“Hindustanla vanvla lagla, janho khadi wapra” referring to Hindustan is ablaze,people,use khadi echoed during morning processions called Prabhat Pheris held by Congress. Both men and Women volunteered for these processions. Like other places , Pune also was a steaming crucible of juxtaposing ideologies and was an integral part of the independence struggle. Congress party spearheaded by Mahatma Gandhi, Barrister Savarkar’s Hindu Mahasabha ,Royists driven by M.N Roy’s philosophy , Rashtriya Seva Dal , Rashtriya Syamasevak Sangh were on the move. This crucial chapter of Pune’s history has been penned by Vinayak Narayan Natu in his book “Adich Pune Guljar”.
Quit India Movement and Pune
He further writes that amid the 1942 Quit India Movement, some foreboding incidents occurred in Pune. The movement which was originally meant to be peaceful and non-violent , transformed increasingly violent. Attacks on government offices and arson became a daily routine.As the situation was out of hand, the foreign government deployed a tank to Appa Balwant Chowk in Budhwar Peth and started firing at the turbulent protesters using machine guns. One of the bullets hit an electric pole in the chowk , reverted and accidentally pierced the chest of a woman named Madhurabai ( maternal name - Phadke), who was watching the commotion from the balcony of Dixit’s Wada. She collapsed and died on the spot , leaving behind a 1\2 yrs old child . Despite the harsh suppression of the political uprising , the foreign government granted a monthly pension of 25 rupees to its guardians until he reached adulthood. Incendiarism at police stations and post offices persisted . Adding to this , bomb explosions took place at the CapitoL ( Victory ) and West End cinemas in the Camp area , causing great unrest in Pune. One of the accused, Karnik, committed suicide by consuming cyanide.
“The 1942 movement was destined to leave a ripple effect on college and school schedules. Bulletins printed covertly on postcard-sized paper would sometimes be supplied to the school. In universities and colleges, strikes became regular, recurring around once a month”, he stated . “There were moments when stones were flung from outside the building, fragmenting the windows while classes were ongoing . Under these kinds of scenarios, classes would continue forward even with the main gate and classroom windows shut. This did not imply that the administrators of the institution condemned the movement; rather, they felt it was more pragmatic to take a neutral stance. Although schools did not oppose strikes, they also did not support them or punish students who skipped class as a result of a strike”, he additionally wrote.
Political Turnings
In Congress, the majority of members were from the Bahujan Samaj, with few exceptions. Similarly, in Pune, the Hindu Mahasabha had a larger fraction of Brahmins among its activists. Leaders like L.B. Bhopatkar, Mamarav Date, V.B. Gogate, Mahajan, and L.G. Sahasrabuddhe were accompanied by G.M. Nalavade from the Bahujan community, who actively indulged in the Mahasabha's activities.Nalawade became the Mayor of Pune Municipal Corporation. “ The influence of the Hindu Mahasabha was mostly limited to the Sadashiv, Narayan, and Shaniwar Peth areas, and their candidates usually lost in municipal elections. I vaguely remember the election where Subhadrabai Tarkunde of Congress contested against Yashodabai Bhopatkar of the Hindu Mahasabha. I recall the use of horse-drawn carriages to transport voters from their homes to the polling stations”, he adds.
He also stated that Without Tatya Rao Savarkar, the meetings of the Hindu Mahasabha lacked energy. Savarkar's lecture spots were Shaniwarwada or S.P. College ground. A huge crowd, Savarkar’s eloquence was an experience in itself. During Tilak's era, according to Bhalkar Bhopatkar, a day in Pune was considered joyful with a Shrikhand Puri in morning, Lokmanya's speech in evening, and Balgandharva’s play at night. The same was true for Savarkar. I remember celebrating his sixty-first birthday at S.P. College ground under the chairmanship of N.B. Kelkar. Before Savarkar's speech, the song 'Akhil Hindu Vijay Dhwaj To, Ubhavu Ya Puna' would be sung. After the speech, Pandit Vinayakrao Patwardhan would sing the entire Vande Mataram in the raga of Kafi. “Following Savarkar's ideology, the Hindutva adherents of that era replaced the traditional kunchi (silk cloth) with a saffron flag on Gudi during Gudi Padwa.” he added.
Magnetic pull of Subash Chandra Bose
Many Marathi youths at the time were attracted to the leadership of Subhash Chandra Bose and became involved in his political activities in various ways. Many historical references related to this still need to come to light.In recent years, much has been uncovered regarding the relationship between Subhash Chandra Bose and Savarkar. A historic photo of their meeting was viral in mainstream media and social media. It has also been concluded through research that Savarkar inspired Subhash Chandra Bose in the formation of the Azad Hind Fauj. Bose first came to Maharashtra for a public event in 1927. At the time, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhash Bose were the General Secretaries of the All India Congress Committee, and Bose was working in Congress led by Babu Chittaranjan Das. At this point of time, Laxman Balwant Bhopatkar was the President of the Provincial Congress in Maharashtra, and Shivram Mahadev Paranjpe, Savarkar's political mentor, was also involved in Congress. Both these leaders organised the Maharashtra Provincial Conference and made Subhash Bose its President. Bose attended the conference in Pune for two days, where representatives from all over Maharashtra and the Central Provinces gathered at the grand Tilak Smarak Mandir. During his visits to Pune, he used to stay at "Balwant Ashram," the heritage residence of Laxman Balwant Bhopatkar. Following this, Subhash Bose participated in events in Pune, Mumbai, Amravati, and Nagpur.
After leaving Congress in 1938 and forming the Forward Bloc, Subhash Bose toured Maharashtra. During this time, he visited Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur. Once again, in Pune, he stayed at "Balwant Ashram," the residence of Bhopatkar, and attended a one-day Forward Bloc session at the Tilak Smarak Mandir. Capturing his visit , V.Natu wrote “ I still remember when Subhash Chandra Bose left the Congress and came to Pune , he stayed at Balwant Ashram, the residence of Dharmaveer L.B., also known as Annasaheb Bhopatkar. To give a speech at Tilak Smarak Mandir, Bose, smiling and accepting greetings from the people, went in an open-roof car during a procession. After N.B. Khare left the Congress, he might have stopped wearing khadi clothes, as I saw him wearing a Puneri turban at Tilak Smarak Mandir.” During this tour, Subhash Bose had a secret meeting with Savarkar, followed by another meeting at a reception organized at Sardar Griha in Mumbai. A photo of this historic meeting is found in the biography of Jamnadas Mehta, the then Finance Minister of Mumbai Province. The Kesari Maratha organization had arranged a tea party at Sardar Griha in honor of both Subhash Bose and Savarkar. This event was attended by leaders like K.F. Nariman and others. On June 22, 1940, Subhash Bose visited Savarkar at his Mumbai residence, Savarkar Sadan, after meeting Barrister Mohammad Ali Jinnah at Jinnah House. Subhash Bose's connection with Maharashtra is not limited to Savarkar. It goes beyond that. In his writings, Subhash Bose frequently Addressed Lokmanya Tilak as "Bada Dada" (Big Brother). Bengal's Bipin Chandra Pal was "Chhote Dada" (Younger Brother). Bose was also related to Senapati Bapat, a follower of Savarkar. Senapati Bapat was, in fact, the President of the Maharashtra Provincial Committee of the Forward Bloc party. During Subhash Bose's stay in India, Senapati Bapat toured the Maharashtra province for the promotion of the Forward Bloc. As mentioned in Narayan Bhaskar Khare’s autobiography, Subhash Bose also had a close relationship with N.B Khare, the Prime Minister of the Central Provinces. Khare was the last important leader Bose met before he disappeared from his home and went underground.
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