Vansda is a small town, near Bilimora, in the district of Navsari. Rather pretentiously, up to 1949 it was the capital of the princely state of Bansda. In 1942, this nondescript town was catapulted to a center of controversy in modern Parsi history.
The year 1942 was a tumultuous one. The Second World War was going badly for Britain. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the shrewd tactician, gave the British a call to "Quit India.” The world economy was in the doldrums. The nation’s mood was heady; rebellion was in the air. Two Parsis believed it was the opportune moment and decided to......