Chapekar Brothers: Guiding Lights

Introduction

Hindu Dharma has a glorious past of great Saints and Sages. Several Saints ascended to the state of Guru and showed the path of God realisation to many. They also taught spirituality to the society through their conduct and actions. Their mission was not just limited to spirituality but they also did substantial work for the defence of nation whenever it was in difficulties. Some of the Saints travelled all over the world and disseminated the spiritual knowledge of Bharat there without any personal expectations. Millions of people abroad are getting benefit of that. For last lakhs of years, the Sages took tremendous efforts to preserve the Vedic Knowledge which is the pride of Bharat. They also created many subjects connected with the human life and made it easy. The most important thing however is that the Saints of Bharat have donated the world the tradition of Guru-disciple.

The current scene however is different. The cricketers, movie heroes and heroines have become the ideals of Hindus. Also the two vices of selfishness and narrow mindedness have become dominant in Hindus which is causing lot of harm to Hindu society. Under such circumstances it has become essential to study and follow the life of Saints who have imparted the teaching of sacrifice, love. devotion to righteousness, devotion to nation, helping the society and kashtradharma (duty of a warrior). We are hereby publishing the matter related to them so that people should come to know about such great Saints. We pray at the feet of God that let Hindus get the inspiration to study and follow their biography and teachings.

Chapekar Brothers (1870 - 1899)

The Chapekars were Chitpavan Brahmins from Konkan. The family came to Chinchawad near Pune where the three brothers, Damodar, Balkrishna and Vasudeo, were born in 1870, 1873 and 1879 respectively. The brothers did not receive much formal education, they learnt reading and writing and began helping their father in his Kirtans as they grew. 

As the Chapekars grew, Pune became the storm centre of several controversies over the Age of Consent Bill, the Sharadashram of Pandita Ramabai, a Christian convert, and the Hindu-Muslim riots. The Kesari and other local papers were champaigning the cause of orthodoxy, and in this atmosphere the Chapekars began to feel that a deliberate attempt was being made to humiliate their religion by the reformers and Muslims, at the instigation of the British Government. They felt they had to do something for their faith. They organised an association for physical and military training, which they called "the society for the removal of obstacles to the Hindu Religion". 

They became active members of the Ganapati melas that 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 the plague assumed an epidemic form in the Bombay Presidency. 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. Mr. Rand was posted to the city of Pune in February 1897 and lost no time in starting a campaign to disinfect the affected localities. British soldiers used to implement the programme strictly. 

This caused immense 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 propaganda. 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 22nd June 1897 there were celebrations at the Government House in Ganesh Khind on account of the Queen's diamond jubilee. 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 whom Damodar's brother Balkrishna fired upon. In October, the police, working on information received from one Dravid, arrested Damodar in Bombay. They put him on trial in February 1898. The sentence of death was confirmed by the High Court and Damodar died on the gallows on 18th April 1898. Balkrishna was traced later and found guilty and was hanged on 12th May 1899.

In the meanwhile the third brother Vasudeo came to know of the treachery of Dravid and gunned him in the evening of 9th February 1899. After a short trial he was sentenced to death and was hanged on 8th May. All the three brothers felt they were dying for a lofty cause and showed no signs of fear or remorse when mounting the gallows. 18th April is Damodar Chapekar Balidan day.

We pay obeisance to these invaluable sons of Bharat.