Page 26 - Swatantrata to Atmanirbharta : Lokmanya Tilak’s legacy

Kong. The epidemic lasted for well over two decades and killed
about 10 million Indians between 1896 and 1918, as it ravaged
one city after the other. History is ironic indeed! More than a
century & half later also, the Chinese originated diseases are
wreaking havoc in India.

Today Airport is the mode of spread of Covid-19 in 2020, it
was the trains in those days. A medical officer stationed at Pune
Railways used to examine passengers. Few beds were arranged
in the sheds of Sassoon Government Hospital for the plague
patients.
By the end of February 1897, Pune had recorded 308 cases
of plague with 271 deaths. The dread of the disease which had
such a high mortality rate caused the locals to flee the city. The
municipal officials estimated that about 15,000 to 20,000 locals
had left the city to escape the pandemic and were settled in
villages in the outskirts.

The British Government at that time, then appointed Walter
Charles Rand formerly additional collector of Satara as
Chairman of Special Plague Committee & Assistant Collector
to curb the menace of plague on 10th February 1897.

Pune which had a population of about 1.6 lakhs at that time
was difficult to control. Rand who had prior experience of
dealing with the plague decided to rope in the army instead of
civilian services as it was the model used in Hong Kong earlier.
It turned out to be quite nightmarish and humiliating for the
citizens, the plan involved door to door searches and isolation
of plague patients. The search involved rigorous checking of
houses, often disturbing the sanctity of the temples in house,
and violating the privacy of the women in the house. This
caused a great deal of resentment compared to the plague itself,
the members of the household which had infected patients
then started doing the unthinkable, they started hiding infected
patients in lofts, cupboard etc. to prevent them from being taken
away and to avoid the humiliation that accompanied it.

Community based hospitals were setup for the Hindu,
Muslim, Parsi communities in addition to a general hospital for

Swatantrata to Atmanirbharata 24