Anant Laxman Kanhere Biography
Date of Birth: 7 January 1892
Place of Birth: Aayani (Anjani), Ratnagiri District, India
Date of Death: 19 April 1910 (aged 18)
Place of Death: Thane, India
Known for: Killing Jackson
Siblings: 4
Movement: Indian Independence movement
Who was Anant Laxman Kanhere?
Anant Laxman Kanhere is one of the most underrated and unsung freedom fighters in India. At the age of 18, he sacrificed his life to free India from British Raj.
He killed the Collector of Nashik, Jackson in British India, which was one of the most important events in the history of Nashik and the Indian revolutionary movement.
Anant Laxman Kanhere was born in a small village in Khed Taluka, Ratnagiri district in a Brahmin family. He had 4 siblings. Shankarrao was his younger brother and Ganpatrao was his older brother.
He completed his elementary education in Nizamabad (at the time also known as Indur). After spending some time with his brother, Anant went to Aurangabad in 1908 and lived in a room that had been rented out at Gangaram Rupchand Shroff’s residence.
He completed his further studies in Aurangabad. At Yewale, Gangram had a friend named Tonpe, who was a member of the secret society of Nashik.
When the Nashik Secret Society needed weapons, Vaidya and Gangaram went to buy them. Vaidya was known to Anant in Aurangabad.
Anant later authored a book called “Mitra Prem” about the friendships he made during his stay in Aurangabad. At that time, he was drawn towards the secret revolutionary groups, who were working day and night to eliminate British Raj from India.
Also, the Anti-British feeling was quite strong at the time in India and Maharashtra. With the founding of the revolutionary group Abhinav Bharat Society by the Savarkar Brothers, Nashik was at the forefront.
Babarao Savarkar, the elder brother of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, helped many small, covert revolutionary organizations emerge in and around Nashik.
How did Anant Laxman Kanhere Killed Jackson?
A British officer named Jackson was aware of these actions. Unlike other British commanders, he began socializing and developed a reputation as a friendly officer.
He claimed that the reason he had a soft spot for Indians was that he had been a Vedic-literate Brahmin in a previous incarnation. He spoke to people in Marathi and was familiar with Sanskrit.
The final straw was the arrest and subsequent trial of Babarao Savarkar for publishing a sixteen-page book of Kavi Govind songs. Jackson played a key role in getting Babarao detained and charged.
A revolutionary group led by Krishnaji Karve decided to assassinate Jackson before the end of December month in 1909. Jackson was elevated to the position of Commissioner of Mumbai by the year’s end, though.
Before Jackson’s transfer, Krishnaji Karve, Vinayak Deshpande, and Anant Kanhere made the decision to get rid of him.
A farewell for Jackson was organized at the Vijayanand Theater in Nashik, and the drama Sangeet Sharada was performed in his honour.
Anant made the decision to carry out their plan at this moment. He accepted responsibility for Jackson’s death and made the decision to poison himself in order to escape being caught and protect his other companions.
If Anant’s attempt failed, Vinayak was planning to shoot Jackson as a fallback. If nothing of these worked, Karve had a weapon nearby.
Anant stepped in front of Jackson on December 21, 1909, after he had arrived to witness the performance, and fired four shots at him with a Browning pistol. Jackson was immediately dead.
Mr. Palshikar, one of the Indian officials, and Mr. Marutrao Toradmal, a former DSP, hit Anant with their batons. Anant was stopped by other persons there from shooting or obtaining the poison.
How did Anant Lakshman Kanhere Die?
Anant Kanhere, who was 18 years old at the time, acknowledged taking part in the murder. On March 29, 1910, the Chief Justice of Bombay sentenced him to hang till death.
Vinayak Deshpande and Krishnaji Karve were also hanged together with Anant. None of their family members were present during the execution.
The jail guards burned their bodies, instead of handing them to their families, and the “Asthi”—the ash that remains after a body is burned—was dumped in a body of water close to Thane.
Most Frequently Asked Questions
Ans: Anant Laxman Kanhere
Ans: His elder brother was Ganpatrao and his younger brother was Shankarrao.
Ans: On March 29, 1910