Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav: Remembering Vasudev Balwant Gogate, lawyer and freedom fighter

New Delhi, Jun 18: Vasudev Balwant Gogate was born on 11th August 1919 in the Satara district of Maharashtra. He completed his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Law from Poona University. He was also studying in Fergusson College, Poona when the spark of extremism was lit in him.

He was one of the leaders who believed in extremist policies. The reason behind it could be his interest in the ideologies of the nation's extremist leaders like Veer Savarkar and Lal Bahadur Shastri.

The Sholapur district of Maharashtra was one of the most volatile zones of the Indian freedom movement against the British. The conflict in Solapur especially intensified around the year 1931, when a few natives of Solapur were hanged. To avenge these excesses, Vasudev Balvant Gogate(s88) a 19-year-old undergraduate student of Furgueeson college, on 22nd July 1931, fired 2 revolver shots from point-blank range, at then' Governor of Bombay Presidency', Sir Ernest Hotson. The governor, owing to some protection on his left breast pocket escaped this attempt made on his life. The attempt was made at the Furguession library as the governor was on an informal visit to Furguesson college along with Lady Hotson.

Gogate, who belonged to Miraj near Kolhapur, was heard shouting the cry of 'Bande Mataram' as he was escorted out of the Furguession library premises after this incident. The incident witnessed popular support for him by the students of Furguessons college, who were heard shouting 'Bravo' and 'well done' as Gogate was handed over to the police. It is reported that some of them even trashed a car of the Governer as he was preparing to depart from the college. In the procedure following Gogate's arrest, he advocated his idea of 'direct action' rather than passing resolutions. According to him it was futile to pass resolutions and protest in meetings, especially when a non-Indian was appointed as the Governor.

The newspaper 'Maratta' in its issue dated 26th July 1931, wrote in favor of Gogate, stating that "The government offered the greatest provocation to the people by its policy concerning the civil disobedience movement and to the political aspirations of India, the appointment of the home member of Bombay, whose name has been associated with the brutal lathi charges and with the happenings in and about Sholapur, which were nowhere else paralleled in India, as the acting as the acting governor of the presidency, was, by far, the worst and perhaps the most offensive evidence of that policy?"

Later, during an inspection made of the hostel room Gogte, primarily suggested that he was inspired by the revolutionary leaders of the freedom movement.

On 9th September 1931, Gogate was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for 8 years by the district and sessions judge Poona, but the Government of Bombay in a further proceeding remitted this statement, giving him the credit for his espousing of non-violent beliefs.

Vasudev Blavant Gogate died on 26th November 1949.