Vasudeo Balwant Phadke
(4th November, 1845 - 17th February, 1883)
We all have learnt history in our school, but how many of us know about Vasudeo Balwant Phadke? Vasudeo Balwant Phadke, the father of armed revolution in India! A man with a lion's heart! He rose against the British Raj and even took control of the city of Pune for few days even with his limited resources. Read on and know this great son of India and the history of our nation which is hardly taught in the schools and colleges nowadays!
Birth and Early Years
Vasudeo Balwant Phadke was born on 4th November, 1845 in Shirdhon village in Panvel, Maharashtra in a Marathi Brahmin family. Vasudev was highly devoted to his mother from childhood. Vasudev preferred learning skills like wrestling and horse riding over his school education and eventually dropped out of school. Eventually he moved to Pune and took the job as a clerk with military accounts department in Pune for 15 years. Krantiveer Lahuji Vastad Salve a then prominent social figure based in Pune was the mentor of Vasudev. Lahuji Salve, an expert wrestler operated a gymnasium. Lahuji preached the importance of independence from British Raj. Lahuji belonged to the Mang community, an untouchable community, taught Vasudev the importance of getting backward castes into mainstream freedom movement. It was during this period that Vasudev began attending lectures by Mahadeo Govind Ranade which mainly focused on how the British Raj policies hurt the Indian economy. Vasudev was deeply hurt by how this was leading to widespread suffering in the society. In 1870, he joined a public agitation in Pune that was aimed at addressing people's grievances. He also took a vow to use only Khadi clothes and Swadeshi articles. Vasudev founded an institution called the Aikya Vardhini Sabha, for ventilating the first school of national education in Pune to educate the youth. While working as clerk, Vasudev was not able to see his dying mother due to the delay in approval of his leave by his British superior officer. His anger and grief knew no bounds and this incident enraged Vasudev and happened to be the turning point in his life.
Revolt with the help of the Ramoshis
In 1875, after the then Gaikwad ruler of Baroda was deposed by the British, Phadke launched protest speeches against the government. This was also the period of a sever famine in the state. Vasudeo was greatly affected by the scenes of death and devastation and the callousness of the British rulers to the woes of the people. Severe famine coupled with the evident apathy of the British administration propelled him to tour the Deccan region, urging people to strive for a free republic. Echoing the words of Thoreau, he thundered that it was the right of all men to refuse allegiance to and to resist the government when its tyranny or inefficiency was great and unendurable. He told his countrymen that Swaraj was the only remedy for their ills and asked them to strive for their independence. Unable to get support from the educated classes, he gathered a band of people from the Ramoshi caste. People from the Kolis, Bhils and Dhangars were also included later. He taught himself to shoot, ride and fence. He organised around 300 men into an insurgent group that aimed at liberating India from British rule. Vasudev intended to build an army of own but lacking funds they decided to break into government treasuries. The first raid was done in a village called Dhamari in Shirur taluka in Pune district. The income tax which was collected for British Raj was kept in the house of local business man Mr. Balchand Fojmal Sankla. They attacked the house and took the money for the benefit of famine stricken villagers. There they collected about four hundred rupees but this led to his being branded as a dacoit. To save himself Vasudev had to flee from village to village, sheltered by his sympathisers and well-wishers, mostly the lower class of the society. Impressed by his zeal and determination, the villagers of Nanagaum offered him protection and cover in the local forest. The general plot would be to cut off all the communications of British forces and then raid the treasury. The main purpose of these raids was to feed famine-affected farmer communities. Vasudev performed many such raids in areas near Shirur and Khed talukas in Pune.
Meanwhile, the leader of Ramoshi Daulatrav naik who was the main supporter of vasudev, headed towards western coastal area - konkan . On the date 10, 11 May 1879, they raided Palaspe and Chikhali. They looted near about 1.5 lakh rupees. While returning towards ghat matha Major Daniel organised attack on Daulatrav naik. During this attack Daulatrav naik was shot dead. Daulatrav naik's death gave a big setback to Vasudev's revolt against the British raj. Due to the death of Daulatrav naik, Vasudev lost the support. That's why he decided to move to south, and headed for Shri Shaila Mallikarjun shrine. After overcoming the moral defeat, Vasudev again recruited about 500 Rohilas to form strong army to start a fresh fight against the British Raj.
Capture and Death
Vasudev's plans to organize several simultaneous attacks against the British Raj nationwide were met with very limited success. He once had a direct engagement with the British army in the village of Ghanur, whereafter the government offered a bounty for his capture. Not to be outdone, Phadke in turned offered a bounty for the capture of the Governor of Bombay, announced a reward for the killing of each European, and issued other threats to the government. He then fled to Hyderabad State to recruit Rohilla and Arabs into his organisation. A British Major, Henry William Daniell and Abdul Haque, Police Commissioner to the Nizam of Hyderabad, pursued the fleeing Vasudev day and night. The British move to offer a bounty for his capture met with success: someone betrayed Phadke, and he was captured in a temple after a fierce fight at the district of Kaladgi on 20 July 1879 while he was on his way to Pandharpur. From here he was taken to Pune for trial. Vasudev and his comrades were housed in the district session court jail building, near Sangam bridge, which now happens to be the state C.I.D. building. His own diary provided evidence to have him sentenced for life. Vasudev was transported to jail at Aden, but escaped from the prison by taking the door off from its hinges on 13 February 1883. But his escape was too short lived: he was recaptured and put back in prison. Vasudev then went on a hunger strike to death. On 17 February 1883 Vasudev breathed his last breath as a result of his protest hunger strike.
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Remember this hero who fought for independence of our country with limited resources and limited support. Let us honour his memory. Let everyone know that such a brave freedom fighter existed and fought valiantly for Swaraj!
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