Pandurang Mahadev Bapat

• Name — Pandurang Mahadev Bapat • Honorific Prefix — Senapati सेनापती • Native Name — पांडुरंग महादेव बापट • Born — 12 November 1880 • Birthplace — Parner, British India • Died — 28 November 1967 Mumbai, Maharashtra, India • Pronunciation — pɑ̃ːɖuɾə̃gə məɦɑːd̪eːʋə bɑːpəʈ • Occupation — Freedom fighter, politician, social worker • Movement — • Indian Independence Movement • Samyukta Maharashtra Movement • Other Names — Senapati Bapat • Education — Deccan College, University of Pune • Known for — Gandhian philosophy

• Date Of Issue — 28 November 1977 • Face Value — 25 nP • Country Of Issue — India Pandurang Mahadev Bapat (12 November 1880 – 28 November 1967), popularly known as Senapati Bapat, was a figure in the Indian independence movement. He acquired the title of Senapati, meaning commander, as a consequence of his leadership during the Mulshi Satyagraha. In 1977, the Indian government issued a postage stamp to commemorate him. He participated in various movements and agitations, such as the Samyukt Maharashtra movement, the Goa Liberation movement, the Hyderabad liberation movement and the Maharashtra-Mysore border agitation.

Senapati Bapat was born in a Marathi Chitpawan Brahmin family on 12 November 1880 in Parner. His family was originally from Ratnagiri. He was educated at Deccan College and then travelled to Britain on a government scholarship in order to study engineering.

During his stay in Britain, he was associated with India House, spending a majority of his time learning bomb-making skills instead of pursuing his official studies. He became associated at this time with the Savarkar brothers, Vinayak and Ganesh and also with Hemchandra Kanungo from Bengal. Bapat, who had considered blowing up the Houses of Parliament in London, took his skills back to India and passed them on to others. While in hiding after the Alipore bombing of 1908, Bapat travelled the country and discovered that the majority of the Indian population did not realize that their country was under foreign rule. At this point, his focus shifted from overthrowing the British government to educating the population. In 1912, he was arrested in connection with the bombing and was sentenced to be imprisoned. He was free by 1915, and was a "seasoned revolutionary", according to Richard Cashman. He had joined the staff of Mahratta and was one of several influential figures from the Poona area who were aligned with Bal Gangadhar Tilak's attempts to establish local organisations supporting the cause of Indian independence.