10 Surveying the landscape

THE SHIVAJI CELEBRATION

Just at this time, the first occasion on which the anniversary of Shivaji’s birth was to be celebrated with festivities approached. My brother and myself do not at all like this festival. Such undertakings as involved a great deal of talk highly exasperated us. Besides, some features of the festival held in honour of Shivaji are so extravagant that he himself would not have liked them. In the first place, he would not at all have approved of the custom of celebrating the anniversary of his birth as it was tentamount to placing him on en equal footing with God. For though he was a most ambitious man, and this was natural, since he who would expose his life to such dangers would do so only for glory, he would not have insisted on being worshipped like God.

Even his preceptor, Shri Samarth Ramdas, was not considered worthy of being ranked with God. How could then Shivaji, his disciple, at once attain such rank ? No jayanti is celebrated in honour of Ramdas. Only his punyatith is celebrated. A jayanti is celebrated only in commemoration of the incarnation assumed by God at various times. It cannot be celebrated in connection with any other event. If the custom of celebrating jayantis of men be once introduced, any one will be able to celebrate a jayanti in honour of any one he likes. It will be possible to celebrate a jayanti in honour of even Tilak and Agarkar.

We, therefore, do not at all like that these wiseacres should, by holding a festival in honour of Shivaji, raise him to the rank of God. The first of such festivals was celebrated- in Natus’ Garden in Sadashiv Peth. We attended the festivities, but were much grieved to see the childishness of our people. We could not endure that all people, old and young, should behave in a puerile manner instead of taking such a lesson from Shivaji’s life as they ought to have. My brother, therefore, composed two shloks, which are excellent. We learnt them by heart at the opportune moment and recited them at a meeting at which a vehement discussion took place between Jinsiwale and the reformer Bhau. These shloks also referred to loqacious men like Jinsiwale and Bhau.

The shloks recited at the gathering held in honour of Shivaji are as follows :— “No one has ever heard of the lofty trees of lip-bravery bearing good fruit; kissing a woman’s lips in a dream never produced offspring; you may speak, but do not thunder like clouds which give no showers;
a woman’s counsel, being unaccompanied by prowess, is ridiculed by the world;
merely reciting Shivaji’s story like a bard does not secure— independence ;
it is necessary to be prompt in engaging in desperate enter prises like Shivaji and Baji ;
knowing this you goad people take up swords and shields at all events now. Rap your upper arms (like wrestlers) and we shall cutof countless heads of enemies.”

On reading the above shloks some one may ask. " You find fault with others, but what have you yourselves done ? " Many persons privately asked us the above question. Considering that if we were asked it in a full assembly it would be incumbent upon us to make our vow known to the public, my brother composed the following shlok anent our vow :— " Listen. We shall risk our lives on the battle-field in a national war. Do not look upon our utterances in the presence of many people as a mere farce. We shall assuredly shed upon the earth the life-blood of the enemies who destroy (our) religion. We shall die after killing only. While you yourselves will hear the story like women ? "

RECITATIONS IN GANAPATI FESTIVAL

The recitation of the above shloks during the Shivaji festival was followed by loud cheers (a). After this I also composed some shloks intended to be recited during the Ganpati festival at Bombay. I have already stated that after our hopes of getting enlisted in some regiment where completely destroyed, we became implacable enemies of the English.+++(4)+++ The drift of all our shloks will be found to be simply this : “Do not talk that idly, (but) do something.”

In the Ganpati festival we two brothers put on masculine attire and accompanied our recitations with such gestures as were calculated to properly impress the drift of our shloks upon the minds of the assembled people. The shloks referred to are as follows :—

" Fools, what is the use of your being men ? Of what use are your big moustaches ?
Alas. You are not ashamed to remain in servitude; try, therefore, to commit suicide.
Alas. Like butchers the wicked in their monstrous atrocity kill calves and kine. Free her (the cow) from her trouble, die (but) kill the English.
Do not remain idle and (thereby) burden the earth. This is called Hindustan (land of the Hindus).
How is it that the English rule here ? It is a great shame. Do not forget (your) name. Dearly cherish patriotism in your minds) Rise, rap your upper arms, encounter (the enemies). May you succeed in slaughtering the wicked. How valiant were our forefathers on the battlefield. They died after winning glory in the defence of their country. We who have sprung from them are like Saturn whom the Sun has produced. We are not ashamed though our kingdom has been wrested (from us)."

MY ESTIMATE OF TILAK AND KHARE

Whenever we recited the above shloks we were cheered. Some people warned us that though what we recited was true, we should be cautious as there were detective policemen among the assembled people. Though we recited the above shloks only at four or five places in Bombay, that was sufficient to make us the subject of popular talk for a long time(b). We then returned to Poona. One day I went alone to the Anandodbhava Theatre to hear a lecture annually delivered there. Tilak graced the presidential chair.

Seeing Daji Abaji Khare rise to deliver a speech about Shivaji, the cow protector, I flew into a rage. I consider it a disgrace that a vile cow-eater, who ate beef in company with Muhammadans, should deliver a speech about Shivaji the cow-protector, and that the audience should quietly listen to him. Accordingly I said to some mischief-makers who were sure to reduce a new speaker to a miserable plight : " Friends, mischief-making is reprehensible. But if you indulge in it on an exceptional occasion like the present one, it would reflect credit on the Hindu community to which you belong." Though I made the above request in various ways, none of the blockheads would accede to it.

Thereupon I resolved to insult Khare, whom I considered to be a disgrace to our religion, by reciting a shlok which I had composed about him. Accordingly, I approached the speaker’s platform, where sat the leading reformers and non-reformers. Some one having told me that if I intended to speak I should first obtain the manager’s permission to do so, I requested the manager, by name Mande, to grant it. He, however, refused it. Caring little or his refusal, I advanced with the intention of reciting the shlok. A serious altercation then took place between the manager and myself, and at last some Brahmin wrestler was sent to drive me out. Readers, I had till then neither put up with the slightest insult nor gone to any place where I did not expect to be treated with consideration. I, therefore, leave it to you to imagine how intolerable must have been this insult offered in full assembly to me, who am so jealous of my honour.

I was so greatly incensed that I longed to make the educated brutes at once feel what dishonour is and at the same time to let them know how men of honour act. These professors of law have a notion that every case is to disposed of by a court of justice. They do not know for whom laws are made. I wished to make these modern scholars knew that he who can secured all his rights by the strength of his arm has no occasion to resort to a court of justice. I wished to deal the wrestler, who had come to seize me by the arm and drive me out, a blow on the head with the stick in my hand so as to let him understand that his artful twists would not prove serviceable to him on every occasion, and then to punish Tilak, the president of the meeting, who had sent him (to drive me out).

Many of my readers will, on reading this, feel indignant and say that I am not a patriot but an enemy of my country. Poor fellows. Let them say it. I know that many people have a good opinion of Tilak, but they must be devoid of reason. In my opinion, according to the saying, " Alas (he is) neither a Hindu nor a Yavan. " Tilak is neither a thorough reformer nor is he thoroughly orthodox. For if we were to credit him with devotion to his own religion, (we must remember that) he is a member of the association for the removal of obstacles in the way of widow-remarriage. This sanctimonious individual is the dear friend of the beef-eater Daji Abaji Khare (donkey), to whose house he-goes occasionally and with whom he takes meals without any hesitation. This worthy individual was ashamed to undergo expiration for eating biscuits, but was not ashamed to take tea. Had he consented to have his moustache shaved off in deference to popular opinion, would forty generations (of his ancestors) have been consigned to hell ?

He tried to place himself on a footing of equality with the authors of the Smritis by introducing certain innovations in the marriage ritual. I do not think that any one had ever seen him performing such pious acts as hearing a kirtan or puran or visiting a temple. He did many other similar acts which would be disgraceful to any man calling himself religious. I have mentioned (only) some of them. Owing to these acts we have no good opinion of him.

We, however, consider him to be a far better man than a reformer. Latterly, he had adapted his manners to the opinions of his community and this had considerably checked his irregular conduct. We hoped that after some time he would be much improved.

I DECIDE NEVER TO ATTEND ANY PUBLIC MEETING

In short, we Chapekars are the slaves of those who are sincerely devoted to their religion, but the implacable enemies of those who are not so. Besides, it was natural that an insult offered in a full assembly to a haughty man like myself, without any consideration of my worth, should incense me. When the above thought occured to me, I closed my eyes for a little while and questioned God who resides in my heart, “Oh God, how should I act in my present condition ?” He inspired me as follows : " You, who are desirous of cleaving your enemies ’ hearts, have become ready to strike men of your own caste. (But) take heed. You will not succeed in this. It was through ignorance that they insulted you. They do not know you."

On learning the will of God to the above effect, I at once left the meeting before the wrestler could seize my hand. I was much dejected for the next two or four days. After my brother and myself had held a consultation, we vowed never to go from that day to any meeting held in connection with any question of public interest. This vow proved of great use to us. As we were not seen taking part in any wild scheme affecting the public we ceased to be reckoned among the well-wishers of the country- a result which was very beneficial to us.

MY POEMS ATTACHED BY POLICE

Afterwards, according to our practice every year, we went to Bombay for spending the four monsoon months there. As we were often badly in want of money, it occurred to me, after some consideration of the matter, that I might offer for sale a book designed for the use of the Ganpati melas of that year. Accordingly, I composed one such book and took it to the Suvarna Printing Press for being printed. As might have been expected from our temperament, the tone of the book was rather severe. Before it was printed the proprietor of the Press altered it in some places. As it attracted the notice of the Bombay Police, they attached all the copies of the book found in the Suvarna Printing Press and ordered me to be present in the Police (Commissioner’s) Office the next day. Some copies of the (said) book had (already) been sold.

In the evening a detective policeman came to my residence in Vithalvadi under the pretext of buying (some) books, (but really) to ascertain whether I had got any more copies of it. But in accordance with the saying " Set a thief to catch a thief" we recognised him and prevented him from obtaining any material information. Next day I had to appear before Vincent in the Police office. As the Police are discourteous, I, in order to avoid being insulted by them, most humbly prayed to God to preserve my honour, and then went with the proprietor of the said press (to the Police Commissioner’s Office). The Police directly took us before Vincent. Inspector Roshan Ali and Jamadar Lakshman, of the Dectective Police, were present there.

The proprietor of the said press was first examined and Mr. Vincent made many cutting remarks about him. Hearing this, I became apprehensive that he might abuse me in the same manner and that a serious altercation might take place between us. But I am very glad to state that owing to the miraculous power of God, he questioned me very calmly and with a smiling face As I answered his questions with much adroitness he was pleased with me, and told me that my books had been temporarily attached and that I might take them back after the Ganpati festival was over. This gave me much relief. This case taught us the lesson that we should never do anything likely to attract the notice of the Police. I had sent another poem (to the press) for being printed,but in view of the fate of my first book I revoked the the order for printing it.

WE BEAT PROF. VELANKAR FOR HIS CONVERSION

We then became anxious as to what we should do in order to acquire greater boldness, when we heard that only recently an educated Hindu, who had risen to a professorship, had, as it was to be expected from his antecedents, become an apostate and embraced Christianity. Considering him to be a proper person on whom we might inflict punishment, we began to make inquiries about him. We first inquired at the Wilson College where his bungalow was and afterwards saw it in person. On considering how we might accomplish our object, we two brothers came to the conclusion that at first one of us should see the professor and express his desire of being initiated into the Christian religion, and by visiting him for one or two days more obtain information about his mode of life, his family, (the time of) his going out and returning, and other more or less useful particulars, and that further arrangements should be made afterwards. After careful consideration we decided that our dear friend, Bhuskute who knew English well enough for practical purposes, should see the professor and express a desire as stated above. Accordingly, we gave him elaborate instructions as to how he was to act and sent him there.

After his entrance into the bungalow we used to wait somewhere on the outside. After learning on his return what had occurred at the interview, we used to tutor him for the next day’s visit. He had assumed the name of Kirtane. He discovered from the expression of Velankar’s face that the latter was greatly delighted to hear of Bhuskute’s intention of embracing Christianity. Bhuskute must have seen Velankar only three or four times. It was then decided (by us) that Bhuskute should tell Velankar that as one of his friends had expressed a desire to embrace Christinity he would introduce him to Valenkar, that my brother should accompany Bhiskute and that he should strike Velankar on the same day. Bhiskute acted in accordance with the above plan, and my brother, Balwantrao, went with him. We two always used to carry our offensive weapons concealed about our persons. They two went into Velankar’s bungalow and I stood on the outside. As my brother found no favourable opportunity he abandoned his design of striking (Velankar) on that day. A long discussion about the Christian religion took place between them and Velankar on that day. My brother told (Velankar) that his (sur) name was Sathe. We now feel deep regret for the serious mistake committed by my brother in assuming the above name. Had he assumed any other name instead of the above one, the present calamity would perhaps have not befallen us.

When my brother went to see Velankar, the latter had left the bungalow which he had rented and was living in one which he himself had built. In this manner even my brother paid two or three fruitless visits to Velankar. He treated them with much more respect than they deserved and manifested great affection for them. The cause of all this was that the rascally missionary, believing that Bhuskute and my brother intended to embrace Christianity tried all means of pleasing them. He always used to tell them " my friend Dr. Mackichan was greatly delighted to hear of your intention of embracing Christianity and he is very eager to see you. We shall, therefore, once go to see him." My brother, however, wishing to execute his design without letting his own face be seen by Velankar’s friends, used to put off his compliance with the said proposal by promising to go (to Dr. Mackichan) on some future day.

As the matter was thus progressing we fixed a day, viz., Gokul Ashtami, for executing our design without failure. On that day we were to make Velankar undergo a slight expiation for his act (of becoming a convert). He had given us two books for reading, viz., copies of " An Indian Youth" and the New Testament. It was decided that the third man (i.e. myself) should also go to Velankar’s house on the Gokul Ashtami day. It was settled that I should pretend to be Sathe’s brother-in-law and to have come (to Bombay) to make inquiries about him in consequence of a rumour of his intended conversion. He (Bhuskute) had already told Velankar that Sathe used to live at Bandra. Two days before the date fixed Bhuskute told Velankar that Sathe’s brother-in-law by name Bhide (i.e. myself), had come to take him away, that Sathe would bring him with himself two days after by the 10 p.m. train and that the three persons would come to his (Velankar’s) house at about 11 o’clock on that night; and he, therefore, requested him not to retire till that time. When that auspicious day came we devoutly prayed to God as follows :
Oh God, this day thou didst become incarnate as Krishna in order to destroy the wicked, and didst slay Kamsa and Chanur. As thou hatest the wicked very much, do thou give success to us who too have girded up our lions to destroy the wicked."

Having offered this prayer, we started from our residence at about half past 8 and went to the Grant Road Station, where we anxiously waited for the desired opportunity. When it was just close upon half past 10 we uttered God’s name and went to Velankar’s house. He was talking with some one on the upper story. Being informed of our arrival, he after some time came downstairs with a candle-light and entered a shed outside his bungalow. There we three entered into conversation with him. Being introduced to him, I said, " My friend Sathe having left his family has been living here for many days. I hear that he has now some improper idea in his head. As he has full confidence in you, you should, by giving him proper advice, induce him to go back to and live with his family."’ Hearing this Velankar said, " Mr. Bhide, what you say is true. But every man is independent in the matter of religion and it is a great sin to throw obstacles in his way. In my case also, when my intended conversion became known to all, all my relatives, friends and acquaintances advised me in many ways (to give up my intention). I, however, without earring for their advice carried out my intention. You should not, therefore, make me act sinfully in this matter." At this I pretended to be silenced.

We then talked upon other subjects, and at last upon the story of Krishna. When Velankar, who had disgraced his family, began to find fault with the eternal Krishna, we could not put up with it, and Sathe struck a very severe blow with his steel-bound stick on Velankar’s head and a moderately sever one on the back. We then returned home and expressed our gratitude to God.

WE CHEATED THE POLICE

On the next day news of the above occurence spread in all parts of Bombay, and all Hindus and Muhammandans appeared to be greatly rejoiced at it. The Police also began to make very searching inquiries. At 2 p.m., on the next day, a European constable with one or two (Police) peons came to Kamat Company’s chawl in which we lived, to enquire about Kirtane and Sathe. They asked the inmates of every room whether two men by name Sathe and Kirtane respectively were living there. On our telling them that neither of them lived there, they went away. Apprehending that the two books in our possession (which we had received from Velankar) might serve as evidence (against us) we burnt them. The Times (of India), the Bombay Gazette and the other English and Marathi newspapers then began to write about this Velankar affair with vehemence. In these articles the Police were blamed for their inability to detect such a (serious) offence. Thereupon the Police feeling rather ashamed began to arrest persons indiscriminately, take them to Velankar for identification, and release them on his failing to identify them.

Apprehensive of falling into the clutches of the Police, we determined to piay a very clever trick on them in order to mislead them. We had already told him (Velankar) that all of as were inhabitants of Kolhapur. We now wrote in the Balbodh character a letter to the following effect in the style of an illiterate man :— " You abandoned your own religion and became a convert to another and thereby disgraced the Maratha Community to which we belong. We, therefore, inflicted a light punishment upon you and left for Kolhapur."

In order to convince him (of the truth of the above statements) allusions were made in that latter to the books (given to us by him) and to certain incidents in our conversation with him. We caused Bhuskute to post it at Poona. We addressed it from Kothrud in order to make Velankar believe that we had started for Kolhapur on foot.

When it reached him he showed it to the Police and said, " Do not make any more fruitless inquiries or bring any more men to me for identification. I am certain that they have gone to Kolhapur.". As soon as the Police heard this, they relaxed their efforts to our satisfaction. The English papers, however, continued to discuss the matter now and then. Hearing that Dr. Mackichan was more exasperated than any other person, we also found out and marked his bungalow. A few days afterwards, the bubonic plague now prevailing in the country broke out in Bombay.