Sharma : Willingdon's Governorship of Bombay was disliked by the Bombay nationalists.
Chavan : He was never popular. His associations were known to people in Bombay at that time.
Sharma : What shape did the movement take in 1932 in Maharashtra?
Chavan : Well, I went to jail in the very first phase. I think the movement started sometime in the first week of January and I was arrested on 26th of January.
Sharma : They must have considered you very dangerous?
Chavan : No. We had already decided that this time we must do it in a more organised way and must not seek arrests as such. So I did not seek arrest in 1932. We wanted a little more demonstration, as they started with very quick arrests of a large number of Leaders. So there was some sort of collapse in the movement. The young group of mine, along with other friends, decided to make 26th January quite a demonstrative affair. So that night we prepared a large number of tiranga jhandas, cyclostyled bulletins and well posters. Our group went in operation after 12 O'clock that night. And in that operation one was to go and hoist the flag on the Municipal officebuilding. Different groups were given different duties. I was in charge of this operation. The operation went on very well.
But in the course of that Doiphode, whom I have mentioned earlier, while sticking wall posters, got arrested. The police interrogated him in a tough manner. He disclosed my name. The next morning nothing happened, I went to school. I was in my classroom. The Police straightaway came to the school and went to the headmaster. Then they asked me: Did you do it?I said: I did it. Again they asked me; Are you going to continue to do it? I said; Yes, if I am allowed, I will continue to do that. So I was arrested in the classroom itself and from there I went to jail. I felt a little sorry for having gone to school that day. But I thought that if I did not go to school, there would be suspicion. There would be weakness in the people, who were working with me. So I thought, I must go and behave normally.
In 1932, jail was a very important epoch in my own life. I t changed me and educated me very well.
