You are on page 1of 15

The Non-cooperation movement of 1920 led to large scale mobilisation of Indian population against the British rule.

Though intended as a Nonviolent resistance movement, it soon turned voilent. After the Chauri Chaura incident, Gandhi suspended the movement to prevent escalation of violence. This disillusioned a section of nationalists who felt the suspension was premature and unwarranted. The political vacuum created by the suspension led to the formation of revolutionary movements by the more radical amongst those who sought to overthrow British rule. [edit] Formation The Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) was established at a meeting in 1924, in the village of Bholachang, Brahamabaria subdivision, East Bengal. Present at the founding meeting were Pratul Ganguly, Narendra Mohan Sen and Sachindra Nath Sanyal. It emerged as an offshoot of the Anushilan SamitiHYPERLINK \l "cite_note-0"[1].The name was suggestive of the Irish Republican Army. Sanyal,the leading light of the new movement, wrote the organisation's manifesto titled The Revolutionary.[2] [edit] Objectives and Ideology The stated objective of the HRA was establishment of a "Federated Republic of the United States of India by an organised and armed revolution".[3]. Armed struggle, terrorism and retaliatory strikes were the favored tactics in the attempt to defeat the British empire. Its manifesto declared The Official terrorism is surely to be met by counter terrorism. A spirit of utter helplessness pervades every strata of our society and terrorism is an effective means of restoring the proper spirits in the society...this revolutionary party has deliberately abstained itself from entering into this terrorist campaign at the present moment...because the party is waiting to deliver the final blow. But when expediency will demand it the Party will unhesitatingly enter into a desperate campaign of terrorism, when the life of every officer and individual helping the foreign government will be made intolerable... [2]

and The Indian revolutionaries are neither terrorists nor anarchists... They do not believe terrorism alone can bring independence and do not want terrorism for terrorism's sake.[2] The HRA was also socialist in its attitude and was inspired by Bolshevik Russia. The manifesto stated,

..the railways and other means of transportation and communication,the mines and other kinds of very great industries... shall be nationalised...Instead of private and unorganised business enterprise, the Party prefers co-operative unions[2] Amongst other goals stated by the manifesto are Universal Suffrage, supremacy of the legislature and religious freedom. [edit] Early Activities From 1924 to 1925, the HRA grew in numbers with the influx of new members like Bhagat Singh, Chandrasekhar Azad, Sukhdev and Ram Prasad Bismil. The Kakori train robbery was the first well known action by the HRA. On 9 August, 1925 the members of the group looted government money that was being transferred in a train. The Kakori conspiracy case led to the hanging of Ashfaqullah Khan, Ramprasad Bismil, Roshan Singh and Rajendra Lahiri. Sanyal and Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee were sentenced to life imprisonment.[4] The Kakori arrests decimated the leadership of the HRA and dealt a major blow to its activities. Of the original conspirators, only Azad and Kundan Lal Gupta escaped. During this period the HRA splintered into various factions based in Kanpur, Lahore and Bengal. In 1927 a new group of revolutionaries like Jatindra nath Sanyal (brother of Sachindra), Phanindra Nath Ghosh and Bhirendra Nath Bhattacharjee emerged as active members. Ghosh was behind the attempted assassination of Rao Bahadur JN Banerjee in Benares in 1928. BN Bhattacharjee was the prime accused in the Deogarh Conspiracy Case[3]. [edit] The Hindustan Socialist Republican Association In September 1928, the Lahore faction (Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev) and Kanpur faction (Azad, Kundan Lal Gugta) of the HRA merged with the Bengali revolutionary faction led by Phanindra Nath Ghosh to form the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association(HSRA)[3]. This amalgamation came into existence at a meeting of the various factions at Feroz Shah Kotla grounds in Delhi. Bhagat Singh declared socialism as their ultimate goal and that their party's new name should reflect that. Azad was appointed as the Commander-in-chief and Bhagat Singh placed in charge of ideology[5]. The HSRA's manifesto titled Philosophy of the Bomb was written by Bhagawathi Charan Vohra[6]. [edit] Assassination of JP Saunders The HSRA decided avenge the death of Lala Lajpat Rai in a police lathi charge (a form of crowd control in which the police use heavy staves or `lathis' in Hindi) in November 1928. They decided to assassinate J A Scott, the Superintendent of Police, Lahore who had ordered lathicharge. The plan was to be executed by Bhagat Singh, Shivram Hari Rajguru, Azad and Jai Gopal. The assassination attempt was carried out on 17 December, 1928 in Lahore. It was planned that Jai Gopal would give a signal to Bhagat Singh and Rajguru as soon as Scott came of his office. However, Jai Gopal misidentified J. P. Saunders, the Assistant Superintendent of Police as Scott and gave the signal. Saunders was shot dead by Bhagat Singh and Raj Guru. A

head constable was also killed while trying to chase the shooters[7]. The next day the HSRA acknowledged the assassination by putting up posters in Lahore that read JP Saunders is dead; Lala Lajpat Rai is avenged ...In this man has died an agent of the British authority in India...Sorry for the bloodshed of the human being, but the sacrifice of individuals at the altar of revolution...is inevitable[8] [edit] Assembly Bombing The next major action HSRA carried out was the bombing of the Central Assembly in Delhi. This was done to protest the introduction of the Public Safety Bill and the Trade Disputes Bill. The HSRA decided to bomb the Assembly while the bills were being introduced to arouse public opinion against them. On April 8, 1929 Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw bombs at the empty treasury benches. They made no attempt to escape and courted arrest while shouting Inquilab Zindabad (Long Live the Revolution) and Samrajyavad ko nash ho (Down with Imperialism). Their rationale for the bombing was explained in a leaflet titled "To Make the Deaf Hear" (paraphrasing the words of douard Vaillant). This leaflet was also thrown in the assembly and was reproduced the next day in the Hindustan Times. No one was killed in the bombing as it was designed as a propaganda operation. On April 15, 1929 police raided the HSRA's bomb factory in Lahore and arrested Kishori Lal, Sukhdev and Jai Gopal. The Assembly Bomb Case trial followed and Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru were hanged on 23 March 1931 for their actions[9]. [edit] Later Activities In December 1929, the HSRA bombed the special train of Viceroy, Lord Irwin. The viceroy escaped unhurt. Later the Lahore faction of HSRA broke away and formed the Athisi Chakar (Fire Ring) party under the leadership of Hansraj 'Wireless'. They carried out a series of bombings across Punjab in June 1930. On 1 September 1930, the Rawalpindi faction made a failed attempt to burgle the Office of the Controller of Military Accounts. During this period the leading members of the HSRA were Azad, Yashpal, Bhagwati Charan Vohra and Kailash Pati. In July 1930 the HSRA robbed the Gadodia stores in New Delhi and carried away 14,000 Rupees. This money was later used to fund a bomb factory. In December 1930, an attempt was made to assassinate the Governor of Punjab, which wounded him in his arm.[10] [edit] Decline By 1931, most of the HSRA's main leaders were either dead or in jail. Kailash Pati was arrested in October 1930 and turned approver (witness for the prosecution ). On 27 February, 1931, Chandrasekar Azad shot himself during a gunfight with the police. Bhagat Singh, Sukdhev and Rajguru were hanged in March 1931. After Azad's death there was no central leader to unite the revolutionaries and regional differences increased. The Organisation split into various regional groups and they carried out bombings and attacks on Indian officials without any central coordination. In December 1931 another attempt was made to revive the HSRA at a

meeting in Meerut. However this attempt failed with the arrests of Yashpal and Daryao Singh in 1932[11]. This effectively ended the HSRA as an united organization though the various regional factions kept up their armed struggle till 1936. [edit] Criticism The association's methods were diametrically opposite to that of Gandhi's Nonviolent resistance movement. The revolutionaries and their methods were severely criticized by Gandhi. Responding to the attack on Lord Irwin's train, Gandhi wrote a harsh critique of the HSRA titled "The Cult of the Bomb" (Young India,2 January 1930). In it he declared that bomb throwing was nothing but froth coming to the surface in an agitated liquid. He condemned the HSRA and it's actions as "cowards" and "dastardly". According to Gandhi, the HSRA's violent struggle had its hazards. Violence led to more reprisals and suffering. Also, it would turn inward as it was an easy natural step from violence done to the foreign ruler to violence to our own people. [12]. The HSRA responded to this criticism with its own manifesto 'The Philosophy of the Bomb'[6], in which they defended their violent methods as being complementary to Gandhi's non violent methods[13]. [edit] Prominent Members What happened to him Sentenced to life in Andaman Cellular Jail; Died in prison (1942) Sentenced to Life in Assembly Bomb Case; Sentenced to death in Second Lahore Conspiracy Case; Hanged in 1931

Name

Involved in

Sachindra Nath Sanyal

Kakori train robbery (1926)

Bhagat Singh

JP Saunders assassination (1928), Central Assembly bombing (1929)

Chandrashekar Azad

Killed himself with his last bullet instead Kakori train robbery(1926), JP Saunders assassination of surrendering (1928) in a shootout with police(1931) Sentenced to Death in Kakori Case, Hanged in 1927 Sentenced to Death in Kakori Case, Hanged in 1927 Sentenced to Death in Kakori Case, Hanged in 1927 Sentenced to Death in Kakori Case, Hanged in 1927 Sentenced to Life in Kakori Case; Released in 1937 Sentenced to Life in Kakori Case; Became a Member of Parliament

Ram Prasad Bismil

Kakori train robbery(1926)

Ashfaqullah Khan

Kakori train robbery(1926)

Rajendra Lahiri

Kakori train robbery(1926)

Roshan Singh

Kakori train robbery(1926)

Shachindra Nath Bakshi

Kakori train robbery(1926)

Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee

Kakori train robbery(1926)

after independenc e Sentenced to Life in Kakori Case; Became a journalist after independenc e Sentenced to Life in Kakori Case Sentenced to death in Second Lahore Conspiracy Case; Hanged in 1931 Sentenced to Life in Central Assembly Bomb Case; Released in 1937 Killed in bomb blast (1930) Arrested in 1930. Turned Approver Arrested in 1930. Turned Approver; Killed in retaliation

Manmath Nath Gupta

Kakori train robbery(1926)

Govind Charan Kar

Kakori train robbery(1926)

Sukhdev Thapar

JP Saunders assassination (1928)

Batukeshwar Dutt

Central Assembly bombing (1929)

Bhagavathi Charan Vohra

Central Assembly bombing (1929)

Kailash Pati

Gadodia Store Robbery (1929)

Phanindra Nath Ghosh

Leader of Bengali faction

(1931) Arrested in 1932. Sentenced to seven years rigorous imprisonmen t; Became a Award winning novelist Sentenced to life in Second Lahore Conspiracy Case; Sentenced to life in Second Lahore Conspiracy Case; Sentenced to life in Second Lahore Conspiracy Case; Sentenced to life in Second Lahore Conspiracy Case;

Yash Pal

Viceroy train bombing (1929)

Jaidev Kapur

Central Assembly bombing (1929)

Sheo Varma

Central Assembly bombing (1929)

Bejoy Kumar Sinha

Central Assembly bombing (1929)

Gaya Prasad

Central Assembly bombing (1929)

[edit] See also Lala Lajpat Rai Kakori Train Robbery Revolutionary movement for Indian independence

Lahore Conspiracy Case [edit] Notes ^ Saha, p. 16-17 ^ a b c d Ralhan, P. 801-807 ^ a b c Ralhan, p.806 ^ Grewal, P.42 ^ Grewal, P44-45 ^ a b Bowden & Davis, P.29 ^ Bhagat Singh, P.16 ^ Grewal, P.46 ^ Bhagat Singh, P.18 ^ Relhan, P.716-720 ^ Relhan, P.720-730 ^ Gandhi, P.298 ^ Nayar p.173-175 [edit] References Ralhan, Om Prakash (1998), Encyclopaedia of political parties, Volumes 33-50, New Delhi: Anmol Publications, ISBN 8174888659, http://books.google.com/books?id=RJCB7CPPeWwC Grewal, P.M.S (2007), Bhagat Singh, liberation's blazing star, New Delhi: LeftWord Books, ISBN 8174888659, http://books.google.com/books?id=fSezgPlshGUC Bowden, Brett; Davis, Michael. T (2009), Terror: From Tyrannicide to Terrorism, Australia: Univ. of Queensland Press, ISBN 0702235997, http://books.google.com/books?id=dZjj87U6v9AC Singh, Bhagat; Lala, Camanna; Hooja, Bhupendra (2007), The jail notebook and other writings, New Delhi: Left Word Books, ISBN 818749672X, http://books.google.com/books?id=OAq4N60oopEC Nayar, Kuldip (2000), The martyr: Bhagat Singh experiments in revolution, New Delhi: HarAnand Publications, ISBN 8124107009, http://books.google.com/books?id=bG9lA6CrgQgC

Gandhi, Rajmohan (2008), Gandhi: the man, his people, and the empire, Berkeley: University of California Press, ISBN 0520255704, http://books.google.com/books?id=FauJL7LKXmkC Saha, Murari Mohan (2001), Documents Of The Revolutionary Socialist Party 1938-1947 A.D, Volume 1, Agartala: Lokayata Chetana NOTICE J.P. Saunders is dead; Lala Lajpat Rai is avenged Really it is horrible to imagine that so lowly and violent hand violent hand of an ordinary Police Offical, J.P. Saunders could ever dare to touch in such an insulting way the body of one so old, so revered and so loved by 300 millions of people of Hindustan and thus cause his death. The youth and manhood of India was challenged by blows hurled down on the head of the India's nationhood. And let the world know that India still lives; that the blood of youths has not been totally cooled down and that they can still risk their lives, if the honour of their nation is at stake. And it is proved through this act by those obscure who are ever persecuted, condemned and denounced even by their own people. Beware, Ye Tyrants ; Beware Do not injure the felling of a downtrodden and oppressed country. Think twice before perpetrating such diabolical deed, And remember that despite 'Arms Act' and strict guards against the smuggling of arms, the revolvers will ever continue to flow in-if no sufficient at present for and armed revolt, then at least sufficient to avenge the national insults. Inspite of all the denunciations and condemnation 0f their own kiths and kins, and ruthless repression and persecution of the alien government, party of young men will ever live to teach a lesson to the haughty rulers. They will be so bold as to cry even amidst the raging storm of opposition and repression, even on the scaffold: "LONG LIVE THE REVOLUTION" ! Sorry for the death of a man. But in this man has died the representative of an institution which is so cruel, lowly and so base that it must be abolished. In this man has died an agent of the British authority in India-the most tyrannical of Govt. of Govts. In the world. Sorry for the bloodshed of a human being; but the sacrifice of individuals at the altar of the Revolution that will bring freedom to all and make the exploitation of man by main impossible, is inevitable. Long Live The Revolution" ! .Sd/ - Balraj Dated 18th December, 1928 Commander-in-Chief 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 hangmans 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 hangmans 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 brothers 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 guards 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.

Kakori Train Robbery 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 guards 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 Indias 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 Pathans 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 countrys 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 Gandhis 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.) Top of Form 1

Web Email

www.liveindia.com

Sumitkamble66@yahoo.com

Bottom of Form 1

You might also like