In the last quarter of the 19th century India suffered 18 famines and 2 crore people died. The people of India had a bitter experience of cruelty and callous attitude of British administration during these famines.
The government did nothing to help the affected people. Infact it treated the famines as deserving punishment to Indians from the heavens. The officials never made any attempt to build up emergency food stocks even when the famines loomed on the horizon. The administrators would put on an act that there was no famine. The reports and the requests for help would find place in the waste paper baskets. When the famine would stare in the face and denials became impossible they would put on act-B. They would refuse to accept the death figures and the extent of the loss of property and the live stock.
A widespread famine hit Maharashtra in 1896. But Viceroy of India and the England’s Minister for India reported to the government that there was no famine in India and that no relief fund was required.
In 1876, a ‘Famine Relief Code’ was worked out in India by the British government itself. According to it when the farmers lost 69% of their harvests through natural calamities their land revenue was to be waived or its payment deferred. But the code was never implemented.
This time the callous attitude of the rulers crossed all limits. While people were dying of hunger, the Viceroy of India had set out on a pleasure tour of the princely states to enjoy the lavish hospitality of the Rajas, Nawabs and Maharajas. All the higher-ups royally wined, dined and danced instead of providing relief to the people.
It greatly infuriated Tilak. He exposed the shameless behaviour of the rulers in the magazines. He organised groups of volunteers and sent them to the famine affected areas to collect the statistical figures of the devastation caused.
In his ‘Maratha’ paper Tilak printed full text of the ‘Famine Relief Code’. In the accompanying article he wrote how the foreign rulers we deliberately ignoring rules, laws and codes to make the people suffer. He invoked the people to rise against the injustice and tyranny being perpetrated by alien rulers. How could people pay the revenue when they have no money or foodgrains to feed themselves? Should they sell their homes and themselves? There is a limit of tolerance, he wrote.
He campaigned fiercely against the rulers. He was sure that faced with life and death situation the people would rise in protest against the administration. Here, Tilak was in for a shock. The people did not respond to his call. It was not tolerance but extreme cowardice. They were dying of injustice but were too scared to rise in protest.
The British were laughing at Tilak. Now they knew that they could harass Tilak. The volunteers of Tilak who were out surveying the famine damage were arrested and put in jails.
Tilak was not the one to quit.
He challenged, “My volunteers were helping the famine affected and were merely telling the facts to the people. Helping the suffering people is no crime. If it is then I am also to be blamed. The government should arrest me and try me.”
In defence of his volunteers Tilak organised public meetings and launched a scathing attack on the administration. He got an encouraging response. The people attended his meetings in large numbers.
The trials began. When a close associate of Tilak, Professor Paranjpe was produced in the court thousands of people besieged the court premises shouting slogans hailing Tilak. The judge asked Tilak to calm his supporters. He appealed to the crowd to be peaceful and the people stopped shouting slogans.
Prof. Paranjpe was acquitted of all the charges and other trials were postponed.
After the court recessed the judge called Tilak to his chamber and confided, “A big crowd of illiterate farmers gathered to witness a trial! Never seen such a thing even in England. It shows your undoubted popularity among the masses.”
Then, plague epidemic struck Poona areas. There was no effective remedy for the epidemic at that time. It spread fast. The administration was helpless.
The situation aggravated and horror scenes could be witnessed every where. So many people were dying that the funeral places and burial grounds were becoming crowded. There were not enough people to carry the dead bodies off. The towns and the villages were becoming deserted. The administration did little to help the people. It took them months even to admit that there was the epidemic indeed.
An ‘Epidemic Ordinance’ was issued on 4th Feb. 1897. This law gave the authorities unlimited powers. The police could enter any house, evacuate the inmates and search any place. The sick persons were carried off to the hospitals like luggage items. The family members would be herded off to the so called safe places.
In the process the policemen were getting opportunities to misbehave with the women of young age. The white policemen would enter the pooja rooms with the leather boots on for the overt purpose of spraying disinfectants. The people suspected that they were deliberately desecrating the worship places. There also were reports of women being stripped naked in public places on the pretext of some kind of examination or search.
The chief of the Plague Committee, Mr. Rand was a notorious character of sadistic nature. He was an India baiter. Abusing, insulting and outraging natives gave him immense pleasure.
The volunteers of Tilak were keeping a close watch on the misdeeds of that particular officer.
Bal Gangadhar Tilak wrote in his newspaper ‘It is a very shameful act on the part of the Queen of England, The Minister for India and the British Cabinet to issue orders to one of its officers to mistreat and dishonour the helpless people of India. A dubious, mad, racist, arrogant and abusive officer like Rand has been let loose on the people by the Bombay government. The government and the officials of the Bombay administration are responsible for this outrageous act’.
The government ignored the comment. The officer, Rand continued his drama of torment and outrage.
A report on the misdeeds of the government of India was presented to the British Parliament by Gopal Krishan Gokhale who happened to be in London. He also informed the British public about the serious situation in India through his speeches.
The cup of the woes of the people was full.
They had run out of patience. Some infuriated youth killed the culprit Officer Rand and his white deputy. There were no tears for the dead. Infact the tormented people heaved a sigh of relief.
The police forces laid a siege on the Poona city to nab the killers. The administration was in revengeful mood. Bal Gangadhar Tilak and his supporters became the main targets of the police vendetta.
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