Lockdown 1898

It is not very often that events become an existential threat to life as we know it.  The asteroid that killed the dinosaurs, world wars, nuclear strikes are some cataclysmic events that come to mind. The COVID-19 pandemic we are experiencing today falls into that category. We all know someone who got infected, lost their livelihood or even worse succumbed to it. Life has become ‘before’ and ‘after’ the pandemic. For those who were too busy to stop and think about life, this has been akin to slamming the brakes at high speed. It has been an rude awakening for many of us.  This is a true transformational moment that shows the power of nature. But it is not the first time this has happened. Our ancestors in Bengaluru experienced something similar 123 years ago. 

Pandemics and epidemics have been part of our life for centuries. Going back in time, one of the earliest recorded outbreaks was the Plague of Athens which is reported to have wiped out a quarter of the entire population. Thereafter, once every few hundred years, this has repeated sparing no country in the world. Perhaps the worst pandemic in recorded history was the Black Death plague in Europe and Africa in the 14th century which is reported to have killed up to 200 million people. 

India has seen its share of devastation and Bengaluru has not been immune to mass outbreaks. August 12, 1898 is one such black day in the history of Bengaluru when plague made its appearance in the city. 

Plague is a disease caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium. It is usually passed through rodents’ fleas or other animals handled by humans. Plague is found on all continents except for Oceania. Over centuries, plague has destroyed entire civilizations but is more uncommon now thanks to improved sanitary conditions and antibiotics. 

Even though the current pandemic COVID-19 is caused by a virus, what is common is that both can be spread from one person to another when an infected person coughs and releases droplets that can infect others. Both resulted in people being isolated and immense pressure on medical facilities. The 1898 plague also resulted in some positive outcomes for Bengaluru as new, well planned extensions were added to the city. Telephone services were first started to assist in anti-plague operations.

What has also not changed over a hundred years is how people react to such outbreaks. There is denial (it does not exist or nothing will happen to me), disobedience (why should I listen to anyone or behave as instructed) and deviousness (evading testing or being dishonest about infection). 

The very first case of plague in Bengaluru followed the railway line from the west. Before plague reached Bengaluru, the epidemic had already become serious in several places like Pune, Hubli, Dharwad and Belgaum. All these places were connected to Bengaluru by rail. Hence trains were inspected for sick people and some were detained for observation. Even those who did not seem infected were escorted home and observed for 10 days. Despite all this, Bengaluru was not safe. It is said that the servant of a Railway Superintendent was Patient Zero. Soon, the disease spread mainly affecting areas around Goods Shed such as Akkipete, Balepete, Fort (City Market) and eventually to Ulsoor. These areas were overcrowded and congested with narrow streets and houses with no space around them. Shops selling grains in the old city area were infected and moved to the new Tharagupet area. Permission for traders to re-occupy the old shops were given only after disinfection.

Six weeks later, the first case in the Cantonment area was reported. Then, the disease spread like wildfire and the situation quickly got out of control. In the overcrowded areas of the city, the disease spread even more aggressively. Attempts to isolate infected persons resulted in opposition and rioting. About 49 people were arrested in Chikkaballapur for rioting and jailed in Bengaluru. 

At the news, there was general panic and over 25,000 people fled the city. Just as today’s border restrictions between states failed to control the spread of COVID-19, authorities back then realised that railway or road inspections helped detect only a handful of cases. From August 1898 to July 1899, over 225,000 people were examined on trains, 11500 were detained but only 66 of them actually developed plague, which was only 0.03%. Passengers were inspected several times during their journey and plague passports were issued at their destination. If a passenger came from an infected area, he or she had to appear at a notified area for 10 days for further observation. People gave false addresses in the hope of escaping observation. Some people even jumped off trains before stations to avoid inspection.

Initially those who were plague infected also refused to be isolated and admitted to plague hospitals or camps. Over time, through education and awareness drives, segregation became acceptable to most communities with the exception of Muslims. Home isolation proved usually fatal to patients and was also frequently violated. People started to even conceal deaths by abandoning or hiding bodies. This resulted in scenes straight out of nightmares and horror movies. A dhobi was stopped with his donkey carrying what seemed to be suspiciously heavy bundles. On inspection, it was discovered to contain his wife’s body which he was hoping to dispose of and avoid segregation and disinfection. It was not uncommon to see bodies on the streets. Carts were used to collect these bodies at regular intervals.