ASHFAQULLAH AND BISMIL
- In 1920, Mahatma Gandhi initiated the Non-Cooperation Movement, urging Indians to withdraw their support from anything that sustained the British government and economy in India. Gandhi intended this movement to be peaceful, utilizing his methods of satyagraha to achieve self-governance.
- However, a pivotal event altered the course of the movement in 1922. When police firing resulted in the deaths of three protesters in Chauri Chaura, present-day Uttar Pradesh, a subsequent mob set fire to the police station, causing the deaths of 22 policemen.
- Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru mentioned in his autobiography that this incident abruptly ended the Non-Cooperation Movement, despite significant disagreement within the Indian National Congress (INC), leading Gandhi to call it off.
- This event prompted disillusionment among a group of young men, leading to the formation of the HRA.
- Ram Prasad Bismil and Ashfaqulla Khan, known for their poetry, were among its founders. Others included Sachindra Nath Bakshi and trade unionist Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee.
- Chandra Shekhar Azad and Bhagat Singh later joined the HRA. Their manifesto, released on January 1, 1925, titled Krantikari (Revolutionary), aimed to establish a federal Republic of United States of India through organized and armed revolution.
- They clarified that they were not terrorists or anarchists, yet acknowledged the use of such methods as a means of retaliation. Their envisioned republic focused on universal suffrage, socialist principles, and importantly, the eradication of systems enabling exploitation of one person by another.
- The Kakori train robbery marked a significant action for the HRA in August 1925. The targeted train, Number 8 Down Train, running from Shahjahanpur to Lucknow, carried treasury bags intended for the British treasury in Lucknow.
- The revolutionaries' aim was to rob this money, which they believed rightfully belonged to Indians. They sought both to finance the HRA and draw public attention to their cause.
- On August 9, 1925, as the train approached Kakori station, about 15 km from Lucknow, Rajendranath Lahiri, an HRA member already on board, pulled the train's chain to stop it. Subsequently, around ten revolutionaries, including Ram Prasad Bismil and Ashfaqullah Khan, boarded the train, overpowered the guard, looted the treasury bags (containing approx Rs 4,600), and fled to Lucknow.
- Unfortunately, due to a misfiring Mauser gun, a passenger named Ahmad Ali, a lawyer, was killed during the robbery, thwarting the revolutionaries' hopes for a positive public response.
- The British authorities responded fiercely, launching a violent crackdown and arresting many HRA members. Bismil was arrested in October, reportedly due to betrayal by two HRA members.
- Ashfaqullah managed to escape to Nepal and then Daltonganj (present-day Jharkhand) but was captured a year later. Out of the forty individuals arrested by the British, four received death sentences, while others faced lengthy prison terms.
- In 1928, a year following the execution of those involved in the Kakori Conspiracy, the HRA merged with various revolutionary groups from Punjab, Bihar, and Bengal, forming the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA).
- It gradually emphasized its Marxist leanings, collaborating with the Communist International and advocating for a revolution involving mass struggle to establish "the dictatorship of the proletariat."
- By the 1930s, the HSRA's momentum had declined, with many prominent leaders either imprisoned or deceased.
- However, during the latter part of the 1920s, the group actively participated in resistance against British rule.
- They engaged in protests against the Simon Commission, the subsequent assassination of assistant police commissioner J.P Saunders, the bombing of Viceroy Irwin’s train, and other acts of resistance. In the 1930s, the HSRA fragmented into various regional factions
4. Way forward
The severity of the British response was somewhat surprising, especially the handing out of capital sentences.
One way to view the Kakori incident is to see the symbolic message that it sent to the British Raj. While the sum stolen was paltry, such an act was unprecedented in the Raj where specifically money meant for the British treasury was looted. The revolutionaries did not touch anything else. The British response to Kakori was to set an example for future revolutionaries and restore British authority in the minds of the people.
For Indians, the Kakori incident is remembered as one of many revolutionary activities that were undoubtedly brave but ended in tragedy
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Previous Year Questions 1.Consider the following statements about the Kakori train conspiracy. (IB ACIO Grade II 2021) 1. In the incident of Kakori, the main conspirator was Ram Prasad Bismil. 2. The Kakori train robbery incident took place 16 km away from Lucknow on 9 August 1924. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? A.Neither 1 nor 2 B.1 only C.2 only Both 1 and 2 Answer (B) 2.In which of the following years did the Kakori Conspiracy case take place? (SSC CGL 2021) A.1919 B.1909 C.1932 D.1925 Answer (D) |
Source: indianexpress
