By Er Rajesh Pathak
That in 1885 Congress party came into being and only then freedom struggle set to begin in the country - this was made well imbued in the mind of nation with well-designed strategy to serve the vested interest! If British called the struggle of 1857 as ‘Gadar’ (Insurrection), Congress underplayed it no less! However, through his writing works and speeches in general and through his book ‘The Indian War of Independence 1857’ in particular , it was Veer Savarkar who for the first time drew the attention of the nation and reminded it to be the ‘First Freedom Struggle of India’ . In which, apart from the freedom fighters from other regions of the country, it was Sangoli Rayanna from Kittoor (presently, Karnataka); Thampi Chempak Raman Velayudhan from Travankore (Kerala); Tikendra Singh from Manipur , and several others also fought valiantly up in arms against British . But it was felt not necessary to tell the nation about them, as it was to be established that freedom earned through the peaceful ways predominantly !! (Swaraj @ 75, Sangharsh Bharat Ke ‘Swa’ Ka: J. Nand Kumar)
Grown over-obsessive in persuasion of anything is always harmful, even if that be a something of higher human values. By an episode in the history as narrated by the spiritual master Jaggi Vasudeva of Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) this could be better understood. He says, human spirit that you possess is the most important part of your life. Temples came into being keeping that into an account. Since the ages back they have been the nerve centre for the art, music, learning and culture as a whole, and that has fulfilled a great role in the inclusive growth of the man, and his well-being subsequently. Hindus as we see are normally like to be mute being. Due to living in subjugation under the invaders for centuries, they have learnt to lead the life only according to their will. Therefore, British found the Hindus at large over tolerant at time of their arrival in India. So much so that- leaving the loots done in other sectors of life aside- from the gold accumulated in the temples they had fought second world-war. And Hindus in general preferred the option of being indifferent; and mute, much less!
Thrown themselves into the fight against the British for the freedom of the country, the revolutionaries were not unaware of this fact ― and they took the recourse of armed revolution, notably, even when the ‘Non-violence’ or Ahimsa then holding sway under the undisputed leadership of Gandhi. Whom we find one among those on fore front belonging to this stream of struggle was Jan Yoddha, the People warrior, Tantya Bheel of tribal community.
Tantya Bheel, popularly called Tantya Mama, was born on 4th April, 1842 in Barda village of Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh. In a very young age he learnt in the proximity of his father the archery ; the baton-drill and sling-shot (dand sanchalan and Gofan ). He was believed to have attained occult power as he grew older, and the people around began to worship him like a god. It is said that because of this power he was able resolve the disputes in the Gram-Sabha only. Organizing the villagers, he even motivated them for doing farming themselves to be self-dependent. This put the landlords into discomfort; so much that one of them killed his father, outraged. Not only these landlords hatched the conspiracy and had Tantya thrown into jail on the false charge of theft.
And, having spent the jail term, he decided to leave his ancestral village and came to settle in Sihora village lying on the border of the then Holkar princely state. Meantime he happened to meet the super hero of revolution of 1857, Tatya Tope. Inspired by Tatya Tope, he took the war of independence against British into the remote places of the dense forest. As the British administration got hint of this it shrewdly framed a plot through local chieftain and arrested Tantya and his aid Dollya. But where they were to stay any long here! Soon as they got a little chance, both the warriors slunk away using the terrace of Jail.
Thereafter, Tantya made the region comprised of Khargon, Mandleshwar and Maheshwar of present MP state the hub Centre of his activities putting British government into a terrible ordeal. Bereft of no other option, British at last took the refuge of deceptive tactic. It lured Tantya’s brother in-Law, Ganpat, to join the trap laid to catch Tantya. And one day when Tantya made the visit to his house on the occasion of Rakhi-festival to have the Rakhi tied from his sister, Ganpat passed the information to the police and got him arrested.
In the court the trial against Tantya went on. And finally the brave Tantya Bheel was awarded death sentence, and he was hung and got martyred on 4th December, 1889!
