Chandra Shekhar Azad

Chandra Shekhar was born on 23 July 1906 to Pandit Sita Ram Tiwari and Jagrani Devi. He received his early schooling in Bhavra. For higher studies he went to the Sanskrit Pathashala at Varanasi.
Chandrasekhar Azad (July 23, 1906 – February 27, 1931) was a great Indian freedom fighter and revolutionary thinker. Revered for his audacious deeds and fierce patriotism, he was the mentor of Bhagat Singh, the famous Indian martyr. Chandrasekhar Azad is considered one of the greatest Indian freedom fighter along with Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru, Ram Prasad Bismil, and Ashfaqulla Khan.


Revolutionary
Young Azad was one of the young generation of Indians when Mahatma Gandhi launched the Non-Cooperation Movement. But many were disillusioned with the suspension of the struggle in 1922 owing to the Chauri Chaura massacre of 22 policemen. Although Gandhi was appalled by the brutal violence, Azad did not feel that violence was unacceptable in the struggle, especially in view of the Amritsar Massacre of 1919, where Army units killed hundreds of unarmed civilians and wounded thousands in Amritsar. Young Azad and contemporaries like Bhagat Singh were deeply and emotionally influenced by that tragedy.
As a revolutionary, he adopted the last name Azad, which means "Free" in Urdu. There is an interesting story that while he adopted the name "Azad" he made a pledge that the Police will never capture him alive. Azad and others had committed themselves to absolute independence by any means. He was most famous for The Kakori Rail Dacoity in 1925 and the assassination of the assistant superintendent of Police John Poyantz Saunders in 1928. Azad and his compatriots would target British officials known for their oppressive actions against ordinary people, or for beating and torturing arrested freedom fighters.
Azad was also a believer in socialism as the basis for a future India, free of social and economic oppression and adversity.

With Bhagat Singh
Bhagat Singh joined Azad following the death of Lala Lajpat Rai, an Indian leader who was beaten to death by police officials. Azad trained Singh and others in covert activities, and the latter grew close to him after witnessing his resolve, patriotism and courage. Along with fellow patriots like Rajguru and Sukhdev, Azad and Singh formed the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association, committed to complete Indian independence and socialist principles of for India's future progress.
Betrayed by an informer on 27 February 1931 Azad was encircled by British troops in the Alfred park, Allahabad. He kept on fighting till the last bullet. Finding no other alternative, except surrender, Azad shot himself in the temple.

Escape and Death
On the 27th of February, 1931 Chandrashekhar Azad met two of his comrades, the names of whom are highly disputed. However, most people belive that they were a Veer Bhadra and a Prithvi Raj Azad. Prithvi Raj claims that he was there along with Veer Bhadra for a briefing on his mission to Russia. The Revolutionaries of the HSRA or the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association were planning a revolution in India with the help of the Communists of Russia. He further states that Veer Bhadra excused himself saying he had an appointment and left. He had been behaving highly suspiciously for a few days. A few minutes later a brigade of policemen suddenly fired a shot and had the park surrounded. Azad asked Prithvi Raj to flee and said that he would continue the fight. He was injured in his leg. The superintendent asked him to raise his hands and come out. Next moment he fell to the ground in agony as a bullet ripped through his arm. The brigade opened merciless fire in the course of which Azad was badly injured. He himself had already shot at least three policemen dead and many more were injured. At Alfred Park, behind an ancient tree, Azad made his last stand, a bold and defiant one. Till his last breath the soldiers were terrified of his sharp shooting skills. And this was to be the final stage of a heroic epic, the final scene in his life as well as the romantic revolutionaries of the HSRA. Seeing no way out Azad loaded his last bullet into his gun, it would be the last bullet he ever fired; he would be the last man he ever killed in the struggle for Indian Independence. Chandrashekhar Azad put the gun to his temple and shot himself. He had vowed to remain Azad or free all his life. He said that as long as he had his bumtulbukara or his pistol no one would ever catch him alive. He said that he would never be taken to the gallows tied up the way monkeys are, and made to dance by the British. His favourite couplet and only known composition is as follows: "Dushman ki goliyon ka hum samna karenge Azad hee rahein hain, azad hee raheinge!" Years of man hunt, terror, raids, assassinations and demonstrations had at last ended for the British Raj. With him all the revolutionaries were finished. The next time the British would face so grave a problem and so fierce an enemy would be 10 years later in 1941. There would be a much more developed and well organised army then lead by none other than the Netaji - Subhash Chandra Bose, an ardent supporter and sympathizer of Chandrashekhar Azad and Bhagat Singh.

Contemporary View
Azad is a hero to many Indians today. Alfred Park was renamed Chandrasekhar Azad park, as have been scores of schools, colleges, roads and other public institutions across India. Ever since Manoj Kumar's Shaheed Bhagat Singh film made in 1964, Azad's character has become central to any film or commemoration of the life and deeds of Bhagat Singh and his friends. He was played by Sunny Deol in 2002, in a film on Bhagat Singh.
The patriotism of Azad, Sukhdev, Bismil and Ashfaqulla Khan was also depicted in Rang De Basanti, a contemporary Bollywood film starring Aamir Khan that released in February 2006. The movie, which draws parallels between the lives of young freedom fighters such as Azad and Bhagat Singh and today's youth, also dwells upon the lack of appreciation among Indian youth today for the sacrifices made by these freedom fighters. The film also depicts the famous Kakori train robbery

Batukeshwar Dutt

Batukeshwar Dutt Alias Battu, s/o Gosta Bihari Dutt, Oari village, Khanda, Burdwan, U.P. was member of Hindusthan Socialist Republican Army and a close friend of Chandrasekhar Azad and Bhagat Singh. Working in Kanpur for the party . Know how to make friends. He along with Bhagat Singh had thrown bomb in the Central Assembly on 8th April 1929 to register protest of the patriotic Indian people against the Trade dispute bill and raised the slogan " Inquilab Zindabad" Sent up in Central Assembly bomb case. Bhagat Singh and B.K. Dutt were sentenced to transportation for life in the Delhi Assembly Bomb Case. After conviction they were transferred to Mianwali and Lahore jails respectively. They started hunger strike for better treatment to political prisoners in jails. After a few days Bhagat Singh was also shifted from Mianwali to Lahore Central Prison. Dutt was already there. They jointly addressed this letter to the Home Member, Government of India, enumerating their demands. From here started a period of prolonged struggle for better treatment to political prisoners in jails. Later Dutt was Sentenced on 12th June 1929 to life imprisonment from the court of session Judge of Delhi under section 307 Indian Penal Code and 4 Explosive Act. Deported to the Cellular Jail .Participated in two hunger strikes in Cellular Jail. Rapatriated in 1937. Released from Bankipur jail in the year 1938

Letter Addressed to Home Member , Government of India

Central Jail Lahore

24.6.29

WE, BHAGAT SINGH AND B.K. DUTT, WERE SENTENCED to life transportation in the Assembly Bomb Case, Delhi, on the 19th April, 1929. As long as we were undertrial prisoners in Delhi Jail, we were accorded a very good treatment from that jail to the Mianwali and Lahore Central Jails respectively, we wrote an application to the higher authorities asking for better diet and a few other facilities, and refused to take the jail diet. Our demands were as follows:

1) We, as political prisoners, should be given better diet and the standard of our diet should at least be the same as that of European prisoners. (It is not the sameness of dietary that we demand, but the sameness of standard of diet.)

2) We shall no be forced to do any hard and undignified lobours at all.

3) All books, other than those proscribed, alongwith writing materials, should be allowed to us without any restriction.

4) At least one standard daily paper should be supplied to every political prisoner.

5) Political prisoners should have a special ward of their own in every jail, provided with all necessities as those of the europeans. And all the political prisoners in one jail must be kept together in that ward.

6) Toilet necessities should be supplied.

7) Better clothing.

We have explained above the demands that we made. They are the most reasonable demands. The Jail authorities told us one day that the higher authorities have refused to comply with our demands.

Apart from that, they handle us very roughly while feeding us artificially, and Bhagat Singh was lying quite senseless on the 10th June, 1929, for about 15 mts., after the forcible feeding, which we request to be stopped without any further delay.

In addition, we may be permitted to refer to the recommendations made in the U.P. Jail Committee by Pt. Jagat Narain and K.B. Hafiz Hidayat Hussain. They have recommended the political prisoners to be treated as "Better Class Prisoners." We request you to kindly consider our demands at your earliest convenience.

- By "Political Prisoners", we mean all those people who are convicted for offences against the State, for instane the people who were convicted in the Lahore Conspiracy Cases, 1915-17, the Kakori Conspiracy Cases and Sedition Cases in general.

Yours

Bhagat Singh

B.K. Dutt

Shaheed Shiv Ram Hari Rajguru

The Three are always remembered together for their great Sacrifice. Just imagine age of 21 going on a Hunger Strike for a more than two Months, bearing all the Torture by the British. Today the Third of the Three Great Sons Shaheed Shiv Ram Hari Rajguru.

Shiv Ram Hari Rajguru was born in an average middle-class Hindu Brahmin family at Khed in Poona district in 1906. He came to Varanasi at a very early age where he learnt Sanskrit and read the Hindu religious scriptures. He had a good memory and learnt by heart the ‘Laghu Siddhant Kaumudi’. He loved physical exercises and was associated with a number of such associations. He had great admiration for Shivaji and his guerilla tactics.
At Varanasi, he came in contact with revolutionaries. He joined the movement and became an active member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Army (H.S.R.A). He was known in the party under the pseudonym of Raghunath. Rajguru had fearless spirit and indomitable courage. The only object of his adoration and worship was his motherland for whose liberation he considered no sacrifice too great. He was a close associate of Chandra Shekhar Azad, Sardar Bhagat Singh and Jatin Das and his field of activity was U.P and Punjab, with Kanpur, Agra and Lahore as his headquarters. Rajguru was a good shot and was regarded as the gunman of the party. He took part in various activities of the revolutionary movement, the most important being Saunder’s murder. Lala Lajpat Rai, an eminent nationalist leader and popular amongst the revolutionaries, was fatally wounded in a police lathi- charge on 20 October 1928, while leading a procession against the Simon Commission, and died on 17 November 1928. The revolutionaries planned to avenge Lalaji’s death by killing the Police Superintendent, Scott and the Deputy Superitendent of Police, Saunders who were responsible for the lathi charge leading to the death of Lalaji. Chandra Shekhar Azad, Shiv Ram Rajguru, Bhagat Singh and Jai Gopal were deputed for the work. On 17 December 1928, while Saunders came out of his office and started his motor- cycle, he was shot dead in front of the police headquarters at Lahore by Rajguru. Azad shot dead Channan Singh, a Head Constable, who wanted to chase the three revolutionaries. All of them escaped through the D.A.V. College compound: The same night posters of the HSRA declaring “Saunders is dead. Lalaji is avenged” were put up throughout the city of Lahore. On 20 December, Rajguru left Lahore disguised as Bhagat Singh’s servant, who travelled in a first class compartment with the wife and the young son of the revolutionary Bhagawati Charan. He left Bhagat Singh at Lucknow and went underground.
Later Bhagat Singh was arrested in the Assembly Bomb Case and several other revolutionaries were arrested with the help of approvers (Jai Gopal, Phanindra Nath and Hansraj Vohra). Rajguru was arrested at Poon on 30 September 1929 and a revolver with fourteen cartridges was recovered from a box where he was sleeping. The Government started a case against sixteen persons (including Rajguru), known as the Lahore Conspiracy Case. Judgement was delivered on 7 October 1930, Sardar Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru were sentenced to death and the other accused were awarded various terms of imprisonment. The whole nation was awakened and the names of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev became as popular as that of Mahatma Gandhi. Meetings, processions and representations were made for commutation of their death sentence. Mahatma Gandhi and the leaders of the Indian National Congress attempted to save their lives, but they failed. An appeal to the Privy Council was alos rejected. Rajguru along with his two comrades was hanged in the Lahore jail in the evening of 23 March 1931 and their bodies were burnt under police supervision. At the time of his martyrdom, Rajguru was hardly twenty- three years of age.
The execution of the young revolutionaries was regarded as a national disaster and national mourning was observed throughout the country. The A.I.C.C session at Karachi (1931) met under gloom and passed a resolution “placing on record its admiration of the bravery and sacrifice of the late Sardar Bhagat Singh and his comrades Sukhdev and Rajguru and mourning with the bereaved families the loss of these lives. The Congress is of opinion that the triple execution is an act of wanton vengeance and is a deliberate flounting of the unanmious demand of the nation for commutation.”

Amar Shaheed Sukhdev

It was late Twenties when the whole country was agitated over the Police assault on Lala Lajpat Rai while leading an anti-Simon procession in Lahore. The injuries claimed one of the stalwarts of Indian politics as its victim.
The revolutionaries of Northwest took the vow of avenging the death while watching the funeral flames devouring the mortal remains of the Lion of Punjab, on the 17th December 1928, the Asst. Commissioner of Police, Saunders, was done to death in broad day light. A Conspiracy case soon followed and Sukhdev found his place as one of the principal accused. It was during this case that Jatin Das sacrificed his life for the vindication of the political prisoners by restoring to a hunger strike, which cost him life but earned him the epithet of ‘McSwiney of India’.
Born at Lyalpur, Sukhdev had his training in the revolutionary movement along with Chandra Shekhar Azad and Bhagat Singh. He had set up a small factory at Lahore for the manufacture of bomb and was arrested there. In the trial that followed he had equal, honor with Bhagat Singh and Rajguru in receiving capital punishment. On the 20th March, 1931, the ‘Three Musketeers’ went up the gallows inside the Lahore Central Jail

Amar Shaheed Bhagat Singh

Introduction
One evening a boy of three was out for a walk with his father. There was also an elderly man with the father. Chatting they walked on and went beyond the village. Green crop delighted the eyes. The elders were walking along the edge of a field. Not hearing the footsteps of the boy, the father looked back. The boy was sitting on the ground and seemed to be planting some thing. The father became curious.
"What are you doing?" said he.
"Look, father, I shall grow guns all over the field" was the innocent reply of the boy. His eyes shone with the strong faith that guns would grow in the field. Both the elders were struck with wonder at the little boy's words.
The boy was Bhagat Singh who later fought like a hero for India's freedom and sacrificed his life.
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 Chandra Shekhar Sharma (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

Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Tilak, born on July23 1856,was one of the earliest architect of the edifice of nationalist movement in India. He received formal and collage education mainly in Poona. He passed B.A. in first class and it was during this time he was highly influenced by western Thinkers like Hegel, Kant, Spencer, Mill and Bentham. The studies made him realise the state in which his motherland existed under British Rule. After graduation he spurned the Government service and devoted his time in national awakening. He joined fellow activists like Agarkar, Chiplunkar and Namjoshi to set up New English School. He joined the Indian National Congress, which acquired a new dimension because of his stature. He opposed the 'Age of Consent Bill' strongly. It was at this time he emerged as a strong-voiced politician. In 1896, Bombay was hit by a deadly Plague. Tilak, who edited the newspapers, 'Kesari' and 'Marattha', hit back strongly at the administrative system charging them of taking inadequate measures and ignoring responsibilities. The British lawmakers didn't find it amusing and he was jailed for 18 months. In1907, he formed a radicalist faction inside the Congress and started the Home-Rule League along with an Irish lady, Ms. Annie Besant. Though a conservatist towards social reforms, he was a pioneer to foresee that mass support was needed to make his motherland free from imperialistic clutches. In order to bring the Maratha people together on the same platform, he started the celebration of Shivaji Festival. In 1908 he aimed at militant mass movement and expressed his views on Swarajya at the Calcutta session of I.N.C. In the same year he was arrested for conspiring against the Queen when he raised his voice against the partition of Bengal. He was jailed for 6 years. When the 'Indian Reforms Act' was introduced in 1919, he rejected it describing it as inadequate, disappointing and unsatisfactory. He launched the Congress Democratic Party in 1920 but before he could take up the action, he suddenly died on 1st August, leaving behind millions of mourners.A champion of the downtrodden people, Tilak was given the sobriquet "Lokmanya". He also authored books such as 'Geeta Rahasya" and "Arctic Home of Vedas

Annie Besant

Annie Besant was born to William Wood and Emily Morris in 1847. When she was five years old, her father, who was a doctor, passed away leaving her alone with her mother. Her mother, Emily, had to take care of Annie so she took up a job with a boarding school and left Annie with one of her friends.

In 1866, she tied the nuptial knot with Rev. Frank Besant and by the age of twenty-three she already had two children.
After some years of marriage she discovered that her independent views clashed with the religious views of her husband. When she refused to attend a communion, her husband asked her to leave home. They agreed to a divorce and parted ways.

She took her University degree in Sanskrit literature, English literature and Indian history from the Benaras Hindu University. She became a supporter of Theosophy in 1890 and believed in the Hindu law of Karma and reincarnation. Subsequently she came to live in India in 1893 and remained interested in the subject of women's rights. She was motivated by the freedom struggle of India and started the Home Rule League in India making it a household name. Her political career saw her being elected as the president of the Congress in 1917. She argued with the Indian leaders, especially Gandhiji, on some points such as if the people disregard the law ( in terms of the non co-operation movement) they will be hard to control when the country gets independence. This brought about some decline in her popularity. She was instrumental in drafting the Commonwealth of India Bill with help from Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru.

She opened a mock parliament that was used to train people in parliamentary affairs. It included mental preparation of what was to be said, behavior, etc. as a part of grooming people in order to make a healthy debate.
She strongly believed that education was necessary for children to build a strong character. She quoted that, ‘ a nations prosperity depends on the character of its people’.
Annie Besant died in India in 1933. After her death she was cremated in what was known as the garden of remembrance in Chennai.