June 22, 1897: The Chapekar Brothers Strike — A Militant Statement in Pune’s Plague Crisis

 Overview

In June 1896, Pun-and much of Indiawas gripped by the bubonic plague. The British colonial government appointed Walter Charles Rand as Plague Commissioner, backed by a massive force of over 800 soldiers. Their house-to-house inspections and forced removals - including stripping and examining women publicly sparked widespread outrage.

The severity of these actions triggered deep resentment among locals, who saw them not just as a violation of private dignity, but as cultural aggression.

The Chapekar Response

Damodar, Balkrishna, and Vasudeo Hari Chapekar, from a Chitpavan Brahmin family near Pune, were radicalized by these draconian measures.

 

Influenced by nationalists like Tilak and Gokhale - who pointed out atrocities and sexual violations during plague control the brothers formed a secret "Chapekar Club", gathering arms and intelligence to resist colonial injustice.

The Assassination on Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee

On June 22, 1897, as Queen Victoria’s jubilee celebrations concluded at Pune’s Government House, the Chapekars ambushed Rand and his escort Lt. Charles Ayerst on Ganeshkhind Road 

Balkrishna fatally shot Ayerst. Then Damodar leapt onto Rand’s carriage and fired at point‑blank range. Ayerst died instantly; Rand succumbed in hospital on July 3. 

Aftermath: Martyrdom & Repression

Following the attack, British authorities investigated fiercely. Informers eventually led to Damodar’s arrest in August 1897; Balkrishna and Vasudeo were captured in the following months Damodar was executed on April 18, 1898; Balkrishna and Vasudeo met the same fate in May 1899. A young accomplice, schoolboy Khando Sathe, got 10 years’ penal servitude. 

Significance & Legacy

It marked the first militant nationalist action in India after the 1857 revolt. 

Prompted British authorities to reconsider plague management, shifting toward less invasive public-health measures 

Became a potent symbol of resistance: immortalized in the 1979 Marathi film 22 June 1897, and in statues around Pune. 

The Chapekar brothers-Damodar, Balkrishna, and Vasudeo

Highlight

The Forgotten Revolutionaries Who Struck Fear in the British Empire (Chapekar story)

Watch for a gripping short visual account of how three young men challenged the might of Empire.

Source: Compiled from historical records, including Wikipedia’s, Chapekar brothers and Walter Charles Rand,  entries, supplemented by detailed analyses from Testbook, and IJR’s in‑depth account.