In 1897, Poona reeled under a brutal bubonic plague and even harsher British repression. To control the outbreak, British officials led by Collector Walter Rand enforced draconian measures – homes were raided, women harassed, and dignity trampled. While most of society watched in helpless silence, the Chapekar brothers – Damodar, Balakrishna, and Vasudev – chose resistance. On 22 June 1897, during Queen Victoria’s Jubilee, they assassinated Rand and his aide Lt. Ayerst, shaking the colonial regime to its core.
This act of defiance was not just retaliation – it was symbolic. Inspired by a fiery blend of nationalism and cultural pride, the Chapekars believed true homage to heroes like Shivaji lay not in pompous celebrations, but in armed resistance. Disillusioned by political moderation, Congress speeches, and distorted English education – which Damodar blamed for India’s moral decay – the brothers formed the Rashtra Hitecchu Mandali, a secret society of revolutionaries committed to violent struggle.
Raised in a household of kirtankars, the brothers were steeped in Hindu traditions and fiercely opposed to colonial interference in religious life. British favoritism towards Muslims and suppression of Hindu customs enraged them, especially past actions by Rand. Their exclusion from military service, despite repeated attempts, deepened their resentment.
Though Damodar was hanged in 1898 and his brothers soon after, their legacy endured. Their bravery inspired a generation, including a young Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, who saw in them not mere martyrs, but catalysts of a new, assertive nationalism. The Chapekars had lit a spark – and India would never be the same again.
Sources:
GODBOLE, Vasudev Shankar. 2004. Rationalism of Veer Savarkar. Itihas Patrika Prashan: Thane/Mumbai.
KEER, Dhananjay. 1988. Veer Savarkar. Third Edition. (Second Edition: 1966). Popular Prakashan: Bombay (Mumbai).
SAMPATH, Vikram. 2019. Savarkar (Part 1). Echoes from a forgotten past. 1883-1924. Penguin Random House India: Gurgaon.
SAVARKAR, Vinayak Damodar. 1993. Inside the enemy camp. Veer Savarkar Prakashan: Mumbai.
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