In Chinchwad, near Pune, a statue stands at a prominent location honouring the sacrifices made by four young men in the late nineteenth-century. Three of those men—Damodar, Balkrishna and Vasudev Chapekar—were brothers. The fourth was Mahadev Ranade, a friend and accomplice. Their act of revenge stunned both the Indians and the British.
22 June 1897.
In London, Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee Procession had the populace all agog. A celebration of the Empire, much pomp and spectacle, was on display as troops from far-flung corners of the globe had gathered in London to honour the queen.
In Pune, on the same day, a similar function was underway. The elite of the city had gathered at the Government House to celebrate the Jubilee.
Meanwhile, something else was brewing, right under the noses of the British.
At midnight when the party came to an end, many horse-drawn carriages trotted out of the Government House to make the journey home.
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