Topic: Revolutionary Activities in Maharashtra

Question : Give an account of the revolution-ary movement in Maharashtra?

Answer :

Vasudeo Balwant Phadke was another great revolutionary. He was born on November 4, 1845, in Maharashtra. He was profoundly influenced by the two speeches of Ranade on the subject of ‘Swadeshi Trade’. He began to reflect on how to save his country from economic exploitation by Britain. He was hot with rage and hatred against the white masters who drew fat salaries at the expense of starving Indians. The grave famine that broke out in Poona in 1876 resulted in thousands of casualties. Instead of organising relief work, the Government imposed upon the people a heavier burden of taxes. In protest against the callous in-difference of the Government, Phadke resigned his job in the Finance Commissariat at Poona and undertook a tour of Maharashtra. He decided to organise the youth of Maharashtra to strike at the root of alien power in India. He began to awaken the nation by his speeches and writings. He also used to take out copies of his addresses and distribute them amongst the educated young men. He also raised a powerful organisation of Ramoshis and set about collecting arms and ammunition. He needed money and he soon realised that begging could not bring the required amount. He decided to extort it by loot and plunder. He plundered the rich, homes of moneylenders to get a part of their wealth for purchasing arms. In the seven districts of Maharashtra he created a terror for some time. Like Shivaji he made his home in the hills of Sahyadri ranges. The English officers were in mortal fear of him.

The Government became panicky. It announced a handsome reward for his arrest. In 1878, Phadke was arrested and his trial commence before the Sessions Court. So great was the terror of the police in those days that no pleader dared defend a revolutionary. Fortunately Sri Ganesh Vasudeo Joshi offered his services as Phadke’s defence counsel. Vasudeo was sentenced to life’s imprisonment.

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s Freedom-struggle in India and London

Vinayak Savarkar, the first champion of Hindu Nationhood in modern times, was born in 1823. His elder brother Ganesh was four years senior to him, while Narayan was five years younger then him. Vinayak was a .young boy when Chapekar was hanged. The thrilling episode of Chapekar’s samartyrdom impressed him so proudly that he swore before his family deity: “I will raise the banner of an armed revolution to achieve the freedom of my Motherland till I did - fighting the enemy. I will spare no breath in performing this sacred pledge”. In 1900 he started an association which was called ‘Mitra-Mela’. In 1904 he changed the name of his ‘Friends Club’ into-Abhinava Bharat.

The partition of Bengal in 1905 gave birth to the double movement of Swadeshi and boycott. The movement had the blessings of Sri Tilak. Savarkar, being an ardent admirer of Tilak, also staged a bonfire of English clothes in Poona. Bonfire of foreign goods in public places created a commotion in the country. The attention of the authorities was drawn to the activities of Savarkar who had played a leading role in conducting Swadeshi movement in Maharashtra. The Bombay University debarred him from taking university examination for one year. With the recommendation of Tilak, Savarkar secured, the Shivaji scholarship sponsored by Shyamji Verma and he proceeded to England for the study of law.

Savarkar and Lala Hardayal, the twin angels of revolution, created a spirited atmosphere in the Indian circles in England, and soon India House became a busy cell of revolutionary activity. The tunes of Vande Mataram began to resound in the city of London and annoy the British Government. By the end of 1906, Savarkar completed his book ‘Joseph Mazzini - Biography and Politics It was published in India and had a quick response.

In 1907, the British Government decided to celebrate the 50-th year of the suppression of uprising in 1857. As a protest against it Vir Savarkar planned to arrange a grand festival in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the First War of Independence on May 8, 1908, at India House, On this occasion he revealed the true nature of the great uprising of 1857 which hitherto was abused as a Sepoy Mutiny. He also wrote a book in this connection entitled “Indian war of Independence”. This book was originally written in Marathi and translated into English later on. When the British Government got the scent of this book, it made no delay in prescribing it. Abhinaava-Bharat, the organisation started by Savarkar in India, did admirable work in Europe. Lala Hardayal, Shyamji Verma, Savarkar and others went to France, Germany and Russia as the emissaries of India’s freedom. This organisation also published a paper “Vande Mataram” from Paris to air India’s demand for freedom.

While Vir Savarkar was enthusing Indian hearts in Europe, his elder brother Ganesh was doing the same in India. He wrote several poems exhalting the fire of patriotism. At the instigation of Sir Curzon Willie, Mr. Jackson, the Collector of Nasik, arrested Ganesh on the mere excuse of possessing, seditious poems, and spreading hatred against the British rule. For this petty and ungrounded suspicion Ganesh was sentenced to life imprisonment and transportation on June 8, 1908. When Savarkar received this news in London, he resolve to take revenge. The members of Abinava-Bhart took a unanimous decision-to murder Mr. Jackson and Curzon Willie. The young man who took up himself the dangerous task of killing Curzon Willie was Màdan Lal Dhingra.

Curzon Willie was the person who dictated the British policies concerning India. He had also laid a ring of spies round, the India House to watch the activities of Indian students. He had a hand in the deportation of Ganesh Savarkar. So at the instance of Savarkar, Sir Curzon Willie was shot dead on July 1, 1909, by Madan Lal Dhingra. Dhingra was presented before the court on July 2, 1909 and was sentenced to death and hanged on August 16, 1909.

Neo-Nationalism in Punjab

The neo-nationalist mobilization in the Punjab grew out of problems created by the frequent famines, increase in the burden caused by land revenues and taxes imposed on irrigation. Bharat Mata Society was found in 1904 by J.M. Chaterji in Saharanpur. Other leaders- Lala Hardayal, Ajit Singh, Amba Prasad, Lala Lajpat Rai. Further impetus was given when Ghadar Party’ was established in USA with Punjab becoming its hub February 21, 1915 was infact fixed as the date for an armed revolt by the Ghadarites in the Punjab. But the Government came to know about the plot and many of the Ghadarites were detained while traveling back to India.

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