Thursday, October 1, 2009

Sukhdev

Sukhdev Thapar, son of Ram Lal, was born on May 15, 1907 at Lyalpur now in Pakistan and holds place in the list of prominent Indian revolutionaries.

Late twenties witnessed the agitation of revolutionaries when Lala Lajpat Rai was beaten to death when heading an anti-Simon procession. The incident took place in Lahore. It was a great loss to the nation.

After this incident, number of revolutionaries emerged who added a highly significant chapter in Indian freedom History. Some revolutionaries in the Northewest took the pledge of taking the revenge of the killing of Lala Lajpat Rai while they were present at his funeral on December 17, 1928 and Sukhdev was one such revolutionary. Consequently, Saunders who was Assistant Of Commissioner of Police was killed in broad daylight. Sukhdev was among the prominent accused of the conspiracy.

Jatin Das went on hunger strike for demanding the release of political prisoners during this case. It cost him life but it gained him the epithet of “McSwiney of India”. Sukhdev actively participated in Indian freedom struggle with Chandrasekhar and Bhagat Singh. He had established a small factory that was used to manufacture bombs. He along with his associates organized number of cells in the Punjab as well as in other areas of North India.

Sukhdev was a member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association. He participated actively in the activities of the association and was among the senior leaders. He also had initiated study circles at National College located at Lahore now in Pakistan. The purpose was to explore the past of the nation and to scrutinize other revolutionary literature of other parts of the world and also the Russian Revolution.

Sukhdev began Naujawan Bharat Sabha in Lahore (Pakistan). The sole aim of this association was to attract more and more youth towards freedom struggle and encourage them to actively take part in the efforts to get freedom to the nation by instilling scientific attitude, to fight against communalism and eliminate the practice of untouchability. In the year 1929 during his, he went on hunger strike to protect the human rights of his inmates there.

Sukhdev was arrested along with Bhagat Singh and Rajguru for the killing of Saunders. All the three revolutionaries were given death sentenced and were hanged in Central Jail in Lahore on March 23, 1931. The time was 7:33 in the evening, though the punishment was against all hanging norms. Their bodies were taken secretly out of the jail by breaking the back walls. Their funeral took place at the banks of the river Satluj where their bodies were cut into pieces to make the process burning faster.

Sukhdev wrote a letter to Mahatma Gandhi just two days prior to this day of his hanging punishment. The letter depicts his protest against Gandhiji condemnation for revolutionary methods adopted by them. This letter clearly shows the disparities between nth way of thinking of two prominent group of Indian Freedom Struggle i.e. extremist and moderates.

The Story of Independence

India became independent ion 15th August 1947. At Delhi the Union Jack of the British Empire came down and up went the Tri-colour flag of a new India. Those who were born on that year are old today. Those who are young today are eager to know what this independence is all about. The first rumblings of struggle burst into flames during the time of the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857. It took a hundred years after much blood shed and dashed hopes for the flag of free India to flutter from the ramparts of Red Fort, Delhi. A hundred years! Why did it take that long?

To find the answer one has to go back beyond the Mutiny. The Industrial Revolution in the West brought about gigantic changes in the pattern of manufacture. The demand arose for huge quantities of raw material. In search of this, propelled by steam ships the West began to foray into the East, especially India. Initially it was a private company – the East India Company that started the game of penetrating into the body polity of India. At that time the scene in India was ripe for foreign intervention. The Mughal Empire had collapsed. Local chieftains had raised their heads in Maratha and other places. In Bengal the Muslim Nawab had become independent of the Moghul Emperor in all but name. Roving bands of unpaid Mughal soldiers scoured the countryside depredating and looting.

There were dacoits known as Thugs of all types and creed. The local population was distressed sandwiched between these dacoits and lawlessness. One Indian ruler hated another. The western powers came as humble traders and got their trading rights from Delhi. Slowly they penetrated the country establishing a network of commerce backed by the power of the gun. Very cleverly they interfered in the struggle between local rulers to benefit themselves. There were many European powers in the fray – Dutch, French, Portuguese and of course the English amongst others. The sea faring English shrewdly defeated their western competitors on the one hand and on the other took over power from the native rulers, by playing one against the other. The British success reached its peak when Clive defeated Sirajuddulllah the Nawab of Bengal in the Battle of Plassey in 1757. Clive succeeded by encouraging defection, betrayal and setting up of a puppet on the throne.

Behind the political war games was the economic rape of the country. After all it is for the loot of raw materials that the English had come. To cite the example of cotton. They took it from India to feed the cotton mills in Manchester and then shipped the finished goods back to India to stifle the local market in the commodity. Acres and acres of land were forcibly taken away from cultivation for production of industrial crops like indigo. The East India Company set up their headquarters in Calcutta – it being easy to navigate through the River Hoogly. By the Permanent Settlement they created a group, the zamindars, who worked for the benefit of the British by oppressing the native cultivators. By various farmans and decrees the English established a virtual monopoly over trade and began to enjoy indefinite tax holidays. From Bengal the English spread their tentacles to the rest of India playing the same game of divide and rule. This had a two-fold effect. On one hand the owners of the East India Company came into conflict with the their employees whom they were cheating while on the other the Company as a unit was cheating the British government. On the other hand there grew widespread discontent among the Indian masses who were just waiting for any reason to burst into flames.

The Doctrine of Lapse provided the matchstick. The English arbitrarily decreed that if any Indian ruler did not have a natural heir then the British would take over the property. It caused tremendous anger but who could argue? The British spoke with the guns in front of them. To add insult to abuse the English started interfering with the social and religious customs of the country. Sati or the burning of widows came to be banned, laws were passed allowing for widow remarriage and Christian Missionaries became aggressive in their proselytizing zeal. Thus economic, political and social causes combined to spread unrest. The mutineers were emboldened by the fact that proportionately the Indian soldiers outnumbered the British by more than three times the number. The immediate cause was the introduction of the Enfield rifle, which required the soldier to use his mouth to remove the cartridges. Rumour spread that the cartridges were greased with either cow or pig’s fat – both animals being strictly taboo to Hindus and Muslims respectively.

The fire of revolt broke out in Barrackpore and Berhampore in West Bengal during the early part of 1857 led by the heroic sepoy Mangal Pandey and spread right across the country from the Jhelum to the Narmada. The outbreak at Barrackpore was quickly and ruthlessly suppressed. Mangal Pandey was hanged. But the mutiny surfaced with avenging ferocity from Meerut in May 1857 and spread like wild fire led by Nana Saheb of Maharastra, the rulers of Oudh and the Rani of Jhansi. Another prominent figure was Tantia Topi a Maharashtrian Brahmin who gave the leadership in Central India when his 20,000 supporters joined Nana Saheb. The English were mercilessly butchered en masse. Women and children were not spared. But the English soon retaliated. The mutiny failed. The Rani of Jhansi was killed in a battle, Nana Saheb ran into the jungles to end his days as a fugitive and Tantia Topi was betrayed, caught and hanged.

Why did the mutiny fail? Firstly as regards arms and ammunitions the British were far ahead of their opponents. The old breech-loaders were no match for the English muzzle loaders. It was the same with communication. The British used postal and telegraph systems to full advantage while the rebels shied away from anything modern as tainted and foreign. The English were fortunate enough to get the support of a majority of the feudal chiefs like Dinkar Rao of Gwalior, Salar Jung of Hyderabad, Jang Bahadur of Nepal and the Sikhs. The local population preferred the law and order of the British to the anarchy of the rebels. On the positive side able and wise leaders served the English. The mutineers were disorganized and localized. There was no cohesion and an all India plan.

The main result of the Mutiny was the end of the rule of the East India Company and the establishment of the rule of the British crown. It was the stern rule of British imperialism. The 1857 riots and its failure led to the birth of extremism in politics giving the movement for Independence a pan-Indian character. The confidence and rapport between India and England snapped to be replaced by distrust and lack of confidence. This was the major contribution of the 1857 revolt to the shaping of a new India.

For hundred years more the British flag fluttered proudly. But time and tide changes. The British began to educate the Indians in their ways of democracy and this proved to be their undoing. The new Indians began to thirst for the very freedom, which they had learnt from the British textbooks and teachers.

The breaking of the dawn of a new India has behind it economic, social and political reasons. On the social side the Brahmo Smaj in Bengal, the Prarthana Samaj and Arya Samaj in North India and the Theosophical Society in South India brought about great changes. The Ramakrishna Mission set up by Swami Vivekananda gave a new meaning to ancient India’s spiritual health and heritage. With this came the spread of English education. The Indian learnt to master the secrets of technological power. To make matters more conducive the Viceregal seat came to be occupied by enlightened men like Lord Ripon and Lord Bentinck, who took an active part in building up a new India. All combined to build up the right political atmosphere to challenge the British with their own tools – education and technology combined with a feeling of love for Motherland.

Meanwhile Britain had got embroiled with two World Wars with Germany. Germany too wanted to a share of the colonial loot but the allies would not allow it. It was a fight to the finish scenario and although Germany was humbled with America supporting the Allies, Britain came out exhausted and tired. On the one hand she had to tackle the German menace and on the other deal with the growing surge of Indian nationalism that began to close in on her. Britain began to find it difficult to retain her Empire.

M.K Gandhi led the Indians. Gandhi introduced a unique method of movement – the non-violent method of driving home the point. The British were baffled with this simple leader of the masses in a loincloth drinking goat’s milk and fasting frequently to make him be heard. There grew around Gandhi a tremendous following of the masses – the numbers began to swell by the day. Gandhi was ably followed and assisted by his protégé Nehru.

Another leader of substance who shook the pages of history was Subhas Chandra Bose. Bose believed that the enemy of your enemy is your friend. So he took up an opposite stand. He did not believe in appeasement. Subhas sought German and Japanese help to build up the Indian National Army to fight out the British and accept Independence on Indian terms. But Subhas at the last minute of success disappeared from the scene under a cloud of mystery raising many unanswered questions.

Against this background the wily British chose the path of divide and rule. They pitched the Muslims and Hindus against each other to their own advantage. Out of this was born Pakistan – a country with two arms at two ends of the sub-continent – West and East Pakistan comprising of Muslims only. The Hindus were thrown out lock stock and barrel leading to one of the worst holocausts of history ever to be recorded. Punjab and Bengal paid the price and were divided into two. Thus due to many forces – social, economic, political and manipulations of leaders power was transferred from the Britain to India in 1947. It was a bleeding and truncated India. The climax came with the assassination of Gandhi by some disgruntled elements.

Sixty years has passed. In the historical perspective it is still too soon to analyze the issue. But emotion should not blind us to the fact that India was never a political unity from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Assam to Gujarat till the coming of the British. Even the mighty Moghuls could not rule from mountain to ocean unchallenged. This has been the pattern of Indian history. There have been many kingdoms like Kashi, Kosala and Magadha but never one political unit in the modern sense. There was the unifying idea of the Indian subcontinent – Bharatvarsha. For economic and political gains the British had to bring this unity into effect. India is a land of many customs and languages with Sanskrit (and its modifications) Tamil and Urdu in the forefront. What binds the Indian subcontinent from time immemorial is her spiritualism. It will be too narrow and typical to term this as Hinduism. It is no ‘ism’ but something far beyond that, which embraces all and everything into its maternal fold. India’s greatness cannot be measured by the shine of her economy. It is something beyond shopping malls and zooming cars. Thus A.L Basham has rightly titled his masterpiece on Indian history as The Wonder That Was India.

Shiv Ram Hari Rajguru

Shiv Ram Hari Rajguru had a great amount of courage and was the owner of fearless spirit. This brave hero of India, commonly known as “Rajguru” who is still known for his indomitable courage, was born in the year 1906 in Hindu Brahmin family. He belonged to a mediocre family at Khed located in Poona district.

Rajguru studied Sanskrit and scriptures of Hindu religious while he was very young at Varanasi. He came into the contact of various revolutionaries at Varanasi and became the part of Indian Freedom Struggle. Moreover, he also got place in the senior leaders of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Army (HSRA) found by Chandrasekhar Azad. He adopted the false name of Raghunath and was known with this name in the party. He was a perfect shooter and was famous as the gunman of the party.

Rajguru had all praises for his motherland and was ready to sacrifice anything to get her freedom. Along with his close associates namely Chandrasekhar Azad, Jatin Das and Sardar Bhagat Singh. He had organized number of activities against the British rule. Uttar Pradesh and Punjab were his prominent working areas and his headquarters were in Agra, Lahore and Kanpur.

His Activities

Rajguru was an integral part of various revolutionary activities that were organized by the association (HSRA). The killing of Saunder is the most significant among all. This incident took place after the death of Lala Lajpat Rai who was beaten to death by British police when he was heading a procession against the Simon Commission. Thereafter the plan to take avenge of death of Lion of Punjab was made by killing Saunder who was the Assistant Commissioner of the police and Police Superintendent, Scott. Rajguru performed this task along with Chandrasekhar Azad, Bhagat Singh and Jai Gopal. The plan was executed on December17, 1928 at the time when Saunders was coming out of his office; Rajguru shot him with his pistol and killed him while Head Constable Channan Singh was shot dead by Chandrasekhar when he (the constable) tried to follow them. Rajguru left the city Lahore disguised as servant of Bhagat Singh and led a secret life in Luknow.

Sardar Bhagat Singh along with various other revolutionaries was arrested for their involvement in the case of Assembly Bomb. On 30 September in the year 1929, Rajguru also fell into the grip of British police. A case under the name ‘Lahore Conspiracy Case’ was initiated against total sixteen people and Rajguru was also among them.

October7, 1930 was the day of verdict when other revolutionaries were given different terms of imprisonment; Rajguru, Sukhdev and Chandrasekhar were given death sentence. it jolted the whole nation and they all three got the fame equal to Mahatma Gandhi.

All the attempts made by influential political heads of the nation to save the revolutionaries proved futile.

Eventually, Rajguru with the associates Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev was hanged in the jail of Lahore. It was evening time of March 23, 1931 and their bodies were taken stealthily out of the jail and were burnt under police control.

Rajguru acquired the epithet of martyr at very young age; he was hardly 23 years old. He would remain legend in the history of Indian Freedom Struggle

The Kakori Rail Dacoity

The Kakori Rail Dacoity

It was December 19, 1927. The winter sun rose late. But its golden rays brought warmth and joy to people shivering in the biting cold.

At the same time, in the District Jail at Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh, officials were getting ready to put an end to the life of a man. He was a revolutionary. Officials, both high and low, were busy. The Chief Jailer carefully inspected the rope, the sandbags and other things necessary for his execution . He was fully satisfied with the arrangements. Then he called out to his subordinate, "Bring the convict here". The official went with ten soldiers. The door of the cell of the man who was to die opened with a loud, harsh sound. That was the last time the door opened for this man.The brave patriot was waiting for this call. He asked cheerfully, "Is everything ready?"

The Lion Among Men

The hero in chains walked upright and with resolve between soldiers who led him to the hangman’s post. Those who were there forgot their positions and prestige and gazed at him with wonder and admiration. Once at the foot of the steps leading to the post, he covered them in two leaps and stood facing the post. When they removed the chains, he put forward his arms, drew the rope towards him and kissed it. He said, "My hands are not soiled with the murder of man. The charge against me is false. God will give me justice".Then he prayed in clear, ringing tones "La ilahi il Allah, Mohammed Ur Rasool Allah".The hangman’s noose came round his neck. The moment the lever was pressed, the plank on which he stood moved quickly and he went down into the pit below. He joined the band of the brave immortal heroes of the land. This hero was Ashfaqulla Khan, the immortal revolutionary.

Born in the early part of the twentieth century in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, Ashfaqulla was the son of Shafiqulla Khan. In 1921 the clouds of the non-cooperation movement were gathering all over India. Mahatma Gandhi had called on Indians not to pay taxes to the Government or cooperate with the British. This had kindled the fire of freedom in the hearts of all Indians. But at a place called Chauri Chaura people indulged in violence and set ablaze a police station resulting in the death of some policemen. Gandhi became sad on hearing this. It pained him much. So he called off the non-cooperation movement in February, 1922. The youth of the country were greatly disappointed and dejected on account of this.

Ashfaqulla was one such dejected youth. The country should become free as early as possible – this was his yearning and so he joined the revolutionaries. It was then that he decided to win the friendship of Ramaprasad, the revolutionary of Shahjahanpur.
Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil was already a famous revolutionary.

Ashfaq had one great difficulty in winning the friendship of Ramaprasad. He was a member of the Arya Samaj. He was eager to explain the greatness of the Hindu religion to those belonging to other faiths. He was eager to take back to the Hindu fold those who wished to return. He had almost taken a vow to do this. Ashfaq was a devout Muslim. But his religion did not come in the way of his attempt to win the friendship of Ramaprasad. Though initially Ashfaq met with some resistance from Ramprasad, eventually his relentless pursuit to strike up a friendship with Bismil bore fruit and they became friends. They ate and lived the revolutionary lives together. In the end both became martyrs on the same day but in different jails.

The young revolutionaries wanted to make use of revolver, bombs and other weapons to fight the British. Kashi (Varanasi) was the centre of their activities. They formed the Hindustan Republican Association. Their main objective was to win freedom for the country through armed revolution.

This Association published a manifesto called ‘Krantikari’ in 1925, spelling out its aims and objectives. The manifesto said it was wrong for one man to become rich by making another man work hard; it was also wrong for one man to be the master of another. The Association wanted to put an end to such things. Ramaprasad became the chief organiser of the Shahjahnpur wing of the Association. To meet their financial needs Ramaprasad and his assosiates looted some villages. Ashfaq took part in these activities with his brother’s licensed rifle.But the money they got by this means was not enough for their activities.

The idea of the Kakori train robbery was conceived in the mind of Ramaprasad while travelling by train from Shahjahanpur to Lucknow. At every station he noticed moneybags being taken into the guard’s van and being dropped into an iron safe. At Lucknow, he observed that there were no special security arrangements. He ran up and noted down the time and number of the train from the time table. He calculated that the money would amount to at least ten thousand rupees. He decided not to miss this chance. This was the beginning of the famous train dacoity at Kakori.

At a meeting with revolutionaries from Kashi, Kanpur, Lucknow and Agra, Ramaprasad explained his plans to them . He said, "If we loot the money belonging to the Government, we will get enough for our activities. Moreover, we will not have to harm our own people for money. The task is difficult. It needs to be done with great care. But our efforts will bring excellent rewards. The government also will come to know that the revolutionaries do not mealy talk but act".The members liked his idea.

Ashfaq listened silently. From the day he had heard it from Ramaprasad, he had thought about it thoroughly. So he got up and said, "Friends, I consider it a hasty step. It may be a good plan in some ways. But let us think of our strength and the strength of the Government. In an ordinary dacoity, much money is not involved. Besides, the Government will treat it as one of the many usual occurrences. So we shall have to face only what the police normally does in such cases. It will be a different tale when he meddles with money belonging to Government. The entire government machinery will be used to trace and crush us. In my opinion we cannot escape detection and punishment. Our party is not strong enough. Let us drop this plan".

But the revolutionaries were caught up in a flood of enthusiasm; they were not prepared to listen to sense. After debating the plan for a long time they decided to go ahead and entrusted the task to Ramaprasad. At the outset he sounded a word of caution. He said, "Friends, we should not fire at any one unless they fire at us. As far as possible let us do this deed without bloodshed". The meeting broke up.

On August 9, 1925 when the No.8 Down Train from Shahjahanpur to Lucknow was approaching Kakori , some one pulled the chain and the train stopped abruptly. Ashfaqulla got off the second class compartment with his friends Sachindra Bakshi and Rajendra Lahiri.

He had done the first part of his duty in the Kakori plot that day.

The guard got down to find out in which compartment the chain had been pulled and why. Two revolutionaries fell on him and made him lie down on his face. Two others pushed the driver from the engine to the ground and stood guard over him. One revolutionary stood at each end of the train and both fired shots with their pistols. In the meantime they shouted, "Travellers, do not be afraid. We are revolutionaries fighting for freedom. Your lives, money and honour are safe. But take care not to peep out of the train".

Four young men entered the guard’s van. They managed to push the box to the ground. It had a strong lock. There was an opening on the top; through this opening they could drop moneybags into it. But nothing could be taken out of it.The revolutionaries started dealing blows with hammers to break it open. Ashfaq was the strongest of the group and ran towards the box. He dealt blows after blows on the opening of the box to widen it.

Suddenly they heard the sound of a train coming from Lucknow. Ramaprasad was frightened for a moment. He trembled at the thought of the moving train colliding with the train they had stopped.

All eyes were on Ramaprasad. He ordered, "Stop firing. Turn down the pistols. Do not strike the box. Ashfaq, wait a little". The few minutes were like an age. The fast moving train passed by on the other track. The slit in the box was widened and the moneybags were taken out. During this time all passengers remained quiet including the British officers thinking that a big gang of dacoits had attacked the train.

The safe lay open. They were busy taking out the moneybags bundling them in rugs. Some of them walked towards Lucknow with the bundles on their head. Just ten young men had done this difficult job because of their courage, discipline and patience, leadership and, above all, love for the country. They had written a memorable chapter in the history of India’s fight for freedom. These revolutionaries were Ramaprasad Bismil, Rajendra Lahiri, Thakur Roshan Singh, Sachindra Bakshi, Chandra Sekhar Azad, Keshab Chakravarty, Banwari Lal, Mukundi Lal, Manmath Nath Gupta and Ashfaqulla Khan.

A month passed after the Kakori dacoity, and yet no one was arrested. But the Government had spread a big net.

On the morning of September 26, 1925 Ramaprasad was arrested. Before the police could arrest Ashfaq, he had escaped from his home and hid in a sugarcane field half a mile from his home. The police grew tired of searching for Ashfaq. All except Ashfaq had been taken into custody. He managed to reach Kashi after a difficult journey and met a few friends in the Benares University. They advised him to live quietly at least for some time. With the help of these friends he went to Bihar. He got a job as a clerk in an engineering firm at Daltonganj in Palamau district. He worked in the firm for about ten months. This long and forced rest became tiresome for him. So he went to Delhi to find out how he could go abroad and began making preparations. He met a Pathan friend from Shahjahanpur. They had been classmates at school. He was happy to meet Ashfaq after a long time. He took Ashfaq to his room and ordered a nice meal for him. They went on talking about old times till 11 o’ clock at night. Then Ashfaq went back to his room.

The next morning Ashfaq was sound asleep. Suddenly there was a loud knock. Ashfaq was still sleepy-eyed as he opened the door. And at once he fell into the hands of the police. Friendship, duty and even the feeling of belonging to the same place – none of these could check the Pathan’s greed for money. The Pathan had fed him, talked to him in a very friendly way and then had handed Ashfaq to the police.

The police wanted to use Ashfaq to suit their plans; they tried very hard to do so. An army officer, Tasadruk Khan, was in the police department and had rendered useful service to the British as their agent in Arabia during the First World War. He met Ashfaq in prison and tried to make him agree to give evidence against his former friends. But Ashfaq did not like his advice. The police charge -sheeted him in the court. By this time the Kakori case had progressed much; the case against Ashfaq was combined with it. A committee had been formed to defend the accused in the main case. Motilal Nehru was the chairman. There were eminent men like Jawaharlal, Sriprakasha, Acharya Narendra Dev, Govind Ballabh Pant and Chandra Bhanu Gupta on the committee.

Life in prison had made Ashfaq very pious. He said his prayers regularly and during Ramzan fasted very strictly. The main case and the complementary case relating to the Kakori train robbery came to an end. The Court of Justice under the British rule gave its judgement. Ramaprasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Rajendra Lahiri and Roshan Singh were to be put to death; the others were given life sentences.

The whole country protested against the death sentences. Members of the Central Legislature petitioned the Viceroy to reduce their death sentences into life sentences. Appeals were sent to the Privy council, the highest court in those days. But British imperialism was thirsting for the blood of the Indian revolutionaries.

The four revolutionaries sentenced to death died with a smile on their lips and a prayer that they be born again in India so that they could fight again for the country’s freedom. And so they became martyrs.

Ashfaq and Ramaprasad were poets just as they were revolutionaries. Ashfaq had composed poems mostly in Urdu and a few in Hindi. His pen names were Varasi and Hazarat. Ashfaqulla was an ideal revolutionary. His devotion to the cause he admired made him the foremost among those who gave their lives to win freedom for the country. Love for the motherland, clear thinking, courage, firmness and loyalty were embodied in Ashfaq to the hilt. He deserves to be remembered and cherished by all Indians for his noble qualities.

(Shachindra Nath Bakshi b. 25 Dec 1904, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh - d. was a prominent Indian revolutionary belonging to Hindustan Republican Association (HRA, which after 1928 became the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association or HSRA) that was created to carry out revolutionary activities against the British Empire in India.He participated in Kakori train robbery and was sentenced to life for the same.)

(Rajendra Lahiri 1892 - December 17, 1927 also known as Rajendra Nath Lahiri, was a Bengali revolutionary who participated in various revolutionary activities of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association aimed at ousting the British from India.He was born in village Mohanpur in District Pabna in erstwhile Bengal (now in Bangladesh). His father was Kshitish Mohan Lahiri. Rajendra Lahiri owned a big estate in Varanasi, but was very active in revolutionary and nationalist activities against the British rule. He participated in the Dakshineshwar bomb case and was sentenced to jail. He took part in the famous Kakori train robbery on August 9, 1925. He was arrested and tried, along with several other revolutionaries, in the year-long case. He was found guilty and hanged in the Gonda jail on December 17, 1927.)

(Thakur Roshan Singh (20 Dec 1927 Allahabad Uttar Pradesh) was a great Indian revolutionary.He hailed from Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh.He belonged to Hindustan Republican Association (HRA, which after 1928 became the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association or HSRA) that was created to carry out revolutionary activities against the British Empire in India.He participated in Kakori train robbery and was tried and sentenced to death for the same.He was a close associate of Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Chandra Shekar Azaad and Shaheed Bhagat Singh.)

(Banwari Lal was a prominent Indian revolutionary.He hailed from Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh.He belonged to Hindustan Republican Association (HRA, which after 1928 became the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association or HSRA) that was created to carry out revolutionary activities against the British Empire in India.He participated in Kakori train robbery and was sentenced for two years imprisonment.)

(Manmath Nath Gupta (1908-October 2000) was an Indian revolutionary and author of autobiographical, historical and fictional books in Hindi, English and Bengali. He joined the Indian independence movement at the age of 13, and was an active member of the Hindustan Republican Association. He participated in the famous Kakori train robbery in 1925 and was imprisoned till India's independence in 1947. He has written several books on the history of the Indian struggle for independence from a revolutionary's point of view, including They Lived Dangerously - Reminiscences of a Revolutionary. He was also the editor of the Hindi literary magazine Aajkal. Manmath Nath Gupta joined the Indian nationalist movement as early as the age of 13 years. In 1921, he was distributing pamphlets in the Gadolia area of Benares calling for a boycott of the reception of the Prince of Wales by the Maharaja of Banares. When a police officer approached him, he stood his ground instead of running away. During the court proceedings, he told the judge, "I will not cooperate with you." He was jailed for three months. The Kakori train robbery was the turning point in his life. On 9 August 1925, ten revolutionaries including Manmath Nath Gupta stopped a train near Kakori and looted the government treasury traveling in it. He was later arrested and tried for this incident, but being a teenager at that time, was not sentenced to death. He was instead imprisoned for life, and spent some time in the Cellular Jail in Andaman.He was released from imprisonment after India gained independence on August 15, 1947. He became a prolific writer, producing about 120 books in Hindi, English and Bengali. In They Lived Dangerously he narrates the life of revolutionaries and how they saw and reacted to the various events in Indian independence movement. This often presents an alternative point of view to the commonly accepted account. Speaking of the Chauri Chaura incident, he said, "India would have attained independence in 1922 but for Gandhi’s bungling, as many competent writers have said, but there is no doubt that on this occasion Gandhi had failed badly." he became a Communist party of India(CPI)member and was active in political and social movements.He joined the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and edited the Planning Commission's prestigious publications, including Yojna. He was also the editor of Bal Bharti, a children's magazine, and Aajkal, a Hindi literary magazine.)

Chandrashekhar Azad

Chandrashekhar Azad Biography

Born: July 23,1906
Died: February 27, 1931
Achievements: Involved in Kakori Train Robbery (1926), the attempt to blow up the Viceroy's train (1926), and the shooting of Saunders at Lahore (1928) to avenge the killing of Lala Lajpatrai; formed Hindustan Socialist Republican Association with fellow compatriots Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru.

Chandrashekhar Azad was a great Indian freedom fighter. His fierce patriotism and courage inspired others of his generation to enter freedom struggle. Chandrasekhar Azad was the mentor Bhagat Singh, another great freedom fighter, and along with Bhagat Singh he is considered as one of the greatest revolutionaries that India has produced.

Chandra Shekhar Azad was born on July 23,1906 in village Bhavra in Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh. His parents were Pandit Sitaram Tiwari and Jagarani Devi. He received his early schooling in Bhavra. For higher studies he went to the Sanskrit Pathashala at Varanasi. He was an ardent follower of Hanuman and once disguised himself as a priest in a hanuman temple to escape the dragnet of British police.

Chandrashekhar Azad was deeply troubled by the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in Amritsar in 1919. In 1921, when Mahatma Gandhi launched Non-Cooperation movement, Chandrasekhar Azad actively participated in revolutionary activities. He received his first punishment at the age of fifteen. Chandra Shekhar was caught while indulging in revolutionary activities. When the magistrate asked him his name, he said "Azad" (meaning free). Chandrashekhar Azad was sentenced to fifteen lashes. With each stroke of the whip the young Chandrasekhar shouted "Bart Mata Kid Jai". From then on Chandrashekhar assumed the title of Azad and came to known as Chandrashekhar Azad. Chandrashekhar Azad vowed that he would never be arrested by the British police and would die as free man.

After the suspension of non-cooperation movement Chandrashekhar Azad was attracted towards more aggressive and revolutionary ideals. He committed himself to complete independence by any means. Chandrashekhar Azad and his compatriots would target British officials known for their oppressive actions against ordinary people and freedom fighters. Chandrashekhar Azad was involved in Kakori Train Robbery (1926), the attempt to blow up the Viceroy's train (1926), and the shooting of Saunders at Lahore (1928) to avenge the killing of Lala Lajpatrai.

Along with Bhagat Singh and other compatriots like Sukhdev and Rajguru, Chandrashekhar Azad formed the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HRSA). HRSA was committed to complete Indian independence and socialist principles for India's future progress.

Chandrashekhar Azad was a terror for British police. He was on their hit list and the British police badly wanted to capture him dead or alive. On February 27, 1931 Chandrashekhar Azad met two of his comrades at the Alfred Park Allah bad. He was betrayed by an informer who had informed the British police. The police surrounded the park and ordered Chandrashekhar Azad to surrender. Chandrashekhar Azad fought alone valiantly and killed three policemen. But finding himself surrounded and seeing no route for escape, Chandrashekhar Azad shot himself. Thus he kept his pledge of not being caught alive.

First Indian War of Independence

First Online: January 08,1998

India's First War of Independence, termed Sepoy Riots by the British was an attempt to unite India against the invading British and to restore power to the Mogul emperor Bahadur Shah. The resistance disintegrated primarily due to lack of leadership and unity on the part of Indians, as also to cruel suppression by the British Army. It was a remarkable event in Indian history and marked the end of the Mogul empire and sealed India's fate as a British colony for the next hundred years.

Conditions

Indians working for the British Army, due to their deep traditions and faith faced numerous social barriers. In 1856 it was rumored that additional troops were to be recruited for service in Burma, where they could not follow all their religious rules, and that Christian missionary efforts among the troops were to receive official encouragement. The Zamindars (land owners) of the time wanted to protect their interests in the wake of land reforms by the British and funded anti-English activities.

The insurrection was triggered when the British introduced new rifle cartridges rumored to be greased with oil made from the fat of animals. The fat of cows was taboo to Hindus (see: Holy Cows) while Muslims were repelled by pig fat.

Violence

The violence started on May 10, 1857 in Meerut, when Mangal Pandey, a soldier in the Army shot his commander for forcing the Indian troops to use the controversial rifles. Indians constituted 96% of the 300,000 British Army and the violence against British quickly spread (hence the name Sepoy Mutiny). The local chiefs encouraged scattered revolts in hopes of regaining their lost privileges.

Siege of Delhi

Bahadur Shah II, by now the pensioned descendant of the Mogul dynasty, was popularly acclaimed as the leader of resistance. On June 8 a British relief force defeated an army of mutineers at Badli Sari and took up a position on the famous ridge, overlooking the city of Delhi. Nominally the besieging force, they were themselves besieged by the mutineers, who made a daring attempt to intercept their train. The arrival of more British reinforcements finally led to the defeat of the mutineers by John Nicholson, commander of the relief force. After six days of street fighting, Delhi was recaptured. This action was the turning point in the campaign and is known as Siege of Delhi. Bahadur Shah was captured and was exiled to Burma.

Corbis-Bettmann

The Attack of Mutineers, July 30, 1857
"One of their leaders waving his sword, shouted 'Come on my braves!"
Illustration from London Printing Company Limited

British Take Control

In spite of the loyalty of the Sikh troops, conquered only eight years before, and of the Gurkhas, the British commander, Sir Colin Campbell, had a difficult task. In addition to quelling the disturbance, he also had to protect the Ganges Valley and all of Hindustan against possible attacks from central India, to the south. Forces were dispatched from Madras and Bombay. However, the revolt had quickly spread to Kanpur and Lucknow. Kanpur, a city controlled by British on the Ganges 250 miles southeast of Delhi, surrendered to the Indian soldiers on June 28, 1857, and was the scene of a massacre before it was recaptured by the British on July 16. Lucknow, forty-five miles to the northeast, had been immediately besieged by the mutineers and was relieved by Henry Havelock's troops on September 25, five days after the final reoccupation of Delhi, the other chief center of the mutiny. However, Havelock's forces, even when joined by those of James Outram, were not strong enough to disarm and remove the enemy garrison, and they had to be relieved on November 16 by troops under Colin Campbell. The civilians of Lucknow were evacuated, but not until the siege of Mar. 9-16, 1858, had enough British troops massed to defeat the rebel army.

K.L. Kamat/Kamat's Potpourri

Indian Soldiers Being Executed by British Canons
The aftermath of India's First War of Independence, 1858

The final stage of the mutiny took place in central India, which was aroused by a roving band of rebels under the Maratha General Tatya Tope. After his capture and execution in April 1859, the leaderless Indians were soon pacified.

Why the Rebels Failed

Many native Indian states, influenced by the example of powerful Hyderabad, did not join the rebels.
Sikh soldiers of the Punjab area remained loyal to the British throughout. The Sikhs were a strong, well trained army, who the British had conquered using Indian soldiers.
The aging Bahadur Shah was neither a brave general, nor an astute leader of the people

Family of Patriots

Bhagat Singh was born in a Sikh family of farmers in the village of Banga of Layalpur district of Punjab (now in Pakistan) on September 27th of 1907. His family stood for patriotism, reform, and freedom of the country. His grandfather Arjun Singh was drawn to Arya Samaj, a reformist movement of Hinduism, and took keen interest in proceedings of the Indian National Congress. Bhagat Singh's father Kishen Singh and uncle Ajit Singh were members of Ghadr Party founded in the U.S. in early years of this century to route British rule in India. Both were jailed for alleged anti-British activities. Ajit Singh had 22 cases against him and was forced to flee to Iran. Thereafter he went to Turkey, Austria, Germany and finally to Brazil to escape Black Water (Kalapani) punishment for his revolutionary activities in India.

The Jalianwala Bagh Massacre

Young Bhagat Singh was brought up in a politically charged state of Punjab which was left with a seething memory of the Jalianwala massacre of more than 400 innocent lives and thousands injured (1919). As a lad of fourteen he went to this spot to collect soil from the park of Jalianwala (bagh) in his lunch box, sanctified by the blood of the innocent and kept it as a memento for life.

Bhagat Singh was studying at the National College founded by Lala Lajpatrai, a great revolutionary leader and reformist. To avoid early marriage, he ran away from home and, became a member of the youth organization Noujawan Bharat Sabha which had memberships of all sects and religions. He met Chandrashekhar Azad, B.K. Dutt and other revolutionaries. They used to print handouts and newspapers in secret and spread political awareness in India through Urdu, Punjabi and English. These were all banned activities in India at the time, punishable with imprisonment.

The Simon Commission, Murder of Lala Lajpatrai and the Revenge

Anti-British feelings were spreading; Indians wanted some proper representation in running the administration of their country to which British reciprocated only on paper. Noticing restlessness was spreading, the British Government appointed a commission under the leadership of Sir John Simon in 1928, to report on political happenings. There was no single Indian member in this commission, and all the political parties decided to boycott the commission when it planned to visit major cities of India.

In Lahore, Lala Lajpatrai (picture) and Pandit Madan Mohan Malavia decided to protest to the commission in open about their displeasure. It was a silent protest march, yet the police chief Scott had banned meetings or processions. Thousands joined, without giving room for any untoward incident. Even then, Scott beat Lala Lajpatrai severely with a lathi (bamboo stick) on the head several times. Finally the leader succumbed to the injuries.

Bhagat Singh who was an eye witness to the morbid scene vowed to take revenge and with the help of Azad, Rajguru and Sukhadev plotted to kill Scott. Unfortunately he killed Mr. Sanders, a junior officer, in a case of mistaken identity. He had to flee from Lahore to escape death punishment.

Bomb in the Assembly

Instead of finding the root cause for discontent of Indians, the British government took to more repressive measures. Under the Defense of India Act, it gave more power to the police to arrest persons to stop processions with suspicious movements and actions. The act brought in the council was defeated by one vote. Even then it was to be passed in the form of an ordinance in the "interest of the public." No doubt the British were keen to arrest all leaders who opposed its arbitrary actions, and Bhagat Singh who was in hiding all this while, volunteered to throw a bomb in the central assembly where the meeting to pass the ordinance was being held. It was a carefully laid out plot, not to cause death or injury but to draw the attention of the government, that the modes of its suppression could no more be tolerated. It was agreed that Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt would court arrest after throwing the bomb.

It was a forgone conclusion in 1929 April 8th at Delhi Central Assembly. Singh and Dutt threw handouts, and bombed in the corridor not to cause injury and courted arrest after shouting slogans Inquilab Zindabad (Long Live, Revolution!)

Meanwhile the killers of Sanders were identified by the treachery of Bhagat Singh's friends who became "Approvers." Bhagat Singh thought the court would be a proper venue to get publicity for the cause of freedom, and did not want to disown the crime. But he gave a fiery statement giving reasons for killing which was symbolic of freedom struggle. He wanted to be shot like a soldier, and not die at the gallows. But, his plea was rejected, and he was hanged on the 23rd of March 1931. He was 24.

Bhagat Singh became a legendary hero for the masses. Innumerable songs were composed about him, and the youth throughout the country made him their ideal. He became a symbol of bravery and a goal to free India.

Mahatma Gandhi on the Martyrdom of Bhagat Singh

Freedom fighter Sardar Bhagat Singh was hanged by the British on accusations of anti-government activities on March 23, 1931. Here, Gandhi pays tribute to the patriotism of the young martyr while disagreeing with his revolutionary methods. Excerpted from Gandhi's article in Young India.

Bhagat Singh and his two associates have been hanged. The Congress made many attempts to save their lives and the Government entertained many hopes of it, but all has been in a vain.

Bhagat Singh did not wish to live. He refused to apologize, or even file an appeal. Bhagat Singh was not a devotee of non-violence, but he did not subscribe to the religion of violence. He took to violence due to helplessness and to defend his homeland. In his last letter, Bhagat Singh wrote --" I have been arrested while waging a war. For me there can be no gallows. Put me into the mouth of a cannon and blow me off." These heroes had conquered the fear of death. Let us bow to them a thousand times for their heroism.

But we should not imitate their act. In our land of millions of destitute and crippled people, if we take to the practice of seeking justice through murder, there will be a terrifying situation. Our poor people will become victims of our atrocities. By making a dharma of violence, we shall be reaping the fruit of our own actions.

Hence, though we praise the courage of these brave men, we should never countenance their activities. Our dharma is to swallow our anger, abide by the discipline of non-violence and carry out our duty.

March 29, 1931