Chandrasekhar Azad
Chandrasekhar Azad was a born revolutionary. A contemporary of Bhagat Singh, Azad too lived for a short span but during the 25 years that he lived, Azad waged a valiant battle against the British and inspired the youth of the nation with his heroics. Worshipped by the masses and loathed by the government, Azad was on the run all his life and he used all the survival tricks up his sleeve to escape police dragnets again and again.
As a true revolutionary, Chandrasekhar Azad vowed that he would never be nabbed by the police and when the time comes, he would die a free man. On that fateful day of February 27, 1931, surrounded by police in the Alfred Park, Allahabad and all escape routes sealed, Azad fought like a man possessed and ultimately took his life with the last bullet of his pistol.
Chandrasekhar Azad is no more but his legacy continues till today in the form of legends and inspiring anecdotes. But somehow the Indian nation has failed to honor the supreme sacrifice made by Azad and his brave comrades. The present generation fails to even recognize many of our freedom fighters, let alone appreciating their contribution to Indian independence.
As a true revolutionary, Chandrasekhar Azad vowed that he would never be nabbed by the police and when the time comes, he would die a free man. On that fateful day of February 27, 1931, surrounded by police in the Alfred Park, Allahabad and all escape routes sealed, Azad fought like a man possessed and ultimately took his life with the last bullet of his pistol.
Chandrasekhar Azad is no more but his legacy continues till today in the form of legends and inspiring anecdotes. But somehow the Indian nation has failed to honor the supreme sacrifice made by Azad and his brave comrades. The present generation fails to even recognize many of our freedom fighters, let alone appreciating their contribution to Indian independence.
Kakori Train Robbery
The Kakori train robbery was a watershed event in the annals of Indian revolutionary movement. The sheer audacity and courage of this assault and its successful execution gave an impetus to the fledgling rebellious activities being waged across the country. Frontline leaders of the Hindustan Republican Association, an underground rebel outfit, such as Ashfaqullah Khan, Ramprasad Bismil and Chandrasekhar Azad were the lynchpin of the Kakori train robbery.
The mastermind behind this daredevil dacoity was Ramprasad Bismil who first conceived the plot while traveling from Shahjahanpur to Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh by the Number 8 Down Train. He noticed that at every station moneybags were being taken into the guard's van and being dropped into an iron safe and despite the valuable bounty security arrangements were lax and virtually non-existent inside the train. At a meeting with his fellow revolutionaries, Ramprasad laid bare his plan.
The members of the HRA approved this audacious plan and decided that the looted money would be used to garner arms and ammunition for the movement. August 9, 1925 was chosen as the D-day and a select group of ten including Ashfaqullah Khan, Ramprasad Bismil and Chandrasekhar Azad was entrusted the responsibility for execution. As the train was approaching the Kakori town, one of the revolutionaries stopped the train by pulling the chain and the rest overpowered the guard. After breaking into the guard's van the rebels escaped with the loot.
Repercussions of this robbery were swift and lethal. The government used all its resources in launching a massive manhunt and one by one all the revolutionaries fell into the police dragnet. After a farcical trial, Ashfaqullah Khan, Ramprasad Bismil, Roshan Singh, and Rajendra Lahiri were hanged. But the eternal survivor that he was, Chandrashekhar Azad managed to elude the police and continued his fight for many years to come.
The mastermind behind this daredevil dacoity was Ramprasad Bismil who first conceived the plot while traveling from Shahjahanpur to Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh by the Number 8 Down Train. He noticed that at every station moneybags were being taken into the guard's van and being dropped into an iron safe and despite the valuable bounty security arrangements were lax and virtually non-existent inside the train. At a meeting with his fellow revolutionaries, Ramprasad laid bare his plan.
The members of the HRA approved this audacious plan and decided that the looted money would be used to garner arms and ammunition for the movement. August 9, 1925 was chosen as the D-day and a select group of ten including Ashfaqullah Khan, Ramprasad Bismil and Chandrasekhar Azad was entrusted the responsibility for execution. As the train was approaching the Kakori town, one of the revolutionaries stopped the train by pulling the chain and the rest overpowered the guard. After breaking into the guard's van the rebels escaped with the loot.
Repercussions of this robbery were swift and lethal. The government used all its resources in launching a massive manhunt and one by one all the revolutionaries fell into the police dragnet. After a farcical trial, Ashfaqullah Khan, Ramprasad Bismil, Roshan Singh, and Rajendra Lahiri were hanged. But the eternal survivor that he was, Chandrashekhar Azad managed to elude the police and continued his fight for many years to come.
Life of Chandrasekhar Azad
One of the torchbearers of the revolutionary struggle against the British, Chandrasekhar Azad was born Chandrasekhar Tiwari on July 23, 1906 in the Bhabhra village in Madhya Pradesh. It was during his teenage days that Chandrasekhar adopted the sobriquet of 'Azad' which stands for 'free' in Urdu. Consequent to this, Azad vowed that he would never be taken alive by the British and would instead fight till his last breath.
Like many of his contemporaries, Chandrasekhar Azad too got disenchanted with the non cooperation movement when Gandhi called it off following the Chauri Chaura mob violence in 1922. He was disappointed with the divisions among the political leadership and believed that armed struggle is the only way to realize the dream of a free and socialist India. Azad joined the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) formed by Sachindranath Sanyal in 1923.
Chandrasekhar Azad played a key role in the famous Kakori train robbery of 1925 in which revolutionaries of HRA led by Ram Prasad Bismil and Ashfaqullah Khan looted the Number 8 Down Train carrying cash-bags belonging to the British Government Treasury. In retaliation, police launched an intense man-hunt and all the revolutionaries were rounded up with the sole exception of Chandrasekhar Azad. In such a grim scenario, Azad took upon himself the onerous task of rejuvenating the armed movement.
He joined hands with Bhagat Singh and other young patriots and converted the HRA into Hindustan Socialist Republican Association in 1927. Azad is widely regarded the mentor of Bhagat Singh and together they infused new life and energy into the flagging revolutionary movement. The highpoint of their association was the killing of DSP Saunders at Lahore in 1928 to avenge the death of freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai.
On February 27, 1931 Chandrasekhar Azad went to the Alfred Park in Allahabad to meet two of his comrades. On being tipped off by an informer, police surrounded the Park from all sides and asked Azad to surrender. But Azad chose to fight till his last breath and opened fire on the police. When all his ammunitions were finally exhausted and only one bullet remained in the pistol, Chandrasekhar Azad took his own life.
Like many of his contemporaries, Chandrasekhar Azad too got disenchanted with the non cooperation movement when Gandhi called it off following the Chauri Chaura mob violence in 1922. He was disappointed with the divisions among the political leadership and believed that armed struggle is the only way to realize the dream of a free and socialist India. Azad joined the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) formed by Sachindranath Sanyal in 1923.
Chandrasekhar Azad played a key role in the famous Kakori train robbery of 1925 in which revolutionaries of HRA led by Ram Prasad Bismil and Ashfaqullah Khan looted the Number 8 Down Train carrying cash-bags belonging to the British Government Treasury. In retaliation, police launched an intense man-hunt and all the revolutionaries were rounded up with the sole exception of Chandrasekhar Azad. In such a grim scenario, Azad took upon himself the onerous task of rejuvenating the armed movement.
He joined hands with Bhagat Singh and other young patriots and converted the HRA into Hindustan Socialist Republican Association in 1927. Azad is widely regarded the mentor of Bhagat Singh and together they infused new life and energy into the flagging revolutionary movement. The highpoint of their association was the killing of DSP Saunders at Lahore in 1928 to avenge the death of freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai.
On February 27, 1931 Chandrasekhar Azad went to the Alfred Park in Allahabad to meet two of his comrades. On being tipped off by an informer, police surrounded the Park from all sides and asked Azad to surrender. But Azad chose to fight till his last breath and opened fire on the police. When all his ammunitions were finally exhausted and only one bullet remained in the pistol, Chandrasekhar Azad took his own life.
Philosophy of Chandrasekhar Azad
The revolutionary zeal of Chandrasekhar Azad was a manifestation of his principles and philosophies. At an early age, Chandrasekhar became disenchanted with Gandhian philosophy because of the abrupt end to the non cooperation movement in 1922 and the subsequent split of the Congress Party into two factions. A depressing stagnancy prevailed in the political scenario that made Azad all the more determined to seek freedom through armed rebellion.
Azad believed that armed revolution against the enemies of people was indispensable to kindle patriotism among the masses. He joined hands with other revolutionaries like Ramprasad Bismil, Jogesh Chatterjee, and Sachindranath Sanyal to establish the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) in October 1924 in Kanpur. The organization was founded with the objective of unleashing a mass movement by inflicting blows to the British machinery.
Like his comrades Azad was also drawn towards the philosophy of socialism and he drew inspiration from the success of the Russian Revolution in 1917. After the arrest of most of the HRA leaders in the Kakori robbery, Azad came together with Bhagat Singh to reorganize the HRA as the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association. Attainment of a free and socialist India became the avowed objective of the organization.
Chandrasekhar Azad was a pious Hindu and he worshipped Lord Hanuman. Many a time Azad masqueraded as a priest in a Hanuman temple to escape police manhunts. He established a small hut near the temple of Lord hanuman on the banks of Saatar River and started living there in the disguise of Pandit Harishankar Brahmachari.
Azad believed that armed revolution against the enemies of people was indispensable to kindle patriotism among the masses. He joined hands with other revolutionaries like Ramprasad Bismil, Jogesh Chatterjee, and Sachindranath Sanyal to establish the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) in October 1924 in Kanpur. The organization was founded with the objective of unleashing a mass movement by inflicting blows to the British machinery.
Like his comrades Azad was also drawn towards the philosophy of socialism and he drew inspiration from the success of the Russian Revolution in 1917. After the arrest of most of the HRA leaders in the Kakori robbery, Azad came together with Bhagat Singh to reorganize the HRA as the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association. Attainment of a free and socialist India became the avowed objective of the organization.
Chandrasekhar Azad was a pious Hindu and he worshipped Lord Hanuman. Many a time Azad masqueraded as a priest in a Hanuman temple to escape police manhunts. He established a small hut near the temple of Lord hanuman on the banks of Saatar River and started living there in the disguise of Pandit Harishankar Brahmachari.
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