CM urges school students to visit Chapekar memorial
The chief minister urged school students to visit the memorial in Chinchwad, saying that the place is not only about where the British officer was killed but also gives a “glimpse of the progressive thoughts of their entire family”
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, along with deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, on Friday visited Krantiveer Chapekar Memorial of freedom fighters Chapekar brothers, who in 1897 assassinated a British officer for mismanaging Pune’s plague. The chief minister urged school students to visit the memorial in Chinchwad, saying that the place is not only about where the British officer was killed but also gives a “glimpse of the progressive thoughts of their entire family”.
Damodar Hari Chapekar and Balkrishna Hari Chapekar assassinated British officer Walter Charles Rand and his military escort Lieutenant Ayerst on June 22, 1897, for his oppressive actions to stop the spread of the bubonic plague in 1896 in Pune.
The third brother, Vasudeo Hari Chapekar, and his associates Khando Vishnu Sathe and Mahadev Vinayak Ranade assassinated the Dravid brothers — Ganesh Shankar Dravid and Ramchandra Shankar Dravid — known to be police informants at that time.
“The bravery of the Chapekar brothers occupies a unique place in the history of Indian revolutionaries. The way they killed WC Rand, who was doing injustice to the Indians, and went to the gallows with full determination, but never backed down from serving the motherland, is an inspiration for every Indian,” Fadnavis said in Pimpri-Chinchwad.
Fadnavis felicitated the descendants of the Chapekar family—Prashant Chapekar, Pratibha Chapekar, Smita Chapekar, Chetan Chapekar, Mansi Chapekar and Janhavi Joshi—during the event.
Expressing the importance of having a memorial of the freedom fighters, he urged every school student to visit the memorial and learn how it is not only limited to remembering the place of the assassination, but also gives a glimpse of the progressive thoughts in the family.
“It is very important to build a memorial for the Chapekar brothers. The memorial presents in 14 episodes every incident of their life in a lively form using modern technology. I believe every school student should visit this memorial, as it will provide them with immense inspiration. This memorial is not limited only to the place where they killed Rand, but it also gives a glimpse of the progressive thoughts of their entire family,” he said.
Pawar said the restoration of Chapekar Wada and inauguration of the memorial have reignited patriotic fervour in the region. “This is a proud moment not only for Pimpri-Chinchwad, but for the entire nation. The Chapekar brothers’ sacrifice, like that of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev, laid the foundation of our freedom. It is now our responsibility to uphold constitutional values and carry forward their legacy.”
In 1896, the British government in India established a Special Plague Committee, chaired by Walter Charles Rand, an Indian Civil Service (ICS) officer. He was tasked to deal with the bubonic plague in Pune. Reportedly, instead of hiring doctors to stop the spread of the plague, he delegated over 800 officers and soldiers to the city. The officials entered private homes, stripped and inspected residents (including women) in public, evacuated people to hospitals and segregation camps, prohibited funerals, and impeded movement outside the city.
The brothers, along with a few other accomplices, were found guilty and hanged by the British government. Mahadev Ranade, a schoolboy at the time and involved in the incident, was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment. This is also considered one of the first acts of “aggressive nationalism” since the 1857 War of Independence.
Glorious past
A video message from prime minister Narendra Modi was played during the ceremony. Modi described the Chapekar brothers’ story as a shining chapter in India’s freedom movement. “Their bravery and patriotism gave new meaning to India’s collective spirit of sacrifice. The memorial is not just a tribute, but a living connection to our glorious past. It will inspire citizens to take pride in our cultural and historical heritage and contribute to building a ‘Viksit Bharat’,” the PM said.
