Flames of Freedom

One walked around to see the moustachioed Bhagat Singh. Mangal Pandey,V D Savarkar,and Rajguru were also spotted among lesser glorified,yet equally compelling revolutionaries – Budhu Bhagat,Govind Bapat,Anant Hari Kshirsagar and Ashadevi.

The exhibition is the outcome of efforts by Akola-based Jayant Sahastrabuddhe who has been collecting information about the revolutionaries for the last 40 years. “In 1970,there used to be a comic strip about V D Savarkar. I was overwhelmed by his story. It inspired me to start collecting stories about all revolutionaries,” says Sahastrabuddhe who owns a shop in Akola. This is his seventh major exhibition. The others,held in Akola,Nanded and Nagpur,have been attended by more than 75,000 students. Through his effort,Sahastrabuddhe has gathered information about more than 2500 freedom fighters.

Pune is home to many revolutionaries like the Chaphekar brothers,Govind Bapat and Lokmanya Tilak. “This city has been the centre of many revolutionary activities. The first bomb used by Chaphekar Brothers was made by a Puneite,Govind Bapat,” says Sahastrabuddhe.

He also feels that his hobby will contribute in recognising the work of several lesser-known revolutionaries. “There have been many such people across the country who have contributed a lot but have no mention in history. My idea behind this project is to make everyone aware of these unsung heroes. For example,the bloodiest massacre took place in Anandpur whereas we all consider the Jallianwala Bagh massacre as the largest one.” His exhibition will also be held at Jalgaon from January 21-26.