Crude Brahmanical Orthodoxy that Led to Millions of Deaths in 1896 Bombay Plague Epidemic
Let me share some crude Brahmanical Orthodoxy from History.
In 1896 plague, also called Black Death and also known as Bombay Plague Epidemic, broke out in Bombay from Manchuria. Soon the disease spread to Poona and like the wild fire started causing extensive damages to human life. The British had experience of severe havoc which plague had caused in England.
So, they enacted Epidemic Diseases Act 1897 and started implementing it. Charles Rand, a young ICS officer was appointed Plague Commissioner for the Poona. The government encouraged the public to establish hospitals in the area. As a result, Parsi Plague Hospital, Mahommedan Plague Hospital, Hindu Plague Hospital were established with government’s assistance.
Bal Gangadhar Tilak and other were instrumental in setting up Poona Hindu Plague Hospital. According to its rules, low caste plague patients were not entitled to the admission and treatment into Hindu Plague Hospital! The first official report on plague mentions it.
Plague Commissioner enforced anti-plague measures without any laxity which created strong resentment among the Poona Brahmans who conspired against him. As a result, Damodar Hari Chapeuker and his brother Bal Krishna Hari Chapeuker attacked Charles Rand and Lieutenant Ayerst. Officer Ayerst died on the spot while Rand died a week after.
Both Chapeuker brothers were arrested, prosecuted, tried and sentenced to death. They were hanged in Yeravda jail.
Tilak hailed them as the first martyrs of India’s freedom struggle in his Kesri newspaper which was adversely viewed by the Government.
The plague spread all over India from Bombay and Poona. As large as 5 crore Indians were carried off by the Black Death which continued for next 30 years. Bombay Presidency, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab came under virulent attacks of the plague.
Had the Poona Brahmans, i. e. Chapeuker brother not murdered the young ICS officer, India would not have lost lives of 40-50 million. Tilak had not uttered a word about the Indian who died of the plague. British did everything to fight plague but, I feel, did not put their heart in it. They did duty but lacked dedication.
Maharashtra, without knowing the history, celebrates these two brothers as martyrs. Masses join them with great veneration. None shed a drop of tears for five crores who lost the life in Bombay Plague Epidemic of 1896.
Author – Dr A K Biswas
Image – Interior of the Plague Hospital, Bombay, ca. 1900.
Image credit – Clifton and Co., Collotype
Read – ब्राह्मण/सवर्ण समाज-सुधारकों की वास्तविकता
While I am sure many of the things that you stated are true – such as the fact that the brahminical orthodoxy’s prevention of help reaching the lower castes etc, I would still advise you to NOT use very exaggerated figures for the death toll etc. The number of people who died did not go up as much as 500 million that you claim – it was 1900/week during this time for the first year. That is still a huge number but not as large as the numbers you are claiming.
The last thing you want is for the manuwadi crowd to discredit these posts by pouncing on figures such as the one you have given. Please lets stick to facts.
Thank you for the reply. Please wait a few more days and we are bringing more detailed article and updated version on the same topic.
@Velivada – I would even go further and say that there is a need for a proper retelling of history from the dalit and the lower caste perspective. Too much (if not all) of the presently “accepted” version of history is told from the perspective of the upper castes who have conveniently whitewashed the sins of people from their castes. For instance, I didn’t have any idea that Bal Gangadhar Tilak opposed help reaching the lower castes even during a crisis such as the bubonic plague outbreak.
If it is at all possible, I would advise people such as yourself to start a website which presents meticulously researched articles on the history spanning 1000s of years. But it is extremely crucial that you stick to facts – and not hyperbole. Also, there is a need to stay away from hero worship of any kind – even Dalit and lower caste heroes.
Thank you once again for the reply. Yes, we understand there is a huge need of telling the stories from the Dalit-Bahujans’ perspective. Hence, Velivada is one such attempt.
There was a typo, where 500million people were mentioned, it was, in fact, 40-50million (we have fixed the typo). We have just published detailed article at http://velivada.com/2017/07/18/stinging-orthodoxy-cost-lives-millions-indians/
Hope it helps to understand better. Let us know in the comments section at the detailed article. Thank you.
Thank you. I noticed the new article and read it.
Very like this.
Even today social boycott costs life of scholar or an uneducated…Social revolution cause by demand of separate electorates with separate universities of our vote to our representatives will be final justice to depressed classes.