Have you been to Pune? It’s a charming, quaint city whose 2000-year existence is a microcosm of India’s turbulent history. The Khaljis, Tughlaqs, and Bahamani Sultanate ruled for 300 years, until the Marathas wrested control in the chequered 1600s. Through that century, the Bhonsle family, the Adil Shahi dynasty, and the Mughals jostled for the levers of power.
In 1818, Pune was conquered by the British, a precursor to what would befall the rest of the country. Half a century later, Indian nationalism, led by Gokhale and Tilak, was born in Pune. Mahatma Gandhi served several jail terms at Yerwada and the Aga Khan Palace during the Quit India movement. Ba and Mahadev Desai died there. Even the Mahatma’s assassin hailed from Pune.
Why have I recounted these blighted nuggets of history? Because Pune has always wrestled with heroism and tragedy. Ironically now, as independent India confronts its severest challenge from COVID-19, Pune is yet again grappling with its sharply polarised destiny. Tragically, this pain has been inflicted by the myopia of our own policy makers.