ayerst who was in the carriage in front and who was fired upon by his brother Balkrishna. In October, the police, working on information received from one Dravid, arrested Damodar in Mumbai. By threat and cajoling they obtained his confession bringing out his part in the murder and put him on trial in February 1898. The sentence of death was confirmed by the High Court and Damodar died on the gallows on 18 April 1898.
On 29 July 1897 the Government of Bombay sent a report to the Secretary of State on the murder of their special officer on plague duty at Poona, Mr. Rand: “The most generally accepted theory so far is that Rand was selected as the target of the crime due to the desire for revenge for supposed wrongs inflicted in the course of plague operations at Poona”. But it did not fail to add that “with the motive was probably coupled a wish to create a startling political sensation in harmony with the aims of the chief political agitators.
It was inspired by the peculiarly violent writing of the Poona papers regarding plague administration; others see in the choice of time and place a political plot emanating from a section of the Poona Brahmins who have for some years past set themselves to embarrass the Government and are believed to have been engaged in exciting disaffection throughout the Presidency”. As suspected by the Government, the motive for the act was a mixed one. The Chapekar brothers had nothing personal against the plague officer; to them he was the embodiment of foreign rule that was trampling under heel some of the cherished beliefs and customs of the Indian people, and he had to go.
Balkrishna had escaped to Nizam’s territory and had received safe haven
arranged by Tilak. Unforuntely, concerned about safty of his family he returned
to Pune and was arrested. He made a voluntary confession, was found guilty and
was hanged on 12 May 1899. In the meantime the third brother Vasudeo learnt of
the treachery of Ganesh Shankar Dravid. He went to Dravid's residence near the
"Khunya Murlidhar" temple in Sadashiv Peth with his friends Mahadev
Vinayak Ranade and Khando Vishnu Sathe and gunned him down in the evening of 9
February 1899. After a short trial Vasudeo and Mahadev Ranade were sentenced to
death and were hanged on 8 May 1899. Khando Sathe, a juvenile, was sent to
prison with 10 year sentence.
All the three Chaphekar brothers felt they were dying for a lofty cause and showed no signs of fear or remorse when mounting the gallows. There is no case in history across the world where 3 brothers died for their country. They were all married. Only Vasudev left a girl behind him.
I pay my respect to the Chaphekar brothers for their sacrifice for the country.
No comments:
Post a Comment