Vasudev Balwant Phadke: Life and Contributions of an Indian Freedom Fighter

Vasudev Balwant Phadke
●  Vasudev Balwant Phadke was born on November 4, 1845 in Shirdho (present day Maharashtra) to Balwantrao and Saraswatibai.
●  Vasudev Phadke was married to Saibai in the year 1859 and they had a daughter named Mathutai.
●  Phadke completed his graduation from Mumbai University in the year 1862 and then worked in different government institutions.
●  Vasudev Balwant Phadke was one of the earliest revolutionaries of India and is also known as the 'Father of the Indian Armed Rebellion'.
●  In the year 1872, Phadke's wife Saibai died after a brief illness.
●  A year later he was married to Gopikabai. Going against the norms of the contemporary society, he taught Gopikabai skills like horse riding and sword fighting as well as reading and writing.
●  Articles critical to colonial rule in magazines and newspapers and speeches by leaders such as Dadabhai Naoroji and Mahadev Govind Ranade (who led the Poona public meeting in the 1870s) were sources of inspiration for Phadke.
●  Phadke was an innovator in many ways. He was the first Indian leader to go from village to village preaching the mantra of Swaraj and encouraging people to revolt against foreign rule. Phadke started giving public speeches and organizing people all over Pune.
●  His aim was to create an emotional connection with his listeners and to inculcate a sense of patriotism in them. Phadke wanted to take strict revolutionary action against the British and was not in favor of giving petitions and applications to the British government supported by the leaders.
● The Deccan famine in the late 1870s, increased revenue demands of the government, worsening conditions of the people due to failed relief operations, among other factors, further strengthened Phadke's anti-colonial sentiments.
●  In the year 1879, Phadke along with Gopal Hari Karve, Vishnu Gadre, Ganesh Deodhar and his other associates formed one of the first revolutionary armies of India.
●  His aim was to create a well organized group of active workers to fight the British. It is believed that he felt the need for an armed revolution after seeing the devastation caused by the famine.
●  His resolve to fight the oppressors of Indians through activist group and his nationalist sentiments became a source of inspiration for many.
●  The effort of this group was to collect money and weapons to fight the British with the help of guerrilla warfare system. To collect the money, Phadke's group carried out daring raids of plunder around Mumbai and later in the Konkan region.
●  Due to these activities, the British authorities arrested Phadke in July, 1879 from Dewar Navadgi village in Bijapur district and he was sentenced to life imprisonment.
●  He tried to escape from the prison but his plan failed and he was arrested again.
●  Phadke, in his short life, paved the way for a systematic armed movement by fighting for India's independence.
●  Vasudev Balwant Phadke died in prison on February 17, 1883.