_edited.png)
101 Freedom Fighters From Vidarbha
- Pranay Arya
- 10 hours ago
- 21 min read
Government martyr registers are rarely written for readers. Most entries in these registers are stripped down to a name, a village, a father's name, an occupation, a date and a cause of death, with nothing added for effect.
Yet when these bare entries are placed side by side, they show how the movement against British rule reached far past the well-known leaders and into small towns, railway lines, forest tracts and village lanes.
Vidarbha comes through in this account as a collection of separate, small entries rather than a single narrative arc, and that unevenness is treated here as part of the historical record rather than something to smooth over.
Jump links:
Nagpur District: Records From Ramtek, Umred and Saoner
Nagpur city and the tehsils around it are home to various freedom fighters stretching from the 1857 uprising through the 1921 Non-Cooperation protests to the Quit India movement of 1942. Two dates stand out repeatedly in these entries of 27 February 1921, when police fired on a liquor-shop picketing march in the city, and 13 to 14 August 1942, when a Quit India demonstration near Devi Temple ended in gunfire that killed several participants over consecutive days.
1. Amarayaa Telanga. A tailor by trade, Amarayaa Telanga was born in Nagpur district in 1920 to a father recorded as Ramayaa Telanga. Once the Quit India call went out in August that year, he joined a gathering near Devi Temple in Nagpur on 13 August 1942. Police opened fire on the crowd that day, and he died from the wounds he received. His name sits among the first Nagpur casualties of the movement, recorded alongside several others killed in the same firing.
2. Amreiya Telanga. Despite the near-identical surname, official records treat Amreiya Telanga as a separate individual, born in Nagpur city in 1898 to a father listed as Ranghor Das. He too joined a Quit India procession on 13 August 1942, a march that followed an earlier round of police firing that had already claimed four lives the previous day. When police opened fire again on this second gathering, he was among those killed. The record keeps his case distinct from Amarayaa Telanga's despite the shared surname and date.
3. Anandrao Hinganekar. Working as a farmer in Gumgaon, within Nagpur district, Anandrao Hinganekar was born in 1922 and had completed schooling up to the seventh standard. His father's name is recorded as Namaji Hinganekar. He joined the Quit India movement once it began in August 1942 and was arrested for his role in it. Imprisonment followed, and jail torture left him so badly hurt that he died shortly after his release.
4. Arjun Bajirao. Born in 1911 in Nagpur district, Arjun Bajirao took part in a Quit India demonstration demanding an end to British rule, one of the earliest such gatherings after the movement was launched. Police fired on the protesters during that action, and he suffered fatal bullet wounds on 14 August 1942. He died soon after from those injuries, becoming one of several names tied to the mid-August firing in the district.
5. Babulalji Bairagi. The record for Babulalji Bairagi is sparse but places him firmly in Nagpur district's 1942 protest history. He is noted as having joined anti-British public action in the city, during which police opened fire on the gathering. He was severely wounded in that firing, and his death was subsequently entered into the official martyr list. His inclusion rests on the clear district link recorded for him.
6. Baja Ganesh Koshti. Born in 1908, Baja Ganesh Koshti belonged to Nagpur City and was drawn into the earlier Non-Cooperation movement rather than Quit India. He took part in the picketing of liquor shops in 1921, a form of protest that spread across the city that year. When police fired on a public march on 27 February 1921, he was among those killed. His death shows that Nagpur's record of protest and firing predates the 1942 movement by two decades.
7. Bajirao Bisan. A farmer from Ramtek in Nagpur district, Bajirao Bisan was born in 1892 and had studied only up to the third standard. His father is recorded as Moraba Bisan. He joined the Quit India movement in 1942, was arrested for nationalist activity, and was sent to Nagpur Jail, where he died on 11 February 1943 after being tortured.
8. Bajya. Born in 1903, Bajya lived in Nagpur City and was part of the same 1921 liquor-shop picketing campaign as Baja Ganesh Koshti. The protest, aimed squarely at British authority, drew police fire on 27 February 1921, and Bajya was killed in that firing. His name joins several others from the same incident in the official record.
9. Bapu Bahya Mali. Also a Nagpur City resident, Bapu Bahya Mali was born in 1896 and took part in the same wave of anti-liquor picketing that swept the city in 1921. He was present at the march fired upon by police on 27 February that year and was among those who did not survive it. His record forms part of the cluster of early Nagpur martyrs from that single incident.
10. Bapunja Maruti Tambe. Born in 1901, Bapunja Maruti Tambe was yet another Nagpur City resident caught up in the 1921 picketing campaign against liquor shops. He joined the gatherings that year, was present during the police firing of 27 February 1921, and was killed along with the others named above. His entry belongs squarely to that early phase of anti-British protest in the city.
11. Batiram. A Nagpur resident whose father is recorded only as Banu, Batiram joined the demonstration of 13 August 1942 that followed a day after police had already killed four unarmed satyagrahis in the city. Police opened fire once more on this second gathering, and Batiram was killed in the renewed firing. His death is folded into the wider record of Nagpur's 13 August casualties.
12. Bhaskar Rangari. Born in Nagpur district in 1921 to a father recorded as Baliram, Bhaskar Rangari took part in the 13 August 1942 demonstration demanding the end of British rule. Police fire during that protest left him with severe bullet wounds, and he died the same day. His name extends the list of casualties from that single day of firing.
13. Bhura. Little survives of Bhura's personal details beyond his birth in Nagpur and his participation in the August 1942 protests that followed earlier police action against demonstrators in the city. He was killed during firing connected with that unrest, and his Nagpur birth is stated clearly in the source record, keeping his name within the city's 1942 casualty list.
14. Bhurya Kalar. Recorded simply as a resident of Nagpur district, Bhurya Kalar took part in the protest activity that intensified across the district once the national call for Quit India went out in August 1942. Police fire during that mobilisation killed him, and his entry, though brief, remains part of the district's wider 1942 record.
15. Bonda Kaluram Nayak. Employed in private service rather than agriculture, Bonda Kaluram Nayak was born in Nagpur district and joined the anti-British activity of 1942. His death was later entered into the official martyr list, connecting him to the district's Quit India mobilisation even though little else about his life survives in the record. His entry is a reminder that participation in the movement extended well beyond its known public figures.
16. Bulakhidas Shaha. A Nagpur district resident, Bulakhidas Shaha joined the protest activity of the Quit India period and was caught in the police firing that accompanied the 1942 demonstrations. He suffered fatal injuries in that firing, and his death is recorded in the official martyr source as part of the district's broader record from that year.
17. Chintaman. An agricultural worker born in Nagpur, Chintaman joined the anti-British mobilisation under way in the city during 1942 and died in the course of that movement. His entry is one of the shorter records preserved from the district, but it demonstrates that agricultural labourers, not only students or teachers, were drawn into the local protest.
18. Chintamani Pharakade. Living in the Ramtek area of Nagpur district, Chintamani Pharakade joined demonstrations against British rule that took place in that locality during 1942. His residence link, recorded specifically as Ramtek rather than simply Nagpur district, satisfies the strict place-based filter applied throughout this list.
19. Dhondusing Badadi. Born at Ramtek in Nagpur district, Dhondusing Badadi joined a local march connected to the anti-British activity of 1942, and his death was subsequently entered into the official martyr record. His place link, clearly stated in the source, keeps him counted among Nagpur district's native freedom fighters.
20. Dildar Khan. The oldest entry in this entire list belongs to Dildar Khan, born in Nagpur and tied to the 1857 uprising rather than the twentieth-century movements. He took part in anti-Company activity during that rebellion, was later captured by colonial forces, and was sentenced for his role in it. His record stretches the time frame of this article back nearly a century before the Quit India casualties described elsewhere.
21. Fakira. A Nagpur City resident, Fakira joined the 1921 liquor-shop picketing campaign against British rule and was present at the march fired upon by police on 27 February that year. He did not survive the firing, and his name joins the cluster of early Nagpur martyrs already described in this section.
22. Ganapati Kalar. Born at Umred in Nagpur district, Ganapati Kalar joined the anti-British action of 1942 that spread through the wider district. His death is entered in the official martyr record, and the direct district connection recorded for him justifies his place in this Umred-linked group.
23. Ganpat Burade. A student from Nagpur district, Ganpat Burade, joined the 1942 protest activity in the city and died from injuries suffered when police opened fire on the demonstrations he attended. His record is one of several student entries preserved from the district, showing that education did not keep young people from the front line of protest.
24. Goomma. Connected to the 1857 uprising rather than the later movements, Goomma joined the rebels active around Nagpur and took part in action against British authority. He was captured once the rebellion was suppressed and punished for his role in it, placing his record in the pre-Congress phase of resistance that predates most of this list.
25. Haraba Mahar. Born in Nagpur district in 1912, Haraba Mahar joined a demonstration on 14 August 1942 demanding the end of British rule. Firing from army tanks during that protest caused him fatal injuries, and he died on the spot, distinguishing his record from that of the picketing casualties of 1921.
26. Haraba. A separate Nagpur City resident born in 1886, Haraba took part in the same 1921 liquor-shop picketing campaign described earlier and was killed when police fired on the demonstration on 27 February that year. His record is kept apart from Haraba Mahar's despite the shared first name.
27. Harish Chandra. Also linked to the Non-Cooperation movement, Harish Chandra of Nagpur City joined the liquor-shop picketing campaign under way in 1921 and was caught up in the police firing that struck the city's protesters that February. His death, recorded in the martyr source, places him with the other 1921 names already listed here.
28. Hashim Mohammad. A Nagpur resident, Hashim Mohammad joined the protest activity of August 1942 and was wounded when police opened fire on the demonstrations. His death is connected to that firing record, and the direct residence link recorded for him keeps his entry within the wider Nagpur cluster.
29. Hiraji Mahadeo Bimble. Born in Nagpur City, Hiraji Mahadeo Bimble is recorded as part of the district's 1942 mobilisation, though the surviving biographical details about him are limited. What remains is place-specific enough to include him in this list under the name of Nagpur City.
30. Jairam. Linked to the 1857 uprising, Jairam joined rebels active in the Nagpur area and took part in action against British establishments there. He was captured once the rebellion was put down and punished for his role, placing his entry alongside Dildar Khan and Goomma in the earliest phase of resistance covered by this list.
31. Jamana Rangari. Born at Mewad in Nagpur district, Jamana Rangari joined the protest activity of 1942 and died after suffering injuries in the police firing that accompanied those demonstrations. The record links him directly to Nagpur district, placing his name within the broader firing group described throughout this section.
32. Jangaloo Wadighare. A Nagpur district resident, Jangaloo Wadighare joined anti-British protest activity connected to the Quit India movement, and police firing is recorded in connection with his death. His surviving details are brief, but the clear district link is enough to include him among Nagpur's district martyrs.
33. Janarao Selukar. Born in Nagpur district, Janarao Selukar joined the demonstrations of 1942 and was killed in the police firing that accompanied that mobilisation. His source record ties him specifically to Nagpur district, keeping his name within this place-filtered list.
34. Kalameshvar Lahanu. Born at Saoner in Nagpur district, Kalameshvar Lahanu joined the anti-British activity of 1942 and was arrested and jailed for it. His death is recorded in connection with the movement, and his Saoner residence link places him distinctly within this section's village-level entries.
35. Kalu. A Nagpur district resident, Kalu joined the protest activity connected with Quit India and was injured during the demonstrations he took part in. His death appears in the official list of martyrs, and although the surviving record is short, the residence link placing him in Nagpur district is clear.
36. Kaluram. Born at Kelwad in Nagpur district, Kaluram joined the anti-British protest activity of 1942 and was killed after suffering bullet wounds during the mobilisation. The source places him clearly within the Kelwad and Nagpur district records.
37. Kamalchand Rishi Vasnik. An intermediate student from Nagpur district, Kamalchand Rishi Vasnik, joined the 1942 agitation and died from the firing connected to it. His record adds another name to the student entries already noted in this section, alongside Ganpat Burade.
38. Kamalchand Rugi. A Nagpur district resident, Kamalchand Rugi joined the anti-British demonstrations of 1942 and was killed when police fired on the unrest. The direct district link recorded for him places his death within the city's wider firing record for that year.
39. Keshav Dhoge. Employed in private service, Keshav Dhoge of Nagpur district joined the 1942 protest activity in the city and was killed in the police firing connected with those demonstrations. His occupation shows how the protest drew in workers well beyond formal political circles.
40. Kisan Jagu Nikhade. His father, recorded as Jagu Kunbi, Kisan Jagu Nikhade, joined the 13 August 1942 demonstration in Nagpur that followed the earlier killing of four satyagrahis by police the previous day. When police fired on the crowd again, he was killed on the spot, joining the growing list of names tied to that single day of unrest.
41. Krishna Kakade. Recorded as a political worker, Krishna Kakade was the son of Yashwant Kakade and had studied up to the seventh standard. He joined an anti-British demonstration in Nagpur on 14 August 1942 and died the same day after police opened fire, an entry that records both his education and his active political role.
42. Krishnarao Mahadev Kakade. The son of Mahadeo Kakade, Krishnarao Mahadev Kakade, had studied up to the fourth standard and joined an anti-British rally in Nagpur, where police firing caused him bullet wounds. He died on the same day, his record forming part of the wider Nagpur firing cluster covered in this section.
43. Lalji Mahar. Recorded as the son of Shivlal Mahar, Lalji Mahar joined the 13 August 1942 demonstration in Nagpur and suffered severe bullet wounds when police fired on the gathering. He died the same day, his name remaining within the 13 August Quit India group described earlier.
44. Laxman Mari. Born in 1920 and employed by a private firm, Laxman Mari joined a rally in Nagpur on 14 August 1942 during which police firing left him with bullet wounds that killed him on the spot. His record is another instance of private-sector employees joining the public protest movement.
45. Laxman. Born in Nagpur district in 1890, Laxman joined a demonstration on 18 August 1942 that demanded the end of British rule and was left with serious bullet wounds when police fired on the gathering. He died the same day, an entry brief in detail but clear on district and date.
46. Madhavrao Vamanrao Zumade. The son of Vamanrao Zumade and employed in private service, Madhavrao Vamanrao Zumade joined a demonstration in Nagpur on 14 August 1942 and died the same day after suffering severe bullet wounds during the police firing there. His entry belongs to the wider Nagpur record of that year.
47. Mahadu Sarokar. A labourer from Gumgaon in Saoner tehsil, Mahadu Sarokar was born in 1915 to a father recorded as Kisna Sarokar. He joined the Quit India movement soon after it began on 8 August 1942 and took part in a demonstration in Nagpur on 14 August that year. Police fired on the gathering, and he died the same day after suffering severe bullet wounds, closing out the Nagpur cluster covered in this section.
Wardha District: Records From Ashti, Wadala and Khadaki
Wardha district's record is built largely around a single event of the attack on the Ashti police station in August 1942, an action that drew in farmers, teachers and shopkeepers from the surrounding villages of Wadala and Khadaki.
48. Baburao Javalekar. A farmer from Ashti, born in 1920 to a father recorded as Bakaram Javalekar, Baburao Javalekar took part in the attack on Ashti police station that became one of the defining Wardha district events of 1942. His name stands among the earliest recorded participants in that action.
49. Bakaram Dhude. Born in 1900 in Wadala village, Bakaram Dhude was the son of Dhauaji Dhude and had studied up to the sixth standard. He joined the Quit India movement in 1942 and took part in a demonstration in his own village, where he was killed in police firing, tying Wadala directly into the district's 1942 record.
50. Bakerao Bhadke. Born at Norsapur in Wardha district, Bakerao Bhadke took part in the Ashti police station action of 16 August 1942 and was arrested afterwards. He was sentenced to twenty years of rigorous imprisonment and tortured while in custody, dying in the first half of 1943 as a result.
51. Balwant Rao Ambekar. A farmer from Kinala, born in 1883 to Vinoba Ambekar and educated up to the fourth standard, Balwant Rao Ambekar joined the Quit India movement and was arrested for anti-British activity. He died in detention in 1943 after being tortured, one of the older men named in this entire list.
52. Bulakhidas Khushalchand Jaju. A shopkeeper from Arvi in Wardha district, Bulakhidas Khushalchand Jaju resisted British police action during the 1942 agitation and was beaten for it. He died as a result of that violence, his occupation showing that traders as well as farmers were drawn into the district's protest activity.
53. Chinna Barai. The surviving record for Chinna Barai of Wardha district is thin, noting only that he took part in the anti-British activity of 1942. The district link alone is sufficient to place him in this verified list, even though almost nothing else of his life has survived in the official source.
54. Gopalrao Nandhardhame. A school teacher, Gopalrao Nandhardhame, worked as an underground volunteer during the Quit India agitation in Wardha district, and police firing is connected with his eventual death. His entry shows that resistance work in the district was not limited to public demonstrations but extended into covert activity as well.
55. Govind Malape. A medical practitioner from Ashti, Govind Malape, was linked to the Ashti police station action of August 1942 and was killed during the events connected with it. His profession sets him apart from the largely agrarian names surrounding him in the district's record.
56. Gulabrao Dhude. A cultivator from Wadala, Gulabrao Dhude, joined the district's protest activity during 1942 and was shot during a rally connected to the movement, adding his name to the Wadala-linked entries already noted in this section.
57. Gulabrao Nagpure. An agriculturist from Khadaki, Gulabrao Nagpure, was involved in the Ashti action and was arrested and jailed for it. The record states that he died after being tortured in custody, connecting Khadaki village to the Ashti police station action described above.
58. Gunda Nagpure. Also a cultivator from Khadaki, Gunda Nagpure joined a demonstration connected to the 1942 mobilisation during which a military patrol is recorded as being involved in his death. His entry sits alongside the other village-linked Wardha records in this section.
59. Harilal Kahar. A cultivator from Khadaki, Harilal Kahar joined the march towards Ashti police station and died after suffering injuries in the police firing that met that action, his record reflecting the village-level participation that surrounded the Ashti events.
60. Harlal Kohad. From Khadki village, Harlal Kohad joined the same march towards Ashti police station and died after suffering bullet wounds when police fired on the mobilisation, his place link recorded specifically within Wardha district.
61. Janglooj Dhondbaj Dhore. From Wardha district, Janglooj Dhondbaj Dhore joined a rally on 15 August 1942 that protested the arrest of national leaders and demanded their release. Police fired during the rally, and he was killed on the spot.
62. Karnaji Ambekar. A farmer born at Kinala, Karnaji Ambekar joined the district's protest activity of 1942, and his death is recorded in connection with the movement, placing him within the rural Wardha group described in this section.
63. Keshav Lingayat. Born at Kharaguna in Wardha district, Keshav Lingayat joined the district's protest activity and was wounded in the police firing that accompanied the 1942 mobilisation, his death appearing in the official martyr list on the strength of his district-specific birthplace.
64. Keshav Talwalkar. Born at Ashti, Keshav Talwalkar is linked in the record to revolutionary activity that carried into the later Quit India phase. His connection to the Ashti area, one of the strongest references to that village in this entire list, is the basis for his inclusion here.
65. Keshavrao Sharvan Dhonge. A farmer from Wadala, the son of Shravanaji Dhonge and educated up to the fourth standard, Keshavrao Sharvan Dhonge took part in the Ashti police station action and died after the police firing that followed it, linking Wadala village directly with the Ashti events described earlier.
66. Krishna Raut. A primary school teacher from Wadala, the son of Govindrao and educated up to the seventh standard, Krishna Raut joined the Quit India movement in 1942 and was arrested and detained for anti-British activity. He died after illness and torture connected with that custody, placing him among the district's teacher-participants alongside Gopalrao Nandhardhame.
67. Laxmi There. Born at Ashti and married to Laxman There, Laxmi There joined the agitation once it began in August 1942 and took part in an anti-British demonstration in her own village. Police firing during that protest killed her, her record standing as one of the few women's entries preserved in this list.
68. Madhavrao Shravan Deshmukh. A farmer from Ashti, the son of Shravan Deshmukh and educated up to the fourth standard, Madhavrao Shravan Deshmukh took part in the attack on Ashti police station and was arrested and sentenced to twenty years of rigorous imprisonment. He died in Akola jail in 1945 after torture, his record linking the Ashti action to a long prison sentence that followed it.
Chandrapur and Bhandara District: Records From Chimur, Gondia and Tumsar
The Chimur uprising of August 1942 forms the backbone of Chandrapur entries, while a separate cluster of names ties Tumsar, Gondia and other Bhandara district locations to both the Quit India movement and the earlier Civil Disobedience campaign.
69. Baburao Zire. Born at Chimur in 1924, the son of Pancham Singh Zire and educated up to the sixth standard, Baburao Zire joined a procession moving towards Chimur police station on 16 August 1942. Police opened fire on that procession, and he died on the spot, his name among the first tied directly to the Chimur police station march.
70. Balaji Parai. Also born at Chimur, in 1927, Balaji Parai joined the same anti-British march towards the police station, which was fired upon near the local dak bungalow. He received severe bullet wounds and died on the spot, his record sharing both the location and date of Baburao Zire's entry.
71. Balaji Rayapurkar. Born at Chimur in 1926, the son of Raghoba Rayapurkar and educated up to the fourth standard, Balaji Rayapurkar took part in the 16 August 1942 demonstration moving towards Chimur police station and died the same day after police opened fire on it, adding another name to the Chimur casualty list for that date.
72. Bhaduji Londase. A tailor from Tumsar, born in 1924 to Ramaji Londase and educated at primary level, Bhaduji Londase took part in an anti-British demonstration near Tumsar police station on 14 August 1942 and died the same day from bullet injuries, his record standing as one of the clearest Tumsar entries in this list.
73. Bhaulal Pardeshi. A student from Chimur, Bhaulal Pardeshi joined the protest march connected to the police station action there and suffered bullet injuries when police opened fire on the movement. He died during the Chimur action of August 1942, his entry forming part of the student record preserved from that village.
74. Bholaram Kirad. Born at Gondia, then still part of Bhandara district before it became separate, Bholaram Kirad was connected with sabotage-related activity and was arrested for his role in it. His birthplace keeps him within this regional Vidarbha list despite Gondia's later administrative separation.
75. Chanore Bhurajee. Born at Tumsar, Chanore Bhurajee was part of the wider Tumsar protest record, with police firing near the police station recorded in connection with his death. His birthplace places him firmly within the Bhandara district cluster.
76. Ganaya. An inhabitant of Korali in Bhandara district, Ganaya joined picketing actions against foreign cloth and liquor shops as part of the earlier Civil Disobedience movement, showing that Bhandara's role in the freedom struggle predates the Quit India agitation described elsewhere in this section.
77. Gopal Chutke. A primary school teacher from Bhandara district, Gopal Chutke joined the anti-British activity of 1942, his death entered into the official list of martyrs and his profession echoing that of Gopalrao Nandhardhame in the Wardha section above.
78. Gopalrao Harshe. Born at Brahmapuri, an area of the old Chanda district now within present-day Chandrapur, Gopalrao Harshe was imprisoned in Chanda jail and died there after torture, his record belonging to the older administrative geography of the region.
79. Hari Faye. A goldsmith from Kardi in Bhandara district, Hari Faye joined protest activity in the Tumsar area connected to the anti-British mobilisation of 1942, his death appearing in the official martyr list and his trade adding to the range of occupations represented in this section.
80. Janya Kewal Sahare. Belonging to Kurhali in the old Bhandara district, Janya Kewal Sahare took part in the Jungle Satyagraha at Gondia, a protest against forest laws that places his record in a phase of the struggle earlier than the Quit India movement.
81. Katu Mana. A farmer born at Chimur, Katu Mana joined the protest activity around the police station there and was killed when police opened fire on the uprising, his record standing as one of the farmer entries preserved from the Chandrapur cluster in this list.
Amravati and Akola District: Records From Yawali, Benoda and Warud
Amravati district has the the largest group of freedom fighters outside Nagpur in this record, with the village of Yawali and the police action at Benoda in Warud tehsil recurring throughout, alongside a smaller set of names from Akola and neighbouring Buldhana.
82. Baliramji Borale. Also recorded under the surname Borade, Baliramji Borale was a farmer from Yawali, born in 1914 to Raghoji Borale. He joined the Quit India movement in August 1942 and took part in a demonstration at Yawali on 18 August that year, dying the same day after police fired on the gathering, his alternate surname spelling preserved in the official record.
83. Bhagwant Joshi. The surviving entry for Bhagwant Joshi is brief, giving only his district of Amravati and his connection to the Quit India movement, a reminder that some recorded martyrs survive today through nothing more than short archival notes.
84. Bhaugir Giri. Born at Chandur in 1910, the son of Sadashivgir and educated up to the seventh standard, Bhaugir Giri joined picketing actions against foreign cloth and liquor shops as part of the earlier Civil Disobedience movement and died from injuries suffered during that agitation.
85. Bhaugir Goswami. Linked to Amravati district, Bhaugir Goswami took part in picketing connected to the Civil Disobedience movement and died from injuries suffered during that protest activity, his brief entry nonetheless carrying a clear district link.
86. Bhimrao Deshmukh. Born at Devra in Amravati district, Bhimrao Deshmukh joined demonstrations demanding the end of British rule, though the surviving details about him remain limited beyond that district connection.
87. Bhimrao Ganpat Kale. A resident of Benoda, Bhimrao Ganpat Kale took part in the 1942 march towards the Benoda action, an event that recurs throughout Amravati district's records, and suffered fatal injuries when police opened fire on the mobilisation.
88. Ganpatrao Yawale. A cultivator from Yawali, Ganpatrao Yawale joined the protest activity there in August 1942 and died after police action hit the demonstrators, his record joining the other Yawali entries described in this section.
89. Hiralal Jaiswal. Born at Sotephal, Hiralal Jaiswal took part in anti-British mobilisation across both the Civil Disobedience and Quit India phases, his record showing continuity of activity across two separate stages of the struggle.
90. Jairamji Badone. Born at Yawali, Jairamji Badone joined the anti-British activity of 1942 and was arrested for it, his place in the link keeping him within the wider Yawali group described above.
91. Keshavrao Tathode. A law postgraduate from Belora, Keshavrao Tathode organised local mobilisation against British rule from August 1942 to April 1943 and died on 16 April 1943 while trying to avoid arrest, his record offering more detail than most of the shorter entries covered in this article.
92. Krishnabai Rangari. Born at Ganeshpur, the daughter of Kisan Rangari, Krishnabai Rangari joined demonstrations demanding the end of British rule in August 1942 and suffered bullet injuries during a protest rally that came under police firing, dying on the spot and joining Laxmi There as one of the women recorded in this list.
93. Krishnarao Pawar. A farmer from Yawali, the son of Suryabhanji Pawar and educated up to the fourth standard, Krishnarao Pawar joined the Quit India movement in August 1942 and died after police firing during a protest demonstration in his village.
94. Laxman Bhikaji Godbole. A student from Akola City, the son of Bhikaji Godbole and educated up to the fifth standard, Laxman Bhikaji Godbole was arrested while distributing leaflets against British rule and died in Akola jail on 8 February 1943 after torture, his record bringing Akola city into this Vidarbha list.
95. Laxman Pachghare. Born at Yawali, the son of Sitaram Pachghare, Laxman Pachghare belonged to the earlier Civil Disobedience movement and was arrested on 8 August 1930 for protesting against forest laws. He was sent to Amravati district jail, where his health failed, and he died in custody.
96. Mahadeo Phandade. A farmer from Ittamgaon, the son of Atmaram Phandade and educated up to the fourth standard, Mahadeo Phandade joined the Quit India movement in August 1942 and died after police firing during a march towards Benoda police station.
97. Mahadeo Waghmare. A farmer from Ittamgaon in Warud tehsil, the son of Jagoji Waghmare, Mahadeo Waghmare joined the 16 August 1942 march demanding the end of British rule and died the same day after police fired near the Dhavalgiri river bridge at Benoda.
98. Mahadeorao Baramase. A farmer and resident of Benoda, the son of Bhagwanji Baramase, Mahadeorao Baramase had taken part in the earlier Civil Disobedience movement before joining the Quit India agitation of August 1942, dying from bullet injuries when police fired on marchers reaching Benoda police station, his record connecting two separate phases of the freedom struggle.
99. Mahadeorao Pavade. A farmer from Parsoda, the son of Tukaramji Pavade, Mahadeorao Pavade took part in the attack on Benoda police station on 16 August 1942 and was injured, arrested and sentenced to three years of rigorous imprisonment. He died in Amravati jail after torture, his record linking protest, imprisonment and custodial death in one entry.
100. Narayan Tavade. A farmer from Paras in Akola district, born in 1922 to Hiramal Tavade and educated up to the fourth standard, Narayan Tavade joined the Quit India movement soon after it began on 8 August 1942 and was arrested and imprisoned for anti-British activity, dying in Akola jail in 1942 after torture.
101. Pundalik Maratha. A farmer from Buldhana district, born in 1920, Pundalik Maratha, joined a public demonstration at his native place on 16 August 1942 as marchers moved near the Malkapur-Bodwad railway lines. Police opened fire on the gathering, and he died the same day after suffering severe bullet wounds, closing this record on a district bordering both Amravati and Akola.
None of these hundred-odd entries was ever meant to form a single connected story. Each survives on its own, built from whatever a village register, a jail file or a police report happened to preserve at the time it was written down.
Some names carry a father's name, a school standard completed and an exact date of firing, while others survive only as a place and an outcome.
Reading through them together shows how deeply the movement against British rule cut through ordinary occupations. Tailors, cultivators, goldsmiths, teachers, students and shopkeepers all appear here, drawn from towns that rarely feature in wider accounts of the period.
Comments