INDIAN FREEDOM FIGHTERS

HAKIM AJMAL KHAN

2007-12-24T13:33:00.000-08:00

Hakim Ajmal Khan

Date of Birth : 1863
Date of Death : 1927
Place of Birth : Delhi

Dr. Hakim Ajmal Khan was a noted Indian freedom fighter, renowned physician and educationalist. He was the founder of the Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi. Hakim Ajmal Khan was born in 1863 in Delhi. His family, a distinguished line of physicians descended from the army of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire in India. Khan studied the Qur'an and traditional Islamic knowledge, before studying medicine at home, under the tutelage of his relatives. After launching himself in practise, Khan was appointed chief physician to the Nawab of Rampur from 1892 to 1902. In Rampur he met Syed Ahmed Khan and was appointed a trustee of the Aligarh college, now the Aligarh Muslim University.

Hakim Ajmal Khan took much interest in the expansion and development of the indigenous system of medicine, Tibb-i-Yunani, or Unani. Khan's family established the Tibbiya school in Delhi, in order to expand the research and practise of Unani. In recognition of his services in this field the Government of India conferred on him, in 1907 the title of 'Haziq-ul-Mulk'. But in 1910, Dr. Khan was organizing Indian physicians in protest of a Government decision to revoke official recongition for the practioners of Indian systems of medicine, of Unani and Ayurveda. Dr. Khan's involvement in politics began with writing for the Urdu weekly 'Akmal-ul-Akhbar', which was founded in 1865-70 and was run by his family. Dr. Khan was in the deputation of Muslims that met the Viceroy of India in Shimla in 1906, presenting him a memorandum on behalf of the community, and in 1907 was present in Dhaka where the All India Muslim League was created. Dr. Khan also backed the British during World War I, encouraging Indians to support the government, but the situation changed with the entry of Turkey. Upon the arrest of many Muslim leaders, Dr. Khan came to Mahatma Gandhi for support, who joined Khan and other Muslim leaders like Maulana Azad, Maulana Mohammad Ali and Maulana Shaukat Ali in the Khilafat movement. Dr. Khan resigned from the AMU when the authorities refused to endorse or participate in the Non-Cooperation Movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian National Congress. He was elected the President of the Congress in 1921, and fiercely condemned the Amritsar Massacre and the British response to the Khilafat. He was imprisoned for many months by police authorities. Dr. Khan had left the AMU owing to its historic resistance to the Indian National Congress. Along with many prominent Muslim nationalists like Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari, he laid the foundations of the Jamia Millia Islamia (Islamic National University) in Aligarh in 1920, in response to Mahatma Gandhi's call for Indians to boycott government institutions. The JMI grew into a prominent and prestigious university, and was moved to Delhi, where it stands today. Dr. Khan served as its first Chancellor, and was a key patron of the institution.

Dr. Khan died of heart problems on December 29, 1927. Dr. Khan had renounced his government title, and many of his Indian fans awarded him the title of 'Masih-ul-Mulk' (Healer of the Nation). He was succeeded in the position of JMI Chancellor by Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari.

SURENDRANATH BENARJI

2007-12-20T17:56:00.000-08:00

Surendranath Banerjee
Born - 10 November 1848
Died - 6 August 1925
Achievements - Being among the earliest of Indian politicians in the pre-independence era, Sir Surendranath Banerjee established the Indian National Association that he later merged with the Indian National Congress owing to their common agenda. At a very young age, he cleared the British instituted ICS examinations, but was dismissed due to racial discrimination. He whipped up a strong protest against this.

Among the earliest Indian politicians during the British raj was Sir Surendranath Banerjee. He set up the Indian National Association that was among the earliest political organizations of that era. Later on, Banerjee became a senior member of the Indian National Congress. Born on 10 November 1848 at Calcutta in West Bengal, Surendranath Banerjee was intensely swayed by the liberal, progressive thinking of his father, Durga Charan Banerjee. Read on to know more about the biography of Sir Surendranath Banerjee.

Sir Surendranath BanerjeeAfter graduating from the University of Calcutta, Surendranath traveled to England in 1868 along with Romesh Chunder Dutt and Behari Lal Gupta to appear for the Indian Civil Service exams. Though he passed the ICS in 1869, he was dismissed because of a dispute over his right age. After this matter was sorted out in a court of law, Banerjee reappeared for the exam and once again managed to clear it in 1871. He was appointed as the assistant magistrate in Sylhet, but was chucked out due to racial discrimination.

Not one to leave challenges lying down his entire life history, Sir Surendranath Banerjee headed straight to England this time. Though he raised his voice against the injustice, his protest failed to deliver any positive result. However, during his stay in England from 1874 to 1875, Banerjee acquainted himself with the works of Edmund Burke and other liberal philosophers. Upon returning to India, Surendranath Banerjee instead started working as a professor of English at the Metropolitan Institution, the Free Church Institution and at the Ripon College.

In the time to come, Banerjee went on to launch 'The Bengali' newspaper and the Indian National Association in 1876. He employed these forums to address political and social issues like the age-limit for Indian students appearing for ICS. He rebuked the racial discrimination practiced by the British officers through public speeches all over the country, which made him very popular. After the Congress was set up in 1885 at Bombay, Banerjee merged his Indian National Association with it owing to their common agenda. He served as Congress President in 1898 and 1904.

TELUGU FREEDOM FIGHTERS

2007-12-19T21:10:00.000-08:00

Durgaabaayi Deshmukh (1909-1981)

[Durgabai Deshmukh]
Eminent freedom fighter, social reformer, educator and leader of early women's movement

Jaateeya Pataaka Nirmaata,
Pingali Venkaiah (1887-1963)
[Pingali Venkayya]
Freedom fighter. Great follower of Mahatma Gandhi. Designed the tricolour -the Indian national flag.

Amara veerudu,
Potti Sreeraamulu (1901-1952)
[Potti Sriramulu]
Freedom fighter. Led the popular movement to unite Telugu speaking people under a single government and martyred himself in the process. His act of "Satyagraha" directly led to the eastablishment "Linguistic states" in modern India.

Andhra Kesari,
TanguTuuri Prakaasam Panthulu (1872-1957)
[Tanguturi Prakssam]
One of the greatest freedom fighters of India, eminent leader and administrator. Chief minister of Madras Presidency and the first chief minister of Andhra.

Candra Raajesvara Raavu (1915-1994)
[Chandra Rajeswara Rao]
Freedom fighter, eminent socialist, long time general secretary of the communist party of India

Swaami Raamaananda Teertha (?-?)
[Swami Ramananda Tirtha one*, ..]
Freedom fighter. He and other prominent communist and non-communist leaders led the free Telangana movement.

Telangaanaa Poru Bidda
Raavi Naarayana raavu (1908-1991)
[Ravi Narayana Rao]
Eminent freedom fighter, philanthropist, reformer, and parliamentarian. Spear headed liberation of Telangana movement. Founding member of the communist party of India.

Alluuri Seetaaraama Raaju (1897-1924)
[Alluri Sitarama Raju one*, two*]
Fearless freedom fighter. Led the most famous armed revolt in Telugu history against the British occupation

Kamyuunishtu Gaandhi,
puccala palli Sundarayya (1913-1985)
[Puchchalapalli Sundarayya]
Great freedom fighter, social reformer and parliamentarian. Led communist movements in Andhra and beyond for many decades.

Tenneti visvanaatham (1895-1979)
[Tenneti Viswanatham]
Freedom fighter, parliamentarian, leader and administrator. Close associate of Tanguturi Prakasam.

Uyyaalavaada Narasimhaa Reddi (d. 1847)
[Uyyalavada Narasimha Reddy]
Led one of the first popular revolts in all of India against British occupation

NETAJI SUBHASH CHANDRA BOSE

2007-12-19T09:57:00.000-08:00

Nethaji Subhash Chandra Bose was born on January 23, 1897 at Cuttack, in Orissa. He was the sixth son of Janakinath and Prabhavati Bose.
Subhash was an excellent student and after school joined the Presidency College, Calcutta, where he studied philosophy, a subject he was interest in.
As a young boy Subhash felt neglected among his 8 siblings. At his English school he suffered under the discrimination faced by Indians which made him even sadder.

nethaji Subhash chandra boseNethaji wanted to work for the poor but his father, had other ideas. He sent Subhash to England to appear for the Indian Civil Service. In July 1920, barely eight months later Subhash Chandra Bose appeared in the Civil Service Examination and passed it with distinction. But he didn't want to be a member of the bureaucracy and resigned from the service and returned to India.

Back home, he participated in the freedom movement along with 'Deshbandhu' C.R. Das. He was thrown into jail but that only made him more determined. Subhash joined the congress and rose to its Presidentship in 1938 a post he held for 2 years.

In 1939, when the Second World War started Gandhiji and other leaders were against doing anything anti-Britain. But Subhash thought differently. He knew, for instance, that the fall of the Roman Empire had led to the freedom of its colonies. He decided to seek foreign help for his cause of freeing India.

He was arrested and kept in his house under detention. On January 17, 1941, while everyone was asleep, Bose slipped out of his house into a waiting car. Disguised as a Muslim religious teacher, Bose managed to reach Peshawar two days later.

Bose went to Italy, Germany and even Russia to seek help but without much use. Subash decided to organize Indians on his own. He landed in Singapore and grouped Indians there into the Indian National Army or the Azad Hind Fauj and declared himself the temporary leader of the free Indian government. Japan, Germany and Italy recognizied Subhash's government and the whole of India rejoiced.

The INA marched to Andaman and Nicobar islands, liberating and renaming them as Shaheed and Swaraj islands. On March 18, 1944, it crossed the Burmese border and reached Manipur where free India's banner was raised with the shouts of 'Jai Hind' and 'Netaji Zindabad'. But heavy rain prevented any further movement and the units had to fall back. Even then Netaji was determined. On August 17, 1945, he issued a Special Order to the INA which said that "Delhi is still our goal".

He then wanted to go to Russia to seek Soviet help to fight the British. But the ill-fated plane in which he was flying, crashed in Taipei on August 18, 1945, resulting in his death.

Some people believe that Subhash Chandra Bose didn't die, that he faked his own crash to escape the British who wanted to arrest him. There were even reports of Bose living in Russia and other foreign countries, even some claims of having seen him as a sadhu… but none were ever proved and today his death in the plane crash is the accepted version.

Events in Nethaji's Life

* 1897: Born to Sri Janaki Nath Basu and Pravabati Devi in Cuttack, Orissa
* 1913: Stood second in the School leaving examination and took admission in Presidency college, Calcutta.
* 1915: Passed Intermediate examination in first division.
* 1916: Charged for misbehaving with British Professor, rusticated from Prsidency college.
* 1917: Got admitted in Scottish Church college in Philosphy Honours.
* 1919: Got first class in Philosophy Honours and left for England for ICS examination.
* 1920: Passed the then ICS examnation in London with highest marks in English.
* 1921: He got the prestigious tripos degree of Cambridge University.
* Resigned from his ICS job and came back to mother land in the same year. Formed South Calcutta Sevak Samity. Was arrested in the end of 1921 for anti British movement.
* 1922: Released from jail on August 1. Joined Swarajya dal under the leadership of Deshbandhu Chittaranjan in Gaya congress.
* 1923: Elected President of All India Youth Congress; elected Secretary of Bengal State Congress and Editor of the paper 'Forward', founded by Deshabandhu.
* 1924: Swarajya Dal won Calcutta Municipality election. Deshabandhu elected Mayor of Calcutta and Subhas Chandra became CEO. Arrested again in October by the British Government.
* 1924-27: Spent nearly three years in the Burma jail; released in May.
* 1925: Deshabandhu passed away.
* 1927: Elected General Secretary of All India Congress Committee.
* 1928: Formed the Volunteer organization in the Calcutta summit of Indian Congress and elected as the General Officer in Command.
* 1929: Addressed the Lahore summit of Indian Congress and proposed for a parallel Government in India.
* 1930: Jailed in January again; elected Mayor of Calcutta Corporation from jail.
* 1931: Elected President of INTUC in Calcutta meeting.
* 1933: Left for Europe.
* 1933-36: Met reputed personalities like Mussolini in Italy, Felder in Germany, D. Valera in Ireland and Roma Rolland in France.
* 1936: Returned to India in April; arrested in Bombay.
* 1936-37: Released in March and started for Europe; published 'Indian Struggle'.
* 1938: Elected President of Indian Congress. d President of Indian Congress; made the historic speech in Haripura convention; formed National Planning Commission. Rabindra Nath Tagore falicited Subhas Cahndra in Santiniketan.
* 1939: Reelected President of Indian Congress; resigned and formed the new organization Forward Block; Rabindra Nath laid the Foundation stone of Mahajati Sadan.
* 1940: Arrested and started fasting in the jail; released from the jail.
* 1941: Left home and absconded; reached Kabul and then left for Moscow; met Hitler in Berlin.
* 1942: Left home and made the historic speech on air from Germany; formed Indian Legion and expanded its activities.
* 1943: Started for Japan by submarine; reached Tokyo and delivered the speech on air in Tokyo; convened the meeting of South East Asian Indian Independence League.
* Formed the Azad Hind Government on October 21; visited Andaman islands in December.
* 1944: The Azad Hind Fauz approached the Arakan front; war breaks out near Imphal and Azad Hind took control of Kohima-Imphal; rejected the peace proposal of British Govrnment through a speech on air; reached Tokyo to discuss with Japanese Government; addressed a massive public meeting in Kualalampur.
* 1945: Delivered the speech on air from Sonan Radio; started for Bangkok.
* Laid foundation stone for Martyrs' statues at Sonan; Hirosima and Nagasaki destroyed by atom bomb by the Americans; Japan surrenders; Subhas left Saigon to implement his future plans.Netaji Subhas could not be traced after that. Some people believe that he died in a plane crash, others refuse to accept that even today.

Comments of Nethaji Subash Chandra bose

Netaji was a 'dare-all leader' By Satya Prakash Malaviya in "The Pioneer"

Subhash Chandra Bose is one of the few heroes of history who left the deepest impress on the minds of the people of India within a short span of his charismatic life. He was born on January 23,1897 at Cuttack in Orissa.

Subhash Bose passed the Indian Civil Service examination obtaining fourth position but resigned in April, 1921. He was the first Indian to resign from the Indian Civil Service.

The Under Secretary of State for India sent for him. Subhash told him, "I do not think one can be loyal to the British Raj and yet serve India honestly, heart and soul."

He returned to India on July 16th, 1921, and met Mahatma Gandhi on the same day at Bombay. He wrote, "I remember clearly the scene of that afternoon...

"Facing the door sat the Mahatma...(he) received me with his typical hearty smile and soon put me at ease and the conversation started at once. I wanted to know about his plan which would finally lead to overthrowing foreign rule. And so I heaped question upon question and the Mahatma replied with patience."

However, Subhash left Gandhi, disappointed because he thought it impossible to change the British.

Subhash was an indefatigable fighter for democracy within Congress. Mahatma Gandhi loved Subhash and Subhash had the highest respect for him. Gandhi called him "dare all leader". It is said that the sobriquet Netaji was given by Gandhi.

Subsequently at a mass rally held on July 9, 1943 at Singapore the title Netaji was affectionately conferred on Subhash by public acclamation. Both Gandhi and Subhash had one thing in common: their chief concern was to transform ideas into facts.

Gandhi believed in the doctrine of nonviolence to attain freedom, but Bose believed in revolutionary means for the goal of Swaraj.

Political testament of Subhash is remarkable. He wrote, "To my countrymen I say forget not that the grossest crime is to compromise with injustice and wrong.

"Remember the eternal law you must give life, if you want to get it. And remember that the highest virtue is to battle against inequity, no matter what the cost may be. The individual must die so that the nation may live. Today I must die, so that India may live and may win freedom and glory."

He was completely dedicated to the cause of India's independence. He had one desire alone to find ways and means to fight for liberation of the motherland.

On January 17, 1941, Subhash escaped from his Eight Road House in Calcutta and left India.

For about a year nothing was heard of him. There was also a news flash towards the close of 1941 that Subhash had died in air crash. On March 25, 1942 all doubts about Subhash were set at rest when he made a Broadcast from Radio Berlin. He spoke, "This is Subhash Chandra Bose, who is still alive speaking to you over the Azad Hind Radio...

"Ever since I left India last year, British propaganda agencies have from time to time given contradictory reports about my whereabouts... The latest report about my death is perhaps an instance of wishful thinking. I can imagine that the British Government would, at this critical hour in India's history, like to see me dead since they are now trying their level best to win India over to their side for the purpose of their imperialistic war".

In August 1942 Gandhi gave a call for Britishers to "Quit India" and for Indians to "Do or Die." Subhash Bose gave his full support to this call through his Radio Broadcast from Germany on August 31, 1942 in which he said, "In the last days of our campaign there will be much suffering and sorrow, much persecution and slaughter... But that is the price of liberty and it has to be paid. It is but natural that in its last hours the British lion will bite hard, but it is after all the bite of a dying lion, and we shall survive it."

In a broadcast from Bangkok on October 2, 1943, on the occasion of 75th birth anniversary of Gandhi, Bose described him as the greatest leader of Indians and his services to the cause of India's freedom as unique and unparalleled and added that his name will be written in letters of gold in our national history for all time.

Subhash was the first to address Mahatma Gandhi as Father of Nation. (NB: The "Mahatma" had not yet "died" a coward's death at Partition talks! At that particular moment in time the "Mahatma" was like the Cardinal who had not yet shot dead his mother or raped his kitchen maid.)

In a Broadcast from Azad Hind Radio on July 6, 1944 he said, "India's last war of Independence has begun... Troops of the Azad Hind Fauz are now fighting bravely on the soil of India... Father of our nation! In this holy war of India's liberation, we ask for your blessings and good wishes".

The deeds of INA are heroic and a saga of supreme sacrifice. On August 22,1945 Tokyo Radio announced that Subhash Chandra Bose had died in an air-crash in Formosa on August 18,1945 en route to Japan. He was then forty-eight years only. No Indian believed the shocking news.

Today we must remember the following tribute of Gandhi to Bose: "The greatest and the lasting act of Netaji was that he abolished all distinctions of caste and class. He was Indian first and last. What is more, he fired all under him with the same zeal so that they forgot in his presence all distinctions and acted as one man."

The nation refuses to believe that their true Idol of Patriotism, Subhash Bose, is dead.

SAROJINI NAIDU

2007-12-16T14:38:00.000-08:00

Sarojini Naidu was born as the eldest daughter of a scientist-philosopher father, Aghornath Chattopadhyaya, and mother Varasundari, who was a Bengali Poetess, on 13 February, 1879. Her father was a pioneer in education, a linguist and an original thinker. He established the Nizam’s college in Hyderabad in 1878, pioneering English and women’s education. She was bought up in a house of intellectuals, poets, philosophers and revolutionaries. She claims that she was bought up in a home of Indians, not Hindus or Brahmins.

She passed Matriculation at the age of 12, and came out first in Madras Presidency. Young Sarojini was a very bright girl. Her father wanted her to become a mathematician or a scientist. But she loved poetry from a very early age. With her father’s support, she wrote a play called “Maher Muneer” in the Persian language. The Nawab of Hyderabad reading a copy of it sent by Sarojini’s father was impressed by the beautiful play written by the young girl. The college gave her a scholarship to study abroad. At the age of 16, she got admitted to King’s College of England.

At the age of 15, she met Dr. Govindarajulu Naidu and fell in love with him. He was from South India. After finishing her studies at the age of 19, she married him during the time when inter-caste marriages were not allowed. Her marriage was a very happy one. They were married by the Brahmo Marriage Act (1872), in Madras in 1898. They had four children. Their house in Hyderabad is the renowned Golden Threshold.

In 1916, she met Mahatma Gandhi and from then on she totally contributed herself to the fight for freedom. The independence of India became the heart and soul of her work. She was responsible for awakening the women of India. She re-established self-esteem within the women of India. In Hyderabad she was awarded the Kaiser-I-Hind Gold Medal for her outstanding work during the plague epidemic. In 1925, she became the Chairperson to the summit of congress in Kanpur. She went to USA in 1928 with the message of the non-violence. In 1929 she presided over the East Africa Indian Congress in Mombassa, and gave lectures all over South East Africa. In 1942, she was arrested during the “Quit India” protest and stayed in jail for 21 months with Gandhiji.

Sarojini NaiduSarojini Naidu is also well acclaimed for her contribution in poetry. Her poetry had beautiful words that could also be sung. Her collection of poems was published in 1905 under the title “Golden Threshold”. She published two other collections called “The Bird of Time”, and “The Broken Wings”. Later, “The Magic Tree”, “The Wizard Mask”, and “A Treasury of Poems” were published. Mahashree Arvind, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Rabindranath Tagore were among the thousands of admirers of her work. Gopala Krishna Gokhle advised her to use her poetry and her beautiful words to rejuvenate the spirit of independence in the hearts of villagers and also asked her to use her talent to free Mother India.

After Independence, she became the Governor of Uttar Pradesh. As the first women governor of the largest state of the union, she brought beauty, and grace to public life. She was a woman of a great country, with such a great heritage in which great women were born. Their purity, courage, determination, and self-confidence were the foundation of her own character and personality.

On March 2 1949, she took her last breath and India lost her beloved child, “Bulbul”. She died in her office at Lucknow at the age of seventy. Nevertheless, her name will be in the Golden history of India as an inspiring poet and a brave freedom fighter. Sarojini Devi was a great patriot, politician, orator, and administrator. She was a life-long freedom fighter, social worker, ideal house wife, and poet. She was truly one of the jewels of the world. Being one of the most famous heroines of the 20th century, her birthday is celebrated as “Women’s Day”.

KELADI CHENNAMMA

2007-12-15T13:08:00.000-08:00

She ruled over a small state, Keladi for twentyfive years (1671-1696). but proved herself a great and heroic queen. She protected the kingdom when her husband failed his duty. And she faced the wrath of the mighty Aurangazeb, and gave shelter to Rajaram, Shivaji's son.

Keladi

She was the Queen of an ancient State. She had no husband. Still she fought with the many foes around and freed the kingdom from several dangers. But soon she had to face another danger. Aurangzeb was the Moghul Emperor then. 'Alamgir' was his title. Alamgir means one who has conquered the whole world. Aurangzeb had conquered manykingdoms in North India and had turned his eyes towards the South. His thirst for expansion was not yet quenched and his vast: powerful army attacked this small State. The reason given was that the Queen had given shelter to the son of Maharaja Shivaji. But the Queen was not afraid. Nor did she feel sorry. She did not ask for pardon. She fa6ed the attack like a heroic woman. When the enemies themselves withdrew their attack and begged for a treaty, she was quite generous. This heroic Queen and noble lady was Queen Chennamma of Keladi. Chennamma ruled the kingdom of Keladi for twenty-five years. She had the complexion of a pearl, with bright eyes and a broad forehead. A long nose and curly hair adorned a face of royal dignity. The beautiful Queen was full of good qualities too. And she had the ability to kill her enemies in the battles, like Durga (the goddess of power). Beauty, valour, piety and generosity all blended in this great Queen.

An Extraordinary King

'I Have Chosen My Bride'

Keladi was a kingdom in the MaInad area of Karnataka. The first King of Keladi was Chowdappa Nayaka who came to the throne in 1500. He was a great hero. In about 1645, the able King Shivappa Nayaka came to the throne. During his reign, many reforms were effected in Keladi. This King became famous as a great ruler because of his administrative reforms. Government and collection of taxes were so systematized that he came to be called 'Shistina Shivappa Nayaka' ('shistu' - meaning discipline and order and it is also known as a kind of Local Tax). His younger son Somashekhara Nayaka became the King in 1664. At that time the kingdom of Keladi stretched along the entire seacoast from Goa to Malabar. Somashekhara Nayak was a very efficient king. With a good figure, power and wealth, he also had good qualities. He was religious-minded, too. Somashekhara Nayaka did not marry for several years. He was young and a king; and was also handsome, virtuous and famous. Naturally many a king tried to make him his son-in-law. The Nayaka saw many beautiful princessesses. But he never thought of marriage. His subjects, knowing his religious mind and devotion to God, wondered whether their king would become a monk.

A Happy, Blessed Union

The king once went to the Rameshwara fair. There he saw a very pretty maid. She was Chennamma, the daughter of Siddappa Shetty of Kotepura. She was beautiful like a carefully sculptured doll. With her friends she was going to the temple; she moved with striking dignity. Somashekhara Nayaka saw her; he said to himself, 'if at all I marry, I should marry this girl.' Through his servants he learnt who she was. Next day he sent for his Chief Minister and said to him, "You have been compelling me to marry. Ye9terday when I went to the Rameshwara fair, I saw Kotepura Siddappa Shetty's daughter. If I marry at all, I will marry her. Please send for Siddappa Shetty and speak to him." The Chief Minister replied, "My Lord, so far all kings of Keladi have married only princesses of royal blood." "That may be. But I know only one way, - and that is, to do as I say. I have nothing to do with any other tradition. I will marry only this girl."

Kalavathi, A Curse

Once, during the Dasara festival, the famed dancer Kalavathi of Jambukhandi gave a performance before the royal couple. Dancing like a peacock and singing like a cuckoo, this beautiful woman won the love of Somashekhara Nayaka. The King who was pleased with her excellence in dancing, gave her much wealth. Kalavathi became the dancer of the royal court. Her mother and her foster-father, Bharame Mavuta, lived with her. The latter was a master of black magic and secret medicines Knowing that Queen Chennamma had no children, the wicked Bharame Mavuta developed an intimate friendship with Somashekhara Nayaka. Gradually the Nayaka began to live with Kalavathi herself. He became a puppet in the hands of Bharame Mavuta. He forgot his beloved darling Chennamma and stayed away from the palace. He swallowed all that Bharame Mavuta gave him as medicine and as a result became half-mad. Various diseases began to eat him up. Even the ministers and respected officers had to go to the dancer's house to discuss matters of the State. Chennamma felt very sad that the husband who once loved her so deeply never came to the palace now. She was always in tears. Once all the subjects felt happy that it was their good fortune they had such an ideal King. But now he had to thought for the kingdom. Because of the King's indifference there was chaos in the kingdom. The news of his ill-health spread all over the kingdom. The King had no children. What if he died suddenly? In such a pass, naturally, many persons began to hatch conspiracies to usurp the throne. The Sultan of Bijapur who had often been defeated by the kings of Keladi, now attacked the kingdom.

'My Lord, Come back'

The Queen was determined that the kingdom nursed and handed down by their elders should be saved from these dangers. If she remained passive, thinking she was only a woman, the kingdom wouid be lost. She put aside her pride and even stepped into the dancer's house to meet the King. Worn out by diseases, the King was a mere shadow of his old robust self. The face had lost lustre and the eyes were dull. Chennamma was greatly grieved. But she checked her sorrow and said, "My Lord, please come back to the palace. The physicians of the court will treat you. The kingdom of the great Shivappa Nayaka should not be ruined. You can adopt a worthy boy as son." She fell at his feet and begged him to return. Bharame Mavuta, the source of all evil for the kingdom, was right there. Deceived by his words, the King refused to listen to Chennamma. The Queen returned in misery. But she had no time even to weep, because the enemies had already besieged the kingdom.

Tender Hands Rule The Land

There was only one way, thought Chennamma, for the kindgom to continue and the dynasty to survive; she herself should rule the land and also hold the sword. Trusting God, the young Queen took this crushing burden on her tender shoulders. The clever and heroic Queen also took the counsel of her father Siddappa Shetty. She enlisted the help of trustworthy commanders. Delicate hands adorned with bangles now brandished the sword. Arrogant enemies thought that after all she was a woman and could be frightened. They began to threaten her. One day the Chief Minister, Thimmanna Nayaka of Kasaragod, went to her with Subnis Krishnappa and said to her, "You must adopt as son Veerabhadra Nayaka, the son of the Commander-in Chief, Bhadrappa Nayaka. It is only then that we shall support you. Or else, we will unite the people against you and crown him." The same threat was held out by another minister, Narasappayya and a senior officer, Lakshmayya. Queen Chennamma heard them all patiently. On one side, Bharame Mavuta had the King under his thumb and was eager to take over the kingdom. On another side, all the ministers and other important men were ready to bring some one whom they liked to the throne and perpetuate their own positions. The Queen could not approve of either of these developments. She had no child; so she decided that she should adopt a boy who was virtuous and would herald the welfare of the State. She choose a boy by name Basappa Nayaka. She decided to give him the proper type of training so that the kingdom survived and the people were made happy.

Troubles Come In Battalions

The Sultan of Bijapur was waiting to swallow up the kingdom of Keladi. Now he heard that the King was negligent and troubled by disease and that the State was in the hands of a woman. He was tempted. Opportunity seemed to be inviting him. He sent a representative by name Jannopant to the Queen for negotiations. Close on the heels of Jannopant the Sultan also sent a big army under the command of Muzaffar Khan. Jannopant met the Queen. Through her own spies Chennamma had already understood the trick of the Sultan. But she was not in a position to declare war on the Sultan just then. So she gave three lakh rupees to Jannopant and came to an agreement with the Sultan. Yet, the Sultan's army was marching towards Keladi. So, the Queen summoned her subjects and said to them : "My beloved heroes of the Kannada Land, you are great warriors. Today the fate of the kingdom is in your hands. Remember, victory gives us this kingdom and death gives us heaven. There is no third way. If you win, all of you will be rewarded with befitting honours." So she spoke to her people with affection. She gave them her jewels and, the gold in the royal treasury. Inspired by her heroic words, and moved by her generosity, the soldiers girded their lions to fight. After taking leave of the Queen, Jannopant went to Bharame Mavuta. Moved by the sweet words of Jannopant, Bharame Mavuta got the King murdered. The Queen heard the news. Her husband was dead! It was a shock, and grief flooded the heart of the young Queen. But she was not the woman to weep in passive sorrow. Yes, her husband was dead. But he had not died a natural death. He had been murdered. Chennamma was now like the Goddess of War, determined to avenge her husband's death. The Bijapur army besieged the fort of Bidanur. The henchmen of Bharame Mavuta gave all help to the Sultan's soldiers. The-enemy army was very big. Siddappa Shetty and the officers of the State told the Queen that, even if they fought with all valour, victory was doubtful. They advised her to leave Bidanur for the time being. The very thought of leaving Bidanur was like poison to her. But there was no other way. The throne of the kingdom, the wealth of the royal treasury and all other valuables were moved to Bhuvanagiri. The enemies pulled down the gates of the fort and entered the palace. But they could not find the Queen there. The treasury was also empty. They felt disappointed and were very angry. The fort at Bhuvanagiri, situated amidst a thick jungle, was quite secure. The chieftains of the Keladi Court and the soldiers were in Bhuvanagiri with the Queen.

'I Have Sinned Terribly'

The Chief Minister, Thimmanna Nayaka, who had, gone away from Bidanur after his differences with the Queen in the matter of the adoption, now learnt of the fall of Bidanur. He was at heart a true patriot. He was enraged that enemies had taken Bidanur. Thimmanna Nayaka came to the Bhuvanagiri palace and met the Queen. He said, "Your Highness, I am guilty of a great crime. I should not have left Bidanur after the death'of Somashekhara Nayaka. I have sinned terribly. It is very painful for me to see the Bidanur, where I was born and bred, is now in alien hands. Please accept my services again in this difficult hour." The Queen was generous. She replied, "Thimmanna Nayaka, your conduct and your words amply bear out your deep loyalty to the kingdom. Keladi now needs the assistance of all and the blessings of the Almighty for its protection. You are experienced in statecraft. We do need your help; you have served the State from the days of the great Shivappa Nayaka. The Chief Minister's office is yours, if you will accept it." Chennamma bestowed honours on him. People who had benefited from the kings of Keladi and from Chennamma in particular, arrived in thousands in Bhuvanagiri. They were ready to give up their all for Keladi and the Queen.

A Mother To The Subjects

Thimmanna Nayaka got together the chieftains and brave soldiers from all parts of Keladi and raised an army. He marched towards Bidanur. The soldiers of Bijapur, who were proud of their seizure of Bidanur were marching towards Bhuvanagirii to capture it. In the midst of the thick forest and in a narrow pass, the Sultan's soldiers fell into the hands of the heroic Kannada warriors. The men of Keladli knew the terrain quite well; they destroyed the Bijapur army and went to Bidanur. The people there were overjoyed at the arrival of the Kannada soldiers. They opened the gates wide and welcomed them. The people of Keladi, one and all, accepted Chennamma as their ruler. In 1671 Chennamma was crowned as the Queen in the fortress of Bhuvanagiri. The Queen now took over the entire adminis- tration into her hands. She honoured the chiefs and soldiers, who had helped in the fight for Bidanur, suitably with money, gold, lands and high offices. The kingdom had become worn out with chaos and misrule. The Queen brought peace and happiness to it. She again enforced the system which had been formulated by Shivappa Nayaka. She arranged forspecial temple honours and worship with great pomp to the deities of Rameshwara, Aghoreshwara and Goddess Mookambike, whose grace, she felt, had warded off all dangers. She offered diamond-studded crowns and golden lamps to these deities. The Queen also arrested both Bharame Mavuta and Jannopant who were responsible for the death of her husband, and put them to death. Those who had conspired against her and wanted to usurp the kingdom were also punished and banished from the kingdom. Queen Chennamma now ruled over the kingdom ably. She was like a goddess to the virtuous and like destruction itself to the wicked. She had an 'Agrahara' - an entire street with houses on either side - formed, and invited scholars to settle down there. It was named 'Somashekharapura'. Day and night Chennamma toiled for the welfare of the state. With the consent of her people she adopted as her son, a good boy, Basappa Nayaka by name. She expanded the army and strengthened security at the borders. After her work for the kingdom, Chennamma spent whatever leisure she had, in meditation and in acts of charity and kindness. She gave gifts of lands to Mutts and religious institutions. The Queen respected all the religions and was herself respected by everybody.

A Sheild For The Kingdom

Years before, there had been two or three wars between the kings of Mysore and the kings of Keladi. In these wars, the rulers of Mysore had been defeated. As the kings of Keladi had a long seacoast under them, they reaped considerable profits from the foreign traders, the Dutch and the English. At the time Chennamma was ruling in Keladi, the ruler in Mysore was Chikkadevaraya Wodeyar. A person by name Andhaka Venkata Nayaka also belonged to the dynasty of Keladi kings. He wrote a letter to the Mysore ruler; he said, "I should have been the King of Keladi. But Chennamma came in the way. Therefore if you will fight with her and help me to get the kingdom, I shall give half of it to you and render other help also." Chikkadevaraya was very pleased with the letter. He thought it would be quite easy to win the kingdom which was in the hands of a woman. If he did so, all the foreign trade now under Keladi would be in his hands. So he began preparations for a war. Queen Chennamma was not at all afraid that the Mysore ruler had declared war on Keladi. She remained undaunted and sent a big army under her Commander Bhadrappa Nayaka to fight the enemy. The chieftains of Sode, Sirsi and Banavasi also declared war on Keladi. But the Queen very cleverly managed to defeat them all. The Mysore army was the first to be defeated. But the next year that army defeated the Keladi force. Again when there was a war, the Queen was victorious. Several officers of the Mysore army were captured. But the Queen treated them with courtesy. She also set them free. Because of this, Chikkadevaraya developed a high regard for the Queen. The rulers of Mysore and Keladi signed a treaty of friendship. Queen Chennamma had banished some leaders who had their eyes on the throne. Now all those men, obtaining the help of other rulers, began a war with the Queen. But the able Queen defeated them. Chennamma had adopted Basappa Nayaka. He was to become the King later. So she gave personal attention to his training and education. Every morning after her bath, prayers and breakfast, she would go to the court hall. She would stay there till mid-day, and listen patiently to any of her subjects who had any difficulties. She would give them whatever help was necessary. She would discuss matters of statecraft and administration with Basappa Nayaka and her ministers and officers and give her decisions. After the midday prayers and worship, she would spend an hour giving alms. At that time monks, sanyasis, priests and the poor and the needy would all receive help.

'I am The Son Of Chatrapati

"I know that, Queen. I have made bold to come here only after hearing of your valour and generosity. If your ministers agree, please give me shelter here for a short while and then help me to reach the fort of Jinji. I will never forget your kindness. If that is not possible, I shall leave this place tomorrow morning." "Prince, I shall summon the royal court this evening and discuss the matter. Whatever might happen, I will give shelter to those who ask me for it. To act according to the royal code, and to see that you reach Jinji safely, is my responsibility." "Noble Queen, the royal house of Keladi is very generous. I am astonished that, when powerful kings of big realms have refused to give me shelter, a lady should muster courage to face such a danger. I am greatful to you." So saying, Rajaram saluted her with great devotion and went to the Guest House. That evening Queen Chennamma summoned the royal court. She narrated all that had happened and asked her advisers for their opinion. Prime Minister Thimmanna Nayaka sounded a note of warning - "Your Highness, Aurangzeb's army is chasing Rajaram. It has already captured Raigadh, Panhalgadh and other forts. If Aurangzeb comes to know that Rajaram is in Keladi, it would surely mean our total ruin." Siddappa Shetty was very clear in his words to his daughter - "What the Prime Minister says is quite true. So far we have fought with the enemies around. Just now peace and order are returning to the kingdom. Fighting with Aurangzeb now is beyond our capacity." Commander Bhadrappa and Minister Narasappayya also were of the same opinion. "Gentlemen, what you say is true," said Chennamma. "I have thought about this very deeply. Until this day the kings of Keladi have always given shelter to anyone who sought it. It is my duty to keep up that tradition. Shivaji Maharaj wore himself out to save Hinduism. When his son asks for help can it be denied? The safety of the kingdom is a matter in God's hands." "I agree, mother," said Basappa Nayaka. "What you say is true. You have always taught me it is nobler to save than to kill. What can Aurangzeb do against God's blessings and- the valour of our heroes?" All the younger persons in the Court were for giving shelter to Rajaram. Inevitably all the ministers also agreed.

The Black Shadow Of The Moghul Army

"To the Moghul Emperor Aurangzeb, Your letter has reached us. The people of this kingdom are ever ready to extend the hand of friendship to the Moghuls. But you have asked for something in return for your friendship. But that is impossible. Rajaram is not in this kingdom. It is of course known that he went through Keladi." By the time the Queen's letter reached Aurangzeb, the big Moghul force was near Keladi. The Queen was fully prepared for the war. The brave soldiers of Keladi were readily waiting in the path of the Moghul army. The way lay through a thick jungle. And the rainy season had set in. The Moghul soldiers who were accustomed to the dry climate of the North, found it extremely difficult to pass through the forest in the heavy downpour of theMaInad area. But obeying Aurangzeb's orders they were marching ahead under great strain. The Karnataka heroes took positions in the thick jungle and began butchering the Moghul soldiers. Prince Azamath Ara was shocked. He who had defeated many chief tains and kings had now to suffer defeat from a woman; and when he went back after that defeat, he would be beheaded. The very idea made him perspire. But his soldiers did not have the grit now to advance further, fight fiercely and raze the Keladi fort. The major part of the army had been destroyed. The forces of Keladi had captured several of the Moghul captains, a large number of horses and considerable war material. So the fight went on at a slow and uncertain pace. Prince Azamath Ara was very much troubled. By then he received a letter from Aurangzeb which said, "Rajaram is now ruling the Jinji fort. So leave Keladi at once and proceed to Jinji." This was just what Azamath Ara wanted. So the Moghuls came to an agreement with Queen Chennamma. The Queen also was glad to have this treaty. She treated the Moghul captains very generously and according to the pact released them all. Aurangzeb recognized her as an independent ruler. The Queen rewarded the soldiers and officers of her army suitably. The great honour of a decisive victory in a war with Aurangzeb thus belongs to the brave Chennamma, a heroine of Karnataka. Rajaram who had reached Jinji, wrote. A letter of gratitude to the Queen: "When kings and rulers of bigger kingdoms refused to help me, you bravely gave me shelter and helped to protect Hinduism. I can never forget this bravery and generosity of yours. May GoddessBhavani give you all happiness! I pray God that your land may be a home of happiness." The Queen thought that a difficulty which had come upon her like a mountain had melted like the fog.

An Excellent Administrator

Meanwhile Basappa Nayaka, the adopted son, had come of age. Trained by Chennamma, he was now learned in statecraft. He was courteous, virtuous and valiant. The Queen had the confidence that he could rule the kingdom well. She made over to him the major share in the administration. She then spent most of her time in the service of others. She also went on a pilgrimage and visited the Aghoreshwara. Temple at Ikkeri, the Mookambike Temple at Kollur and.the Sharadamba Temple at Shringeri. She gifted lands to the temples she visited to that worship could go on in these temples round the year. Meanwhile she also captured Hulikere near Basavapattana. The fort there was in ruins. She got it rebuilt. After Basappa Nayaka came to the throne, he renamed it. Chennagiri in honour of his mother. Queen Chennamma got a beautiful chariot made and dedicated it to the temple of Lord Neelakanteshwara of Venipura near Bidanur. She made arrangements for the Neelakanteshwara, fair to be held every year. She gave liberal gifts of land and gold to the temple of her family deity Rameshwara and Veerabhadreshwara of Keladi and also to the temple of Goddess Mookambike of Kollur, so that the worship in those temples might go on without any difficulty. The tower of the Veera- bhadreshwara Temple at Keladi was rebuilt by her and a flag-pillar was erected. She offered gifts to the temples at Kashi, Rameshwara, Shrishaila and Tirupati. She also built monasteries for the Veershaiva monks and Agraharas for Shaivas and Vaishnavas. She ruled over Keladi very ably and nobly from 1671 to 1696. Her life was a life of fame and grandeur. She was always pious and god-fearing. When she was on her death-bed, the righteous Queen called her son and said, "Basappa Nayaka, the task of protecting and developing the kingdom of Keladi founded by Chowdappa Nayaka, is now yours. Conduct yourself according to the words of our saints. Let your speech be a string of pearl3. Never should you sin, and you must live to uphold truth, kindness and righteousness. Do not waste time in bad habits. Devote your time to good deeds. Look after the people of Keladi as your children. You must share their joys and sorrows. Earn a good name, and bring fame to the royal house and to the kingdom. "Let Keladi State be the home of happiness. Let the people be satisfied and joyful. And may God bless you." The pious and virtuous woman, the brave and intelligent Queen, breathed her last in Shravana, a holy month of Hindus. Basappa Nayaka and the people of Keladi were in deep grief. Chennamma was laid to rest in the Koppalu monastery in Bidanur.

A Fountain Of Inspiration

a mere matter of feeding a person. It is a question of the kingdom's survival or otherwise." "Prince Rajaram, the Kannada people never go back on their words. They are not such cowards that they will not help those who come to them for shelter." The Queen put her trust in God and gave shelter to Rajaram. Preparations for a war began in Keladi. Aurangzeb sent his son Azamath Ara with a huge army to invade the kingdom. But by then Rajaram had safely reached the Jinji fort. The cunning Moghul Emperor on the one hand sent a big army to Keladi; and, on the other, before it could reach the kingdom, he sent a messenger to Queen Chennamma with a letter and also costly presents including diamonds and other precious stones. His letter ran thus: "To Queen Chennamma of Keladi. Between us there is no enmity. But I have heard that my great enemy Rajaram is under your protection. He must at once be given up to me. When that is done, there can be a treaty of friendship between the two kingdoms. Otherwise you will have to face the Moghul army." The shrewd Queen consulted her ministers and sent a reply as follows: Chennamma tactfully negotiated trade treaties with the Arabs and the Portuguese to carry on trade along the seacoast under her rule. It was very convenient - and also profitable - to import the various commodities her kingdom needed. She traded with the Arabs for horses so necessary for the protection of Keladi. The Arabs and the Portuguese bought the rice and the pepper grown in the MaInad areas. This enriched the kingdom. When, because of the foolishness of the king Somashekhara Nayaka, Keladi was in chaos and was encircled by enemies, Chennamma acted boldly and -wisely and in the interests of the State and the subjects. She crushed all the enemies. Other kings were all afraid of Aurangzeb and denied shelter to the great shivaji's son. But this lady of the Kannada land helped him. As a queen she was wise and able as she was brave.So she established a peaceful era in Keladi. She ruled the kingdom in such a way that the people could live without fear of the enemies, and without trouble from thieves or oppression from officers. She gave succor to the poor and respected all religions. The name of Keladi's brave Queen is written in Golden letters in the history of Karnataka and the history of India. Chennamma's life is a source of inspiration to all who love freedom and admire courage and nobility.

MADAME CAMA

2007-12-15T12:59:00.000-08:00

Madame Cama

Morea!

That was the name of the ship. She had the good fortune to carry the brave Savarkar from London towards India. He was fighting fearlessly for the freedom of India. The brave fighter was arrested abroad and was being brought to India for trial.

The Dream Of The Release Of The Brave Fighter

The Dream of the Release of the Brave FighterIt is the first day of July 1910. The ship sailing to India.

Here in Paris a revolutionary and Rishi are hatching a plot. Somehow Savarkar must be released from custody.The ship should not be allowed to reach India, without an attempt to free Savarkar.

The revolutionary was about fifty years old. The companion, Rishi, had hardly completed thirty-five. Because he had a luxurious beard and moustaches his nickname was 'Rishi - a sage. His real name was V.V.S. 1year.

The morning of the 8th of July.

Savarkar gives the slip to the guards and jumps into the sea from the moving ship. He swims and reaches the shore. All arrangements have been made secretly to ensure his safety. In a vehicle near the beach the revolutionary and other associates are awaiting for his arrival. As Savarkar reaches the shore the lady and Madame Cary her associates take the tired Savark carriage and speed away. Savrkar release from imprisonment was over. He has become completely free.

'Victory to Freedom' is the joyous every where.

But all this was a dream.
The Dream Remained A Dream !

When the revolutionary, Rishi and their companions reached Marseilles harbor, it was too late. The police had deceitfully arrested Savarkar who had jumped from the ship to the sea and swum to the shore; they had dragged him back to the ship. The plans made for weeks had been upset in a moment. It was not Savarkar who was brought home. It was a bundle of disappointment and failure heavier than that warrior.

Hers was one of the well-furnished houses in Paris. It was a beautiful, spacious house. In the living room the furniture was neatly arranged. There was a full-length mirror in the corner.

She came directly and stood before the mirror. The face was pale. The earlier
enthusiasm was no more. How could she believe that when she went just a little late,
Savarkar had become a prisoner again?

Failures - Steps To Success

The reflection gave her courage again: 'Oh foolish lady, do not lose heart. Do not forget you are Madame Cama. Failures are stepping-stones to success. Forget the past and think of what is to be done.'

She sat down and began to think of other efforts to free Savarkar. She sent a telegram to a famous patriotic advocate of Bombay to examine this subject. Every drop of Madame Cama's blood was hungry for freedom. Indians were being reduced to pulp under the heels of the British masters; the firm resolve to free the Indians had entered her every nerve and bone.

The Fire Lit By Oppression

Madame Cama was not a born revolutionary. At first she was opposed even to any talk of violence. She used to condemn people who rebelled or rioted. But as days passed she came to know the arbitrary administration of the Englishmen. Hypocrisy had crowned the heartless administration! As she realized the torture the Indians were suffering silently, a spark of revolution appeared in Madame Cama, which in course of time began to spread like wildfire. She is the mother of revolution who preached non-cooperation to the Indians even when she was abroad.

The Clever Munni

Madame Cama was born on 24th September 1861, in Bombay. Sorabji Framji Patel was wellknown in Bombay. He was big merchant and quite rich. He had a large family. He had nine children. Rustom Bhikaiji Cama who was one day to terrify the British Government, was one of them. The father, Sorabji Framji Patel, brought up the child Madame Cama with great affection. He called her 'Munni'. While still young she was admitted to the Alexandra Parsee Girls' School.

Munni was very clever. She stood first in the class in all subjects. She would not eat
supper without completing the lessons of the day and the homework. She would not go to bed without writing and finishing lessons to be studied at home. So she scored high marks in all subjects; also, Munni was the favorite of all the teachers.

Even at the young age Munni wished to attain proficiency in many languages. As a little girl she had considerable interest in India's fight for freedom. She used to worship patriots who sacrificed their lives for the good of the country. She honored those who labored for the country.

Her activities brought a headache to her father. Sorabji Framji Patel wanted to prevent his daughter from fighting for freedom.

To Curb Her Spirit

But how could that be done?

Marriage?

Yes, once married she could not be as free as she was.

So the father at last found a young man to become his son-in-law and to keep the
daughter away from politics! His name was Rustom K.R. Cama. He was a social worker and had made a name in politics. He had faith in British rule. By profession he was a lawyer. It is strange that a man of this sort should have agreed to marry Madame Cama knowing that she was a lioness thirsting for' freedom. Truly he was a Rustom - a very bold man!

On 3rd August 1885 the marriage was celebrated with great pomp.

Just for two days there was a lull in the political activities of Madame Cama; on the third day they were resumed. The father had bestowed the headache, with his daughter, on the son-in-law.

Two Persons - And Two Parties!

Madame Cama's husband was quite handsome. In wealth and intelligence the husband and wife appeared to be made for each other. But, about the British rule their opinions are differed.

To the husband who thought England was heaven, the Englishman was God Himself. He was of the view that there was no power which could excel or even equal the British rule.

But in Madame Cama's view the British were tyrants who were sucking the blood of India; they were the polished deceivers, the unprincipled people who had invaded India to suck blood till the body was just a bag of bones.

As was to be expected, Madame Cama's husband who bowed blindly to the barren
British models became a source of trouble to her. He warned his wife not to take part in the movement for independence. But the husband's compulsions andrestrictions had effect on Madame Cama. Thus the house was divided into two parties - the wife siding with the Indians and the husband with the British! When freeing India from subjection became Madame Cama's sacred goal, Cama's house became a small battlefield. Married life did not bring happiness. As Saint Meera left her wealthy family and husband for the sake of God Giridhara, so did Madame Cama forget a rich husband and high status in life to devote her life to free Mother India from the rule of the foreigners.

Fight Against Plague

At this time plague broke out in Bombay. When people began to succumb to that fearful disease Madame Cama ignored the danger to her life and threw herself into the service of the people. She waited upon the patients like a nurse and comforted them like a mother. Because of these efforts thousands of people, who would have died otherwise, were saved. As the thirst of the patients for water was quenched and they got better she created in them the thirst for freedom. Madame Cama was engaged in serving the sick without caring for sleep or food; plague attacked her, too. But even death was afraid to approach that lion-hearted lady. Although she recovered she did not regain her earlier strength and stamina. Her relatives and friends practically forced her and sent her to Europe in 1902, so that she might recover fully.
In London

It was in 1905 that Madame Cama reached London after spending about a year each in Germany, Scotland, France and other countries. After an operation she regained strength and stamina. Dadabhai Naoroji, a highly respected leader of India, was then in London, By the time she had served for a year-and-a-halt as his private secretary, Madame Cama had come in contact with many patriots and men of letters.

'Salute This Flag'

It was the third week of August 1907. She learnt that the International Socialist Conference would be held in Stuttgart 'in Germany. Madame Cama got a golden
opportunity to expose to worldview the conditions in enslaved India. A thousand
representatives from several countries of the world attended the Conference. When
India's turn came, Madame Cama ascended the rostrum. She was wearing a colorful saree. She had an attractive personality. Dignity shone in the face. The representative’s thought: 'She is an Indian princess.'

Madame Cama spoke about the sorrows and the poverty of lakes of Indians who were suffering silently.

'One-fifth of mankind lives in India. All lovers of freedom should cooperate to free these people from subjection.' This was the gist of the resolution, she boldly placed before the conference. She condemned the British Government which was looting from India thirty-five million pounds every year. She explained how the Indian economy was growing weaker day by day because of the lawless imperialists sucking the blood of India. At the end of her speech she unfurled the Indian flag and said:

"This flag is of Indian Independence. Behold it is born! It has been made sacred by the blood of young Indians who sacrificed their lives.I call upon you, gentle men, to rise and salute this flag of Indian Independence. In the name of this flag I appeal to lovers of freedom all over the world to cooperate with this flag."

As if held by magic, the whole assembly stood up and honored the flag. Madame Cama was the lady who first unfurled the Indian flag, in a foreign land, in the presence of representatives of many countries! "It is my practice to speak under the flag of my country" - she would say and unfurl the flag before she spoke at any function.

That Sacred Flag

Madame Cama, Veer Savarkar and some other patriots met and designed that tricolor flag in 1905. It was flown first in 1905 in Berlin and next in 1907 in Bengal.

The tricolor flag contained green, saffron and red stripes. In the green stripe at the top there were eight blooming lotuses. India was then divided into eight provinces and the flowers represented these provinces. The words 'Vande Mataram' in Devanagari script across the central saffron strip of the flag were a salutation to Mother India. In the red stripe at thebottom there was a half-moon on the right and the rising sun on the left. Red represents strength, saffron represents victory; and boldness and enthusiasm are represented by green. "This flag was designed by a distinguished selfless young Indian patriot" said Madame Cama. She was referring to Veer Savarkar.

In America

After the conference in Germany concluded she came to America. To gain the support of the people there for the sacred cause in which she was engaged she had to start a campaign. In New York she explained her objects to press reporters who met her and they were full of praise for her. She told the reporters that lakes and lakes of people in India,although illiterate and suffering from hunger, loved their country. There was confidence and hope in the voice of Madame Cama when she said that Indians would attain independence within a few years and live in liberty, equality and brotherhood.

It was 28th October 1907. The Minerva Club had organized a meeting at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. The speaker was Madame Cama. In her speech she said that Indians should be given the political right to vote.

"People here may know of Russia. But they may not know much about conditions in India. The British Government is adopting the practice of destroying people who are educated and can think, or of sending them to jail. They are torturing the people and driving them to hospitals in jails. We desire a peaceful atmosphere and not bloody revolution. By proceeding in a non-violent manner as far as possible we have to overthrow despotic rule" said Madame Cama. Also Madame Cama spoke at several places. She may be called Mother India's representative to the United States of America.
"March Forward, Friend'

Madame Cama returned to London in 1908; she addressed a meeting at the 'India House'. Her speech was published in booklets. Large numbers of them found their way to India. The booklets gave a summary of the core of the principles of revolution.

Non-violence is a great virtue, true. But when somebody unreasonably uses force it should be resisted. Violence must be met with violence. This should be the attitude towards tyrannical rule. Anything done on this principle is right. Patriotism consists in building up a strong revolt against foreign governments. Said Madama Cama: "The fulfillment of life lies in dedicating oneself to one’s country." In a message to the youth of the country she gave the following call:

"March forward friend, march forward. Mother India’s children are caught under the heels of the tyranny of the British. They are helplessly sinking to the lowest depths; lead them to the soft bed of Swarajya. March forward. Let this be our motto: We are for India; India is for Indians."

Whether she was addressing Hindus or Muslims she proclaimed the message of unity. The question of caste must be brushed aside. We are all Indians. We belong to one family. She wished that the feeling of brotherhood must grow and unity achieved. She would warn everybody not is accept any job, however big, offered by the British. She called upon the people to learn to live by their efforts, to encourage trade, commerce, industry and arts and to make everything wholly Indian.

To France

Even when she was working as private secretary to Dadabhai Naoroji she had spoken in many places. She was already famous as an excellent speaker who was fighting for India’s freedom. The people of London were amazed to see this lady fighting the lion in its own den. The British rulers were afraid that as Madame Cama’s fame spread their troubles would increase. They tried to frighten her so that she would leave London. Madame Cama resisted the Government’s move. But when some officials attempted to murder her she escaped secretly, crossed the English Channel and went to France.

The leading French socialists gave Madame Cama a hearty welcome. Indian
representatives are heartily welcomed by the people in all corners of the world because of the great culture of India, which has spread far and wide.

Welcome - Do Not Come !

Within a few days the house in France where Madame Cama was staying became the secret fort where the revolutionaries of different countries met. Besides India's 'General' Bapat and Hemachandra Das, Lenin, the father of the Russian Revolution, and others visited Madame Cama's house and exchanged views. Savarkar, the heroic fighter for freedom, brought her peace of mind and inspiration. The British Government was very much disturbed by her activities in France. It begged her to return to India. The British Government also requested the French Government to send her back to her native land. But Madame Cama did not agree to return to India. When the French Government also, rejected the British request, the British Government felt insulted. Like the fox which said, 'The grapes are sour; I do not want them', the British Government ordered that Madame Cama should not come to India at any time in the future! That was not all; it took over the property belonging to Madame Cama worth over a lake of rupees,and swallowed it all.

Shadowed By Danger

These events added new brightness to Madame Cama's name. The fame of her courage and adventure spread even in the countries, which she had not visited. It was only after all this that the conference in Stuttgart, mentioned earlier, was held. She then became an international figure. From Germany she went to America; on many platforms she referred to the miseries of India at the time. She returned to London in 1908. By then, the 'India House' in London there had become a furnace in the fight for independence. Shyamji Krishna- varma, Sardar Singh Rana and other revolutionaries had fanned the fires of revolution. Even as a child Madame Cama had made up her mind to devote her life to her motherland; she continued her work in London systematically. She was in contact with the nationalists of Ireland, Russia, Egypt and Germany. Under the pretext of giving them Christmas presents, she was sending them pistols made to look like toys; she gave them money, too.

As the activities of revolutionaries in London increased spies gave them more and more trouble. At last they had no choice but to leave London. Shyamji Krishnavarma, Sardar Singh Rana and others came to Paris.

As Madame Cama's adventures multiplied her name became a household word in
London. The British Government thought that she was a destructive revolutionary who would uproot it and trembled. Spies of the Government followed her likeshadows. The situation was such that danger could strike at any time.

Madame Cama decided that it was safer to leave London and go to Paris;she reached
Paris on 1 st May 1909.

In The World Of Jounalism

Numerous patriots who were fighting for India's freedom had been forced to settle down in foreign countries; they began to gather in Paris. Madame Cama also joined their group. When so many revolutionaries settle at one place something unusual is bound to take place, is it not? A revolu- tionary magazine was started. The name of the magazine was 'Vande Mataram'.

An able person was required to take over the editorship of the periodical. It was decided to appoint as editor Lala Hardayal who was a fearless elderly revolutionist. Hardayal gladly agreed to come to France from England. The first sparks of the first issue appeared in September 1909. All the 24 hours of the day were not sufficient for Madame Cama who was the publisher of 'Vande Mataram' and had also to distribute the copies.

Although engaged in so many activities Madame Cama was feeling that she was not doing enough work. All the strength in every drop of her blood was devoted to Mother India.

In addition to Mande Mataram' another magazine 'Madan's Talwar'was started to send forth sparks of revolution. This magazine was started to make deathless the memory of Madanlal Dhingra who had sacrificed his life for the country. Madame Cama was publishing it from Berlin.

Veer Savarkar came to Madame Cama's house at this time. Because of continuous hard work in London his health had broken down. Savarkar had come to Paris to improve his health to some extent.

The British Government Confused

Madame Cama nursed Savarkar back to health in a short time. He had also the
assistance of Shyamji, Rana, Hardayal, Virendranath and such other friends. He had also some leisure to write articles for 'Vande Mataram' and 'Madan's Talwar' ' The work of getting into touch with the Indians there,organizing them and sending arms to India was going on steadily without a pause.

The copies of 'Vande Mataram' from January to August 1910 were secretly published from Geneva. So Geneva caught the eye of the British Government. Immediately the place of publication was shifted to Holland.

It was May 1912. All clever efforts to send copies of Vande Mataram' secretly from
Oxford to India failed. Copies of 'Vande Mataram' and other leaflets, which were meant to be distributed among the revolutionaries in several parts of India, fell into the hands of the British Government. It is more difficult to send out secretly copies of such revolutionary writings than to print them. Even in such difficult circumstances copies of Vande Matararn' were reaching the Indian fighters for freedom. The British Government was unable to find a way to prevent revolu- tionary literature from secretly entering the country. British Officers did not know what to do.

On 30th May 1913, the Secretary of State for India in the British Government had
received a complaint. It was from the Director of Criminal Investigation, Simla. The Director had suggested complaining to the Government of Holland about the publication of 'Vande Mataram' from Holland. The British Government thought over the matter for three weeks. Feeling that the Government of Holland would not take any action against Madame Cama and that there was no point in making arequest, the British Government decided not to do anything.

Fighting In Not One, But Ten Ways

Though Madame Cama was abroad her influence on the Indian people did not diminish. Lala Lajpat Rai was a stalwart who was bravely fighting for India's freedom. In 1907 when he was sent out of India,Madame Cama's call made the blood of Indian revolutionaries’ boil.People rose in revolt everywhere. The number of revolutionaries deported from India in British ships also increased. She was not satisfied with merely exhorting people. She trained Indian revolutionaries to make bombs. As soon as her call through the 'Indian Sociologist' edited by Shyamji Krishnavarma reached India, bombs exploded in several parts of the country. She sent money and arms secretly to India.

In 1908 Savarkar had arranged a program to mark the golden jubilee of India's first fight for independence. Madame Cama sent money generously to help the families of those who lost their lives in the 1857 war.

Savarkar wrote a book called 'The First War of Indian Independence of 1857'. Even before the book was printed, the British Government ordered that it should not be published. At such a time Madame Cama came forward and published the book. She used secret method of distribution so that copies could reach the right hands.

To the Indian revolutionaries the book became sacred as the Ramayana or the
Mahabharatha. Madame Cama and M.P.T. Acharya translated it from English into
French and published it. The book was later reprinted by Lala Hardayal, Subhas
Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh and other revolutionaries.
'Where Is The Other Half Of Egypt?'

Madame Cama held the view that in the advancement of the nation women have an
important part to play and said that they must share all difficulties and responsibilities.

Speaking at the National Conference (1910) in Egypt she said:

I see here only the representatives of one half of Egypt. The assembly is full of only
men. Where is the other half of Egypt?

"Sons of Egypt, where are your mothers? Where are you sisters? Do not forget that the hand that rocks the cradle shapes the individual. Do not forget that the role of women in also important in building a nation."

'Do Not Take Part In This War'

In 1914, when the First World War began, Madame Cama's activities to gain the
country's freedom became intense. The leading articles in the press condemning the autocratic rule of the British grew sharper.

To the Indian soldiers fighting for the British, she gave a warning in the following words:

"Children of Mother India, you are being deceived. Do not take part in this war. You are going to fight and die, not for India, but for the British.The British have put shackles on Mother India's hands; think how they can be removed. If you help the British, you will tighten the shackles."

She herself would visit army camps in Marseilles. There she would meet Indian soldiers and ask them to keep away from the war. Questioned she: "Are you going to fight for those who have imprisoned your mother?" Return the arms, she would preach.

The French were allies of the British. Therefore the French Government must have been dissatisfied with the propa- ganda carried on by Madame Cama. The French Government warned Madame Cama that she was carrying on false propaganda against the British.

A Licence

The British were ashamed at not being able to take action against ordinary women who was living abroad and toying with them. They thought of getting her to India and keeping her under their control.

The British Government forgot the ban it had imposed on Madame Cama's coming to India and invited her again. But the French Government did not agree to send her. Instead, it imposed certain restrictions on Madame Cama and kept her away from Paris.

After the war started no foreigner was permitted to stay in Paris. If any foreigner had to stay he had to get a license.

In the license issued to Madame Cama she was described as a citizen under British control. Madame Cama was surprised. She proclaimed that she was a free citizen of India.

Those who did not get licenses were sent to jail. When Madame Cama found that it
would be difficult to get any changes made in the license, she accepted the license that had been issued to her. It was also amusing. What did it matter what the license said? It was enough if she could stay where she was. She would be quite happy if her activities were not obstructed.

The Government communicated its new decision to her that she should stop all her
activities till the war ended. Some more restrictions were imposed on Madame Cama on 1st November 1914. She had to report to the police once in a week.

Madame Cama tried to get information about the conditions of life of the prisoners of war in Geneva. But the French Government did not allow her. It was a kind of imprisonment for Madame Cama, too, till the war ended.

When the war ended the Govern removed the restrictions imposed on Madame Cama went back to the house Pads.

Once the restrictions placed on her were removed Madame Cama could breathe freely again. She jumped into political activities as freely as before.

Madame Cama's fame had spread to many countries and 'Madame Cama' had come to be regarded as another name for daring. Eveywhere lovers of freedom and
revolutionaries held her in great respect. She was the brave lady who was praised by eastern countries like China, by Egyptians, Turks and Persians. The revolutionaries of those countries used to approach her for help and guidance.

Madame Cama's health began to break down now and then. She never gave any
attention to her health, as she was always busy nursing revolution. Even after the First World War came to an end many years were spent in the fight for indepen- dence. Her body grew weaker. She was past 70 years by then.
Back To Her Beloved Homeland

She fervently wished to return to India and spend the last few days of her life in the land of her birth. The permission of the British Government was needed to enter India. Sir Cowasji Jahangir made inquiries about it in the Home Department. There was a good deal of discussion. Finally the British Government agreed.

But the Government imposed one condition: She was to state in writing that she would not participate in the struggle for freedom. She should have nothing to do with revolutionaries.

At first Madame Cama did not agree. But friends and relatives pressed her and she had to agree. By nature she opposed any restrictions and conditions imposed on her.

About thirty-four years before, young Madame Cama had left India. Youth and middle age had been dedicated to the service of the motherland and the coura- geous fight for freedom. The body was now seventy years old but the mind was still throbbing with the desire freedom and the zeal to fight. In this stage, she traveled towards the motherland. Even as she was nearing India she became ill. She was even unable to get up from the bed.

Her Breath One with the Winds of the Land

As soon as Madame Cama came to Bombay, the place of her birth, she was supremely satisfied and happy.

She was taken directly from the Bombay port to the Petit Hospital. For eight months she lay between life and death.

Madame Cama passed away on 13th August 1936. She had fought for India's freedom. That freedom dawned eleven years after her death.

'Loss of Freedom Means Loss of Virtue'

In a sense Madame Cama's life abroad where she fought for India's freedom was like living in obscurity. She sacrificed her life for the motherland. Even during the last
moments of her life she urged repeatedly: "To gain freedom from subjection stand up against all difficulties." "He who loses freedom will lose virtue. Opposition of tyranny is obedience to God's command" said Madame Cama; she practiced what she preached.

Her Breath One With The Winds Of The Land

As soon as Madame Cama came to Bombay, the place of her birth, she was supremely satisfied and happy.

She was taken directly from the Bombay port to the Petit Hospital. For eight months she lay between life and death.

Madame Cama passed away on 13th August 1936. She had fought for India's freedom. That freedom dawned eleven years after her death.

'Loss Of Freedom Means Loss Of Virtue'

In a sense Madame Cama's life abroad where she fought for India's freedom was like living in obscurity. She sacrificed her life for the motherland. Even during the last
moments of her life she urged repeatedly: "To gain freedom from subjection stand up against all difficulties." "He who loses freedom will lose virtue. Opposition of tyranny is obedience to God's command" said Madame Cama; she practiced what she preached.

ASHFAQULLA KHAN

2007-12-15T12:52:00.000-08:00

Introduction :
	The pathan patriot who kissed the hangman's noose wiht the name of Allah on his lips. A youth endowed with a body of iron and will of steel, he dedicated everything to the service of India and of freedom and challenged the cunning and the strength of an empire.

Ashfaqulla Khan

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

At sunrise that day, in the District Jail at Faizabad, 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 inspected the rope, the sandbags and other things necessary carefully. 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

His firm voice showed he was ready to die. It unnerved those that had come to take him. The officer said with great difficulty, "Yes." The hero shut the Koran he was reading, put it under his arm, stood up and said, "Let us go."

He stood six feet tall, with a broad chest; he was strong as steel and had the heart of a lion. His beard added charm to his face.There was always a smile of firmness on his lips and it shone even now.

The hero in chains walked upright and with a firm mind between soldiers who led him to the hangman's post. Those who were there forgot their position and prestige and gazed on 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, lie 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,the revolutionary.

Toward Revolution

Ashfaqulla was born in the early part of the twentieth century in Shahjahanpur of Uttar
Pradesh. Shafiqulla Khan was his father. In 1921 Ashfaq was in the High School. India
was still a subject country. All over India the clouds of the noncooperation movement were gathering. Mahatma Gandhi was the leader of the movement. He called on Indians not to pay taxes to the government and not to cooperate with the British. The call of Gandhiji had kindled the fire of freedom in the hearts of all Indians. But at a place called Chauri Chaura people forgot nonviolence and became violent. In their anger against the
British, they burnt some policemen.Gandhi became sad on hearing this. It pained him
much. So he called of 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 Ramaprasad Bismil was already a famous revolutionary. He had been collecting weapons and money by dacoity under the leadership of a teacher,Gendalal Dixit.

Ashfaq had one great difficulty in winning the friendship of Ramaprasad. Ramaprasad was a member of the Arya Samaj. He was eager to explain the greatness of the Hindu Religion to those
belonging to other religions; 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 Ashfaq's religion did not come in the way of his attempt to win the friendship of
Ramaprasad. He met Ramaprasad once in his own school. 'Who knows who he is? A
Muslim student. He may not really wish to become a revolutionary; it may all besham" - so ran Ramaprasad's thoughts. So his talk was formal and not very friendly. Ashfaq noticed his reserve. But he did not give up his attempt. They had some common friends. With their help Ashfaq tried to convince Ramaprasad of his sincerity. Fortunately Ramaprasad and Ashfaq's brother were classmates. On account of his untiring efforts they became friends. They ate together and lived the revolutionary lives together. In the end both became martyrs on the same day but in different jails.
Revolutionaries Come Together

Mahatma Gandhi withdrew his non- cooperation movement. After this revolutionary ideas grew strong among the youth in the country. The British Empire was large and strong. It had a big army and powerful weapons. Could soft words make the British leave India? Surely they could not. Therefore the young revolu- tionaries believed in violence.They wanted,to make use of revolvers, bombs and other weapons to fight the British.They wanted to create a sense of fear in the hearts of the British, so that they would leave India. As a result of this strong belief, the scattered revolut -ionaries became united and strong. Kasi (Varanasi) was the centre of their activities. They formed the 'Hindusthan Republican Association'. Their main object 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. It was brought out on the same day in all towns from Calcutta to Lahore. The Government was scared. The manifesto explained the goals of the Association. I,t 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 such things. Ramaprasad became the chief organizer of the Shahjahanpur wing of the Association. With his experience he was an asset to the Association.

We Need Money But Where Is It?

The revolutionary party lacked one thing - money. To get arms, to maintain the members and to canvasa support for the party, money was needed. They raised some money by way of subscriptions from members. Some of them got money from their homes by either begging of stealing. Some got it from friends. But they needed thousands to reach the goal. Money was needed for the nation's work - but how could they get it?

Under the leadership of Ramaprasad, they looted some villages. Ashfaq took part in
these activities with his brother's licensed rifle. Even the money they get by such looting and dacoity was not enough for their activities, because they got just one or two hundred rupees in some villages.

Moreover, Ramaprasad was not happy about looting the villages; true, the money was used to fight for the country'sfreedom; but the villagers were their own country men, and Ramaprasad did not like to harm them.

Here It Is !

One day Ramaprasad was travelling by train from Shahjahanpur to Lucknow. He got off the compartment when the train stopped at a station and stood watching. At one station he noticed the stationmaster bringing a bag of money and getting into the Guard's Van. He wanted to watch more closely. So he took his seat in the compartment next to the Guard's. At every station he noticed moneybags being taken into the Guard's Van. They were 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 timetable. It was a No. down train. He calculated that the money would amount to at least ten thousand rupees. He decided pot to miss this chance.

This was the beginning of a Iater dacoity at Kakori.
Money in Plenty, But...

After a few days the revolutionaries met. Members from Kasi, Kanpur, Lucknow and
Agra attended the meeting. Ramaprasad explained his plans to the members. 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 merely talk but act."

The members liked his idea. They were eager to do acts, which would show their courage and strength. Therefore almost everyone said, "It is good. It is anexcellent idea."

Ashfaq listened silently. From the day he had heard it from Ramaprasad, he had thought about it thoroughly.

But now everyone was saying. "Yes, yes, let us go ahead." He did not think it right to
sit. Quietly. 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 do in such cases. it will be a different tale when we meddle 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 Rama prasad. At the outset he gave 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.
The Train Is Stopped

The No. 8 down train from Shahjahanpur to Lucknow was approaching Kakori on August 9, 1925. The sun was going down in the west.

The train stopped abruptly. Some one had pulled the chain.

Ashfaqulla got off a second class compartment with his friends Sachindra Bakshi and Rajendra Lahiri. He had done the first part of the duty in the Kakori plot that day.

The guard had got off his van by now. He was trying to find out in which compartment the chain had been pulled and why. Two revolutionaries fell on him. They made him lie down on his face. They warned that he would be shot dead if he tried to raise his head. 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 theyshouted, "'Travelers! Do not be afraid. We are revolutionaries fighting for freedom. Your lives, money and honor 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. Neither the driver nor the guard had the key. There was an opening on the top; through this opening they could drop - money bags into it. But nothing could be taken out of it.

The revolutionaries started dealing blows with hammers to break it open. But even ten hard blows with iron hammers could not break the box. Ashfaq who was keeping guard saw this. He was the strongest of the group. He handed the pistol in his hand to his comrade, Manmathnath and ran towards the box. He dealt blow after blow on the opening of the box to widen it. The metallic sound of his heavy blows echoed through the silent and lonely place.

Alas! Another Train in sight!

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. He would be responsible for the death of hundreds of innocent men, women and children. What a dreadful sin! Fortunately, there were two lines at that place. When he saw this, he heaved a sigh of relief.

But what if the driver of the moving train stopped it? Or, suppose the driver and the
guard lying on the ground stopped the train by raising alarm! The passengers also might shout for help and stop the train.

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 lines.
Here's The Money !

When the other train was out of sight, they got busy again. The metallic sound of the
blows on the box began to echo as before. The slit in the box became wide and the moneybags were taken out. During this time all passengers remained quiet. Among them were British officers who carried pistols with them. But they also remained quiet thinking that a big gang of dacoits had attacked the train.

There was a newly married young man in the men's compartment; his young bride was in the women's compartment. So he was worried and put out his head. A revolutionary fired his pistol and the young man died on the spot.

The revolutionaries did not notice any thing. 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 heads.

Just ten young men had done this difficult job because of their courage, discipline, and patience, leadership and, more than all, love of the country. They had written a
memorable chapter in the history of India's fight for were: Ramaprasad Bismil, Rajendra Lahiri, Thakur Roshan Singh, Sachindra Bakshi,
Chandra- sekhara Azad, Keshab Chakra- varthy, Banwari Lal, Mukundi Lal, Man- mathnath Gupta and Ashfaqulla Khan.
The Lion Escapes

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 hadescaped from his home and concealed himself in a sugarcane field half a mile from his home. His friends used to send him food only at night hoodwinking the police. The police grew tired of searching for Ashfaq. They withdrew his brother's gun license and took away his rifle. All except Ashfaq had been taken into custody. Therefore he thought it useless to conceal himself near Shahjahanpur. He got some money from home and left the place. He wanted to go to Kasi. There were a few revolutionaries there, who had escaped. He wanted to consult them and then decide the next course of action. He managed to reach Kasi after a difficult journey. He 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 inPalamu District. No one knew who lie was. He told
them that he was from a farmer's family in Mathura. He worked in the firm for about ten months.

A Friend Betrays!

Ashfaq was a poet and wrote verses in Urdu. A couplet form of versification in Urdu is called the 'Sher'. Composing and singing these couplets is popularly known as 'Mushaira'. The proprietor of the firm in which Ashfaq worked was very fond of 'sherg'. When he came to know that he composed and sang 'shers', he became fond of Ashfaq and felt proud of him. At a 'Mushaira' organized there Ashfaq sang a few 'shers' of his own composition. The people who heard him were delighted and there were exclamations of joy. The proprietor was also so pleased that he raised Ashfaq's salary.

In such an encouraging atmosphere Ashfaq improved his knowledge of Hindi. He also learnt Bengali. Besides singing Hindi and Urdu songs, he began to sing Bengali songs. If Ashfaq wanted only to escape arrest, he could have lived happily at Daltonganj for the rest of his life. But this long and forced rest became tiresome.For a moment he wished he could go to some foreign country. He felt it would be more useful to him and the country if he studied engineering.

So he went to Delhi to find out how he could go abroad, and to make 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 sounds 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 betrayed Ashfaq to the police.

The police wanted to use Ashfaq to suit their plans; they tried very hard to do so. There was an army officer in the police department; his name was Tasadruk Khan; he had rendered useful service as the British agent in Arabia during the First World War. He was one of the few Indians who had risen to the post of the Superin- tendent of Police. He met Ashfaq in prison and tried to reason with him. His main aim was to make Ashfaq agree to give evidence against his former friends. He said, 'The Hindus are fighting to win back their kingdoms. Why should the Muslims become involved in this affair? Why should we face danger when there is no benefit to us? The Muslims should not take any part in it. Even now I can find a way to help you if you can understand what pays you and what does not." This is how Tasadruk Khan tried to mislead Ashfaq. But Ashfaq did not like his advice. He was tired of hearing the evil advice. In the end he told Tasadruk to his face: "Khan Sahib, I am quite sure that Hindu India will be much better than British India."
The British Court Of Justice

The British Court of JusticeIn this way the police tried to win him over to their side and failed. They 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. Pandit Motilal Nehru, father of Jawaharlal, was the chairman. There were eminent men like Jawaharlal, Sriprakasha, Acharya Narendra Deva, and Govind Ballabh Pant and Chandra Bhanu Gupta on the committee.

After some progress had been made in the case against Ashfaqulla, Sachindra Bakshi was arrested at Bhagalpur. He was tried in a lower court separately and then the cases against both Ashfaq and Bakshi were combined and tried in the Sessions Court as one.

Both of them tried to behave as if they did not know each other. But they were very good friends and had worked together in the party. Now that they were charge- sheeted together and met in the court they could not pretend to be strangers. They embraced each other in the court with great emotion. The officers of the jail remarked, 'We too had been waiting for the reunion of Rama and Bharata."

Life in prison had made Ashfaq very pious. He grew a beard. He said his prayers
regularly. During Ramzan he fasted very strictly. Now and then the friendsdiscussed
religion. Sachindra Bakshi had no faith in God. But Ashfaq used to say, "I consider the unseen power as supreme. It is above us and is greater than the world. That is my faith. But you do not agree. Faith is an entirely personal matter." He believed that religious faith is the greatest concept uniting God and man in a single principle. His considered opinion was that it was not a matter for discussion in the streets.

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 judgment. 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 represented to the Viceroy that the death sentences should be reduced to
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.

'Death comes but once;

Why fear it?'

So Ashfaq has sung in one of his poems. This is the faith of all revolutionaries. The four revolutionaries sentenced to death died with a smile-on their lips. They had only one prayer: they wanted to be born again in India so that they could fight for the freedom of the country. And so they became martyrs.
Poetry Kindled By Revolutionary Zeal

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 ' Hazarath'. In one of his poems he complains, 'Alas! We are suppressing ourselves. Those that are suppressing us are neither the English, the Germans, the Russians nor the Turks but Indians themselves.' In another poem he declares, 'Oh my motherland, I live only to serve you. Whether I am sentenced for life or given a death sentence, I shall sing thy glories even with my chained hands.' In one long poem this is what Ashfaq sing:
'did not Lord Krishna say to Arjuna in the battlefield that life and death are unreal?
Alas! Where is that wisdom? A man is bound to die; so why should any one be afraid of death? Let our motherland become free and shine through the ages. What matters whether we are alive or dead T In his poems we can see his pure love of the country and her freedom. He feels sorry that his countrymen do not have this spirit of patriotism and freedom.

In one poem he thinks of the punishment of death; he shows his revolutionary spirit in this poem. He says, 'Sick of the tyranny of the British, we walk from Faizabad Jail towards Heaven.'

In The Dark Shadow Of Death

Ramaprasad Bismil wrote his auto- biography (the story of his own life) in the prison a few days before his death. Had the authorities known about it, it would not have seen the light of day. But Rama- prasad had it secretly sent out of prison. He has given a moving account of his friendship with Ashfaq. He says, 'I remember clearly my first meeting with you in Shahjahanpur School; we met after the British Government declared its policy towards India. You were sincerely trying to meet me. You wanted to talk to me about the Mainpuri plot. I suspected your intentions because you were a Muslim and I talked to you in an insulting way. You were then greatly pained. You tried to convince me through friends that you were honest and earnest and that there was no pretence in you. You were determined to work hard for the good of the country. At last you won the day. By your efforts you won a place for yourself in my heart.'

Ramaprasad describes with great warmth how his friendship with Ashfaq grew after he had pulled down the walls of suspicion. He says, 'You became my brother in a few days' friendship. But you were not content to remain in the position of a brother. You wanted equality; you wanted to be one of my friends. You succeeded in your efforts. You became my honored and loved friend. Every one was surprised. I was a devout member of Arya Samaj; you were a devout Muslim. They wondered how we could be friendly.I used to invite Muslims to become Hindus. I lived in the hostels belonging to Arya Samaj. You never troubled yourself about it. Though my friends suspected you, you always walked the straight path firmly. You also used to visit the Arya Samaj Hostel. When there was a clash between the Hindus and the Muslims some of your people scolded you and called you a 'Kaafir' (non-believer). But you never joined them. You always supported Hindu-Muslim unity. You were a true Muslim and a great patriot. If you worried about any thing it was about Hindu Muslim unity. You wanted them to work for the betterment of the country. When I wrote an article or a book in Hindi, you used to ask me why I did not write in Urdu; you wanted that the Muslims also should read it. You learnt Hindi and became a scholar in it. You also used Hindi words while speaking at home. This surprised all.'

When Ashfaq tried to win Ramaprasad's friendship Ramaprasad suspected him. When they became friends, some people had needless doubts about Ashfaq. In this context Ramaprasad says, 'Some of your people feared that you would give up Islam. When there was nothing impure in your heart, where was the question of purifying you ? I understood the purity of your purpose; then I was completely won over. Some friends warned me that I should not trust a Muslim and get cheated.

'But success was yours. Nothing could stand between us now. We ate from the same plate almost always. I began to get over the feeling that there is difference between Hindus and Muslims. You had great love for faith and me in me. You stopped calling me by my full name. Always I was just 'Ram' to you. Once you lost consciousness. Then you called out 'Ram, Ram' often. The Muslims around you were shocked that a Muslim wascalling on a Hindu God 'Ram' in his last moments. They told you to call on Allah. But you went on saying 'Ram, Ram'. By chance a friend who knew the meaning sent word to me. When you saw me you became calm.'

Where did this friendship lead these two souls? Ramaprasad himself describes it. 'What was the result of this friendship finally? Your ideas were shaped by mine. You became a revolutionary. You had then one goal. You wanted to spread these ideas among the Muslim youths. You tried hard to kindle their interest. You wanted to induce them to take part in revolutionary activities. You wanted to influence your friends and relatives. You never disobeyed me. You were always ready to carry out my instructions like an obedient disciple.’

Ashfaqulla choose the path of service to the motherland. That path led him to the
hangman’s noose. His leaderRamaprasad, himself standing on the threshold of death,
bids farewell to him in these words: ‘It makes me glad that you made me shine brighter in the world. It is worth mentioning in Indian History that Ashfaqulla took part in the revolutionary movement in India. Even though you were put in prison your ideals never changes. You are strong both physically and mentally. Your soul is nobly prepared. On account of all these virtues the judge named you as my right-hand man. When he delivered judgment he gave you the garland of victory in the form of the hangman’s noose. My dear brother, you will feel glad that he who sacrificed his ancestral properly for the motherland, he who reduced his parents to beggars, prosperity for the sake of the country and he who sacrificed his all including his own life for the freedom of the country, sacrificed his dearest friend, Ashfaq, for the sake of the motherland.’ These are the words of love and admiration that one martyr, Ramaprasad, spoke about another martyr, Ashfaqulla Khan.

An Indian Lives And Dies For India

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. He fully understood the real danger to the revolutionary movement in India from activities like the Kakori Train Robbery. But when all his friends and fellow workers jumped into the field, he did not keep away. He knew the danger, but he was not a coward. He was not afraid of speaking out his mind and warning others of the danger he foresaw so clearly.But when the leader went forward with his plan he followed in his footsteps. He knew full well that it would cost him his life. But his duty was to follows the leader.

Love of the motherland, clear thinking, courage, firmness and loyalty were embodied in Ashfaqulla in a very great measure. He deserves to be remembered and cherished by all Indians for his noble qualities.

After a country becomes free there is no need to use force and violence. But when
Ashfaqulla and his friends were fighting for the freedom of the country they needed
money. They needed it not for themselves but for the sake of the country. They stopped the train carrying money and took it. Now that we have won freedom we need not do such deeds. But Ashfaqullaremains in our memory because of his noble example during a very difficult period in our country's history. We cannot forget his service to the nation and we ought not to forget it.

It is the birthright and good fortune of every Indian to serve India. To whatever religion a man may belong, his first and highest duty is to serve the country - this was the lesson Ashfaq wrote in the hearts of all people with his blood. He has left a lasting impression on the life of every Indian by his noble martyrdom. May his ideal ad his example shine forever in our hearts!

TATIA TOPE

2007-12-15T11:38:00.000-08:00

"A hero of the fight for freedom in 1857. His very name made the mighty English generals tremble. Deceived by his friend, he faced death like a hero, for the sake of his country.

Tatia Tope

The British troops had pitched their tents on the parade grounds near the fort of Shivpuri, 75 miles from Gwalior. The day was April 18, 1859. It was 4 o'clock in the afternoon. A smiling, charming prisoner was brought out of the prison.

His hands and feet were chained. Under guard he was taken to the hangman's post. He had been condemned to death. The prisoner stepped towards the post fearlessly. There was no hesitation as he stepped upon the platform. It was the custom to cover the eyes of the condemned man with a scarf. When soldiers stepped forward with the scarf, he smiled and made signs to say, 'I don't need all this.' Nor did he allow the hands and feet to be bound. He himself put the noose around his neck. The rope was tightened. Then, at last, there was a pull....
In a moment it was all over.

It was a heart-rending scene, which moved the whole country to tears. The man who was hanging lifeless on the gallows of the English was no criminal. He was not a thief, he was no cutthroat. He was the Supreme commander in the War of Indian Independence,which, in 1857, had challenged the hold of the British over India. It was he who, more than anybody else, shook the mighty British Empire to its foundations. Holding aloft the flag of freedom, he sought to break the chains of slavery and fought the military might of the English heroically. His name was Tatia Tope, a household word for bravery.

MADANLAL DHINGRA

2007-12-15T11:11:00.001-08:00

MADANLAL DHINGRA
Introduction

Dhingra died young but his life was one of heroism and glory. In London, the heart of the British Empire, he killed an enemy of India. He died gladly for his country

Madanlal Dhingra

You have heard of the city of London, haven't you? It is the capital of England. It is a very attractive city with wide roads, tall buildings and rows and clusters of lights that arrest the eye. Some years ago it was famous as the capital of a very vast empire, the British Empire.

A road in London is called Cromwell Road. About sixty-five years ago by the side of that road was situated a building known as 'India House'. It has a small room upstairs. One day, a stove was burning in full blaze on a table in the middle of the room. On the stove was a glass vessel; some chemicals were boiling in it.

On either side of the table there were cupboards containing bottles full of acids.

Two persons were standing by the side of the burning stove, discussing something very important. They were thinking of something else and had totally forgotten the stove and the chemicals.

The stove kept burning, and the vessel grew hotter and hotter. Just a' few moments more, and the chemicals inside would have exploded with a deafening sound; the glass jar would have been shattered to pieces, and the two persons would have been badly hurt. What was worse, people outside would have heard the explosion and rushed inside. The Police would have come. It would have been a great mishap.

The older one noticed it just in time. Oh Lord! That would be the end of their work. What could they do? They started looking for a pair of tongs with which to remove the vessel. There was no time even to search. The boiling grew more and more dangerous.

Even a moment's delay would lead to a great tragedy. All of a sudden, the younger one lifted the glass jar from the stove with his bare hands and put it on the table. The skin on his palms got burnt and there were boils all over them. The smell of burnt flesh filled the room.

It was not an easy thing he did. Only a man of quick decision and great courage could have done it. The younger man had these qualities. His feat surprised and delighted the older man. "Well done, Madan Bhai, well done!" he exclaimed.

They had reason to be so worried about it all. They were not experimenting in a college laboratory. They were secretly making bombs in order to free India from the clutches of the British. And that in London, the capital of the British Empire! What do you think would have happened if the British Government had come to know of it? The two persons and all those working with them would have been thrown into the jail.

That Boy from Amritsar

Both of them were great men. The older of the two was Savarkar, the brave fighter for freedom. He fought for nearly fifty years to drive out the British from India. The other one was Madanlal Dhingra, whose story you are going to read.

Punjab is one of the states of India. It is called Punjab because of the five holy rivers that flow in the area. 'Paanch Aab' means five waters, that is, five rivers.

From olden times the State has given birth to great saints and brave warriors. The Punjabis are great fighters. Some 450 years ago there was danger to Hinduism from Islam. Guru Nanak founded the Sikh religion in order to save Hinduism at that time. It was here that Guru Govind Singh, the tenth 'Guru' of the Sikhs, fought for it. That is why the Punjab is known as 'the Sword - Arm of India.'

Amritsar is a city in Punjab. Here is a great temple of the Sikhs, built in the middle of a lake. It was here in Amritsar that Madanlal Dhingra was born.

I Madanlal's father was a rich man. He was called Doctor Sahib Ditta. He was a well-known doctor in Amritsar. He had earned a lot of money. He respected the British as much as he respected God.

Dhingra was the son of such a father. He had a brother who had gone to England to study medicine ; later he settled down there.

Like his father, he too regarded the British as gods.

Dhingra was unlike him. He was a smart lad from ‘childhood. He was good at sports as well as studies. He had his early schooling in Lahore and Amritsar. As a boy he used to dream that he would study well, take a degree and somehow go to England to become an engineer.

But he would not ask his father for money. He therefore decided to work in order to earn the money he needed to go abroad. He was married by then and had a child too.

Dhingra went to Kashmir and got a job in a Government department. He worked at Simla and Kolkatanga also and was able to earn enough money to be able to go to England.

A Merry Life

Much against his father's will Dhingra boarded a ship leaving for England in July 1906. After several days of sea travel he reached England at last. Dhingra joined a University for the engineering degree in the month of October.

Dhingra was overjoyed to be in England. He felt like a bird released from the cage after many many days of imprisonment. He was free, he was happy.

Dhingra used to take pleasure in wearing costly, smart suits; he used cosmetics and scents, and spent hours together before the mirror combing his hair. He liked to go for long walks in the streets of London in the evenings. He indulged in merriment in the company of friends, both boys and girls.

India House

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, the brave fighter for freedom from Maharashtra, was in England at the time. Although he was there to study law he had engaged himself in something else. He had founded the India House. He used to collect all young Indians who went to England for higher studies there. He explained to them the miserable condition of our country. "Our mother, Bharat Mata, is being trampled underfoot by the British. She is groaning and in great misery. It is the bounden duty of her children to free her from the clutches of the inhuman brutes. If we all join and work together, we are sure to win freedom for the motherland. But we shall have to be prepared to face anything and even to lay down our lives." With such words, he filled their hearts with patriotism and made them brave heroes.

While roaming in the streets of London, Dhingra. Came to know of the India House.

One day he went there when Savarkar was making a speech before a gathering of enthusiastic young men. Savarkar was a very good speaker. All those present there were listening to him with rapt attention. Savarkar described the pitiable plight of our country. As he listened, Dhingra's blood began to boil. Strong feelings were aroused in him and it was difficult for him to contain them.

From that day, Savarkar was Dhingra's hero. He began to worship him and to attend his lectures with great interest. He accepted without question all that Savarkar said.

Savarkar launched a major program in 1908. As far back as in 1857 Indian soldiers had revolted against the British and fought them. Savarkar had arranged for the anniversary celebration of this first was of independence. Through this program he was able to enthuse the Indian youths and flood their hearts with patriotism.

All the Indian youths in Londonparticipated in the celebration whole-heartedly. The youthful students wore '1857 - Commemoration' badges on their coats and went to their classes. This annoyed many Englishmen.

The British were extremely proud of their empire. They thought they were born to rule and the Indians were incapable of ruling over their own nation. Even among them were a few sensible persons and they were sympathetic towards India; but the majority of the British thought they were superior beings meant to lead the Indians. And here were young Indians displaying badges reminding the English of the revolt against them in 1857! And this was being done in their own country, in their very capital, in their very presence! Several Englishmen felt their blood boil.

Dhingra was wearing a smart suit and the badge on it. Exhibiting it proudly he was moving about in the college building. One of Dhingra's friends, an Englishman, Saw it. He was very, very angry. He went straight to Dhingra and tried to snatch away his badge. Before he could do it Dhingra slapped him hard in the face. Next, he knocked him down and sat on his chest.

Producing a knife from his pocket, Dhingra brandished it in his opponent's face and shouted: "Dare to touch the symbol of my country's honor, do you T' The poor Englishman begged for mercy. "For God's sake, let me go, I pray. I shall never offend you again," he moaned. Dhingra pardoned him, pitied him and let him go.

A Needle Straight Through the Palm!

Dhingra was capable of bearing a lot of physical pain. He hated idle talk and pointless discussions. He was ever ready for constructive work.

One day Dhingra and his friends had gathered in the India House and were discussing the heroic qualities of the Japanese, their courage and fortitude.

Dhingra did not like the attitude of his friends. "Enough of this praise of the Japanese," he said. "Do you suppose we Hindus are in any way inferior to them? Let the time come, and the Hindus will show their mettle to the whole world!"

In the eyes of many people Dhingra was just a dandy; they thought he was a good for-nothing fellow. So they burst into laughter at his words. "0 we know you! You have a quick pair of heels", they taunted. Dhingra would not agree that his words were words of empty boast. The friends continued to taunt and jeer. The quarrel took a serious turn. It was decided to put Dhingra's bravery to the test and he agreed to it. One of them brought a long thick needle. He asked Dhingra to place his right hand on a table, and Dhingra did so.

All eyes were on the hand. The man put the point of the needle on Dhingra's palm and started pressing it down. It cut into his flesh.

But not a sound came from Dhingra's lips. The man pressed the needle harder still. It passed through the palm and ran into the wooden top of the table. It was painful and the blood was freely flowing. But Dhingra sat still like a stone statue. Then the needle was removed. Dhingra was smiling as if nothing had happened.

All the same, Dhingra's nature was strange. He had a sense of humor and would always be teasing somebody. When he went to India House, he would not attend any lecture other than Savarkar's.

One evening an important meeting was going on in India House. Dhingra had no mind to attend it. Then what else should he do?

He thought of a plan. He brought a gramophone and placing it near the window facing the road, started playing a record. When the music started, many girls gathered in the street near the window and started clapping rhythmically and dancing to the tune.

Dhingra joined them, at the same time whistling the tune. It was a noisy scene.

The meeting inside was very much disturbed by this. Savarkar rushed out and was shocked to find Dhingra there. He felt like beating him black and blue then and there. "Madan!" thundered Savarkar, "Stop that wretched music!" Dhingra obeyed. White with anger, Savarkar looked at Dhingra and shouted, "Madan! You should be ashamed of yourself. There is a meeting going on inside.

You don't attend it, but here you are making a fool of yourself. You stay away from the meeting and become a nuisance to those who attend it. O, shame upon you Madan! What is the use of all that talk about?

Fight-to-the-finish and self-sacrifice if this is what you do in practice?" Dhingra hung his head in shame and walked away.

Days passed. Two months rolled by and Dhingra did not step into India House. He was angry, perhaps. He must have felt offended that everybody thought him irresponsible. Savarkar was worried about Dhingra. What had happened to him? Where was he? Why had he not come again!

Ready for a Great Event

One evening Dhingra walked in all of a sudden and stood before Savarkar. There was no one else there. Looking straight into his eyes, Dhingra asked, "Savarkar, tell me now, has the time come for me to sacrifice myself?"

"Madan Bhai, if the person ready to sacrifice himself feels the time has come, it means it has!" replied Savarkar. "Then, Savarkar, I am ready," s Dhingra.

Savarkar took him inside his room. They had a long discussion. The stage was set for a great event in Dhingra's life.

The struggle for freedom was in full swing in India at that time. Processions by the people, lathi-charge and firing by the Police - these were daily affairs. The British did not want to let India out of there strangle hold. They used to take away raw materials like mineral ores and cotton to England and use them; then they brought the finished goods to India and made money. They paid their own people high salaries and sent them to India to extract hard work from the Indians and to exploit the wealth of this country. If the Indians woke up, if India became free, what a terrible loss to the English! So those who voiced the demand for freedom became the enemies of the British Government. They were beaten up mercilessly with the help of the Police and the army. Arrests and self-sacrifice were daily happenings. Lokamanya Tilak, Lala Lajpatrai and such other leaders guided India’s struggle for freedom.

On the other hand, there were young revolutionaries who fought with arms. Khudiram Bose and Praphullachandra Chaki exploded the first bomb in Bengal.

Dhingra felt a strange urge within him whenever he heard such news. He hated the British with all his heart. Something happened in the meantime as if to add fuel to the fire.

Savarkar's elder brother, Ganesh Damodar Savarkar, affectionately called Babarao Savarkar, was a revolutionary. The British Government had arrested and awarded him transportation sentence. This meant being taken away by sea to the Island called the Andamans and jailed there. The place was full of snakes, scorpions and wild animals. Those who were a danger to the society, such as murderers and dacoits, were usually sent to the Andamans and put in prison there. And it was to such jails that those who fought for India's freedom were sent!

Dhingra was unable to control his anger when he heard of the arrest of Babarao Savarkar and the transportation sentence. He was already determined to make the British taste a Hindu youth's revenge. The Government's action served to feed the fire.

In order to put his plan into practice he bought a revolver and practiced shooting.

A Cunning Fox

There was an association in London called the National Indian Association. Its aim was to make the Indian youths that went to England for higher studies great admirers of the British. It used to transform patriotic young men into traitors by teaching them all soft of vices. One Miss Emma Josephine Beck was its secretary.

Dhingra visited the office of the National Indian Association in the month of March 1909. He met and talked to Emma Beck. He made friends with her. He made interested enquiries about the Association. He expressed a desire to become a member. The very next month he enrolled himself as a member.

The British Government was a very cunning Government. It had formed a committee to poison the minds of the Indian youths about their own nation. Sir William Curzon Wyllie was one of the three important members of this committee. He was a cunning fox.

He was an expert in talking sweetly and poisoning others' minds. He was an adviser in the office of the Secretary of State for India.

He had many opportunities to work out his evil plans. The Indian students, therefore, hated him. They wanted to finish him if they get an opportunity.

This Curzon Wyllie was a good friend of Dhingra's father as well as of his brother. His father used to write to Wyllie asking him to take care of Dhingra. Accordingly Wyllie met Dhingra off and on and pretended to take interest in his welfare. Dhingra, in return, pretended to have faith in him.

Gradually Wyllie started persuading Dhingra to tell him all the secrets of the India House.

But Dhingra used to meet Savarkar quite often; he used to tell him all that was going on. He even told Wyllie a few important things about the India House, but he always informed Savarkar about it and took his permission to do so. Letting on the secrets to Wyllie was just a bit of play-acting.

The First of July

Babarao Savarkar was sentenced to transportation for life on 8th June. Dhingra tried to murder Curzon Wyllie the same day. But his victim escaped. So Dhingra the huntsman was biding his time.

First of July 1909. The National Indian Association was to celebrate its annual day. Dhingra met Emma Beck and collected information. He was happy to learn that Wyllie would attend the function.

Dhingra met Savarkar secretly on 20th June. He explained his intentions and plans to Savarkar. Savarkar was quite pleased.

The First of July was a Thursday. And Dhingra was determined to take revenge for the dishonor done to India, on that day.

He had food early that day. Taking his revolver he went to the training institute to practice shooting. He fired twelve shots to improve his aim.

It was six o'clock in the evening when he returned to his room. He had a hurried wash and changed his clothes.

He put on a sky-blue turban in the Punjabi style and a smart suit, a necktie and dark glasses. He filled up his coat pockets with a revolver, two pistols and two knives. He was now ready to sacrifice the sheep called Wyllie to Kali Mata.

The venue chosen for the annual day celebrations was the Jehangir hall of the Imperial Institute. Dhingra reached the place at eight. He went in straight and talked to people there for some time. Smartly dressed men and colorfully attired women had assembled in the hall which was tastefully decorated with balloons and paper flags in various hues. There was a gay atmosphere.

Dhingra's friend Emma came 'to greet him. He talked to her as if he was very happy to see her.

It was past ten. Every now and then Dhingra was looking eagerly towards the entrance.

Curzon Wyllie and his wife arrived. Their arrival added zest to the merriment. It was about eleven when the proceeding ended.

Wyllie got down from the dais. Then there was some music. Wyllie was moving around talking to people informally.

Dhingra approached Wyllie who raised his eyebrows and said, "Hullo." Dhingra drew nearer. He stood quite close to Wyllie and pretended to tell him something in confidence. He lowered his head in order to hear Dhingra's secret.

Suddenly Dhingra took out his revolver from his pocket. Aiming at Willie’s chest, he fired two shots: "Bang! Bang!" the shots rang out. With a scream Wyllie fell to the ground. Dhingra fired two more shots at him. Curzon lay dead on the floor. A Parsi gentleman called Cowasjee Lalkaka rushed to the aid of Wyllie. Dhingra fired a shot at him and Cowasjee fell to the ground too. He died in the hospital a few days later.

There was utter chaos in Jehangir Hall. All those who had gathered there stood shocked and shivering. "Catch him, thrash him,"

some shouted. One man rushed to Dhingra to disarm him. Dhingra hit him on the neck with his left hand. The man's neck was swollen. His bones broke. He fell down, blood flowing from his mouth.

But Dhingra was calm and collected. He was smiling. "Just a moment, let me wear my glasses," he said, and put them on. The Police arrested him. A doctor came forward to feel his pulse. It was normal, and calm as ever. On the other hand the doctor was shivering from head to foot.

Although he had committed such a grim murder, Dhingra was not in the least afraid. He firmly believed that what he had done was right. He was taken to the Police station. He slept soundly even in Police custody!

London is rocked

All the newspapers in London carried the news of the cold-blooded murder of Wyllie. People were shocked. Dhingra had a written statement in his pocket; the Police snatched and hid it. Savarkar came to know of the incident. Information about it reached India in no time. Indian revolutionaries rejoiced over it.

Dhingra's name became a household word in England and India. PatrioticIndians regarded him as a great hero. But some Indians disapproved of Dhingra's act. They openly condemned what he had done. Even his father, Sahib Ditta, sent a cable from India: "I disown Madan as my son. He has disgraced my fair name." His brother declared that he had nothing to do with Dhingra any more, since what Dhingra had done was a serious crime.

He was thus let down by the members of his own family. But the patriotic among Indians regarded him as their own brother. They praised him as a great son of India who had brought her honor.

But there were some Indians who were puppets in the hands of the British. They wanted to hold a meeting to condemn Dhingra's conduct. They decided to meet in Caxton Hall in London on the Fifth of July for the purpose.

Dhingra's friends came to know of it. Savarkar was furious. "A brave Indian youth is even ready to sacrifice his life, he performs a heroic act. And here are Indians out to condemn him I It is shameful I" he thundered. It was decided to see that the resolution condemning Dhingra's deed was not passed without opposition.

Savarkar went to attend the meeting accompanied by a few friends. They all sat very near the dais.

The meeting started. The Aga Khan, who presided over the meeting, rose to read out the resolution. "This meeting has unanimously passed the resolution condemning the conduct of Dhingra...." he began. But a voice thundered from somewhere:

"No, the resolution is not unanimous!" The whole gathering was stunned.

"Who is that?" the Aga Khan shouted.

"It is me, Savarkar, and I oppose it!" was the reply. People began to disperse on seeing him. They were afraid to face him. But a young Englishman rushed towards Savarkar and hit him hard in the face with his fist. "Just have a taste of an Englishman's anger!" he said. Savarkar's spectacles were broken to pieces. Blood started flowing down his face. But Savarkar did not mind it.

"Happen what may, I oppose this resolution," he insisted. Then, Thirumalacharya, a revolutionary who had accompanied Savarkar, raised his lathi. Rushing towards the English youth, and saying, "Just have a taste of an Indian's anger!" he thrashed him soundly. The Englishman ran for his life.

Such was the love of Savarkar and his friends for Dhingra and their pride in him. They would not tolerate any insult to his honor.

In the Witness Box

Dhingra was tried in the London High Court. He was just indifferent. All he said was: "I never intended to kill Lalkaka. But I had to shoot in self-defence."

Madanlal Dhingra was put within the four walls of the Brixton Jail. Savarkar went to see him there. He was proud of his disciple's courageous achievement. "Savarkar, after my death, the funeral rites should be performed in the Hindu way. No Non-Hindu should touch my body. Auction my belongings and donate the money to the 'National Fund," Dhingra told Savarkar.

He made his statement in the court on the Tenth of July. It echoed everywhere.

This is what he said: "Just as the Germans have no right to occupy England, so the Britons have no right to occupy India. It is legal to kill the Englishmen, who have set their unholy feet on our motherland. Do sentence me to death! That is what I ask for. For that will fan the fire of revenge in the hearts of my countrymen!"

The evening newspapers contained Dhingra's statement. "Dhingra's statement is strange," the papers commented; "He says he is a patriot who is sacrificing his life for the good of his motherland, and his Indian brethren will avenge his death!"

The trial was over on July the Twenty-fifth. The court delivered judgement. What was it? Death I The date for it was fixed too. It was the Seventeenth of August 1909.

Dhingra's Statement Appears outside England

The Police had stolen and hidden the statement prepared by Dhingra. When Dhingra asked them to read it in the court they pretended as if they knew nothing about it. Savarkar came to know of it. He had a copy of the statement. An idea struck Savarkar. 'I must do something to get this historic statement published in all the papers of important countries before Madanlal breathes his last. That will give him some consolation at the time of his death', he thought.

Savarkar called a revolutionary friend of his called Gyan Chand Varma and told him to get the statement printed in all the important papers of European countries. Gyan Chand Varma took it and went to Paris secretly. There he printed thousands of copies of the statement.

He sent it to the leading newspapers of several important countries like Germany, Italy and America.

‘The Daily News’ was an important newspaper published from London. An English friend of Savarkar’s was working in the ‘Daily News’. While the paper was being printed at night, he inserted Dhingra’s statement; no one else knew what he was doing. So on the 16th of August, a day before Dhingra’s death, the statement appeared in the ’Daily News. Dhingra was overjoyed when he came to know of it. He danced for joy inside the jail.

The following is the gist of Dhingra’s statement:

A Challenge

It is true I tried to shed the blood of an Englishman. It is a small measure of revenge against the British who are torturing the Indian youths. I alone am responsible for my action.

My country is enslaved. We are struggling hard to achieve independence. We are not allowed to have arms. We are not allowed to carry guns. So I had to attack with a pistol!

I am a Hindu. I believe an insult to my Nation is an insult to my God. I am not intelligent. I am not mighty. What can I offer to my Mother except my blood? Therefore I am shedding my blood in the service of my Motherland. To me the service of Lord Bharat Mata is the service of Sree Rama. Service of my Mother is service of Lord Krishna. Therefore I am sacrificing my life for her sake, and I am proud of it. I wish to be born-again and again in India until she achieves independence. I wish to sacrifice my life again and again for India! May God grant me this one wish of mine!

Vande Mataram!

The Moment of Martyrdom

August the 17th was the day set for Dhingra's death. It was decided to hang him in the Pentonville Jail.

It was a day of great sorrow for his friends. Outwardly he had looked like a dandy but what patriotism flooded his heart! His friends wept in grief and admiration.

Savarkar and his friends were not idle on that day. They printed a handout. They stood in the streets, their hearts heavy with sorrow, their minds tense and anxious. They distributed copies of the handout to passers-by pleading, "Read this, we beg of you, read this." And this is what it said:

"Today is the 17th of August, 1909. This is a date that should be written in the heart of every patriotic Indian in blood. Today will Dhingra, our best friend and greatest patriot, be hanged in the Pentonville Jail. His spirit will guide us. His sacred name will adorn the pages of history. Our enemies will kill him. But they cannot kill our struggle for freedom. Let them never forget this!"

This happy-go-lucky young man came to London in the month of July 1906. He used to take pleasure in wearing smart clothes and roaming about in the streets of London. He was fond of cosmetics and used to sit before the mirror for hours on end making him handsome.

Just three years later the same young man welcomed his death with a smile. What a great change in so short a time!

Wearing nice clothes, going to parties with friends, whistling and roaming about in the streets, they were all natural to a young man of his age. If Dhingra had remained just a dandy, nobody would have remembered him today. He would be just one of the many nameless ones of the earth that are born and dead, and are heard of no more.

But Dhingra wanted to be of use to his country. He died for its sake, but he lives in our hearts. He is immortal.

He went to England to study engineering. As an engineer he could have earned heaps of money, acquired a status, and led a comfortable life. He would have lived longer and lived happily.

But his countrymen were living like slaves. They were dead though living. Dhingra died so that we could live. He and martyrs like him laid down their lives and gave life to us. His body died, but he lives in the hearts of his countrymen.

What Shall We Do?

Madanlal Dhingra went to the gallows that day. With the holy Gita in his hands and the sacred names of Rama and Krishna on his lips he smilingly embraced death. We remember him today with reverence; we bow to him in gratitude.

In those days when the British tried to suppress the Indians cruelly, thousands of brave men and women fought and sacrificed their lives. They sacrificed their personal happiness. They had to be away from their beloved wives and children. "Let us free Bharat Mata from foreign rule first and then think of our personal happiness!" - this was the ideal they had before them.

Indian's independence is a plant they watered with their blood; it is the fruit of their toil and the result of their self-sacrifice.

Twenty-five years have passed since we achieved independence. It is our responsibility to preserve what those martyrs won by sacrificing their lives. They fought to win freedom; we have to fight to preserve freedom.

Let us draw our inspiration and strength to serve our nation from the glorious examples of Madanlal Dhingra and the thousands of martyrs like him. May they shower their blessings on us! May the patriotism, the courage and the loyalty of those great men guide us! Let our one prayer be may these heroic martyrs inspire us to serve our own beloved motherland! With the grace of God, may we be fit to serve our beloved motherland!

RAMPRASAD BISMIL

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Ram Prasad Bismil (1897-1927) was one of the great Indian freedom fighters, who also participated in the Kakori train robbery. He was a member of the Arya Samaj.He was also a great poet and has written several inspiring verses. He was prosecuted by the British Government in India. Ramaprasad Bismil joined the select band of martyrs who dreamt of a free India and made the supreme sacrifice, so that the dream might come true. Bismil, along with stalwarts like Ashfaqulla Khan, Chandrasekhar Azad, Bhagawati Charan, Rajguru and others organised several upheavals against the British. They printed literature, provided shelter to revolutionaries, made hand bombs and were a constant source of headache to the British Government. Most famous of them are best remembered for the Kakori train robbery and the bombing of the Punjab assembly.

'Bismil' is the penname of Ramaprasad. As 'Bismil' he is well known as a great revolutionary poet in Hindi. At the end of his autobiography, he has reproduced some selected poems. Every line of his poems throbs with patriotic fervour.

In one poem he prays: "Even if I have to face death a thousand times for the sake of my Motherland, I shall not be sorry. Oh Lord! Grant me a hundred births in Bharath. But grant me this, too, that each time I may give up my life in the service of the Mother land."

In a poem written just before going to the gallows, he prays: "Oh Lord! Thy will be done. You are unique. Neither my tears nor I will endure. Grant me this boon, that to my last breath and the last drop of my blood, I may think of you and be immersed in your work."

Childhood

Ramprasad was born in the year 1897 at Shahjahanpur,Uttar Pradesh. His ancestors hailed from the state of Gwalior.His father Muralidhar was with the municipality of Shahjahanpur.He was the second of two siblings.He is known for his association with fellow Indian revolutionaryAshfaqulla Khan.

KARTAR SINGH SARABHA

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Kartar Singh Sarabha

Date of Birth : 1896
Date of Death : Nov 16, 1915
Place of Birth : Sarabha

Revolutionary Kartar Singh, the great devotee of Bellona, the goddess of war, was only twenty years old when he sacrificed himself on the altar of goddess of freedom. There was only one aim of his life, only one desire, only one hope - all that held meaning in his life was revolution. Kartar Singh was born in Sarabha, a village in district Ludhiana, in 1896. He was the only son of his parents. He was still very young when his father died. His grandfather brought him up with great care. After passing the ninth grade, he went to Orissa to live with his uncle. He completed his high school and began college while there. It was the year 1910-1911, when he had the opportunity to read a lot of books outside the narrow range of school or college text books. This was also the time of nationalist movement. It was this political environment that aroused the feeling of patriotism in him. It was then that he decided that he must travel to America. The family did not have any opposition to that. He arrived in San Francisco in 1912. Having arrived in the "free nation" his tender heart was subjected to blows and humiliation at every step. He would be very upset when he heard himself being called a damn Hindu or black man by the whites. At every step he felt his country's dignity and respect in jeopardy. It was impossible for him to remain calm. The question began to haunt him. How would the country become free if peaceful means failed. Without wasting much time in thinking, he began to organize Indian laborers. Many persons joined him when the work progressed. A special meeting of these people took place in May 1912. A few selected Indians attended that meeting. All of them took vow to dedicate their mind, body and wealth for the freedom of their country. Meantime the exiled Punjabi patriot Bhagwan Singh reached there. Meetings began to take place in a great number.
Intensive teaching became the name. Work was increased. The file was prepared. Then the need for a paper was felt. A paper named Gadar was launched. Its first issue was published in November 1913. Kartar Singh was also a member of its editorial board. His pen was very powerful. The dedication with which Kartar Singh worked gave courage to all others. In the meantime he joined an institute in New York to learn how to fly a plane and began his mission there wholeheartedly. In September 1914 Kamagata Maru ship had to return without unloading its human cargo after its passenger suffered indescribable tortures at the hand of the imperialist whites. So Kartar Singh along with Kranti Priya Gupta and an American anarchist named Jack went to Japan. He met Baba Gurdit Singh in Kobe and held consultations with him. From Yugantar Ashram, San Francisco, copies of Gadar, Gadar ki Gunj and many other publications were printed and distributed regularly. Propaganda was increasing every day. Enthusiasm kept in the air. Kartar Singh forcefully advocated for returning to India. Then he himself sailed for Colombo (Sri Lanka). In those people returning from America and going to Punjab were quite often safely. But Kartar Singh did. He dedicated himself to the Party wholeheartedly. They lacked organization. Somehow that was created. In December young Maratha revolutionary Vishnu Ganesh Pingle also reached India. Through their efforts Shachindra Nath Sanyal and Ras Behari also came to Punjab. Kartar Singh was everywhere - if there was a secret meeting in Moga, he was there, next day, message was to be spread among the students in Lahore, he would be the first to be there. Next, the efforts were being made to have an alliance with Ferozepur Cantonments soldiers or there was a need to go to Calcutta for acquiring the arms. He would go everywhere. But there was no money. For that Kartar Singh suggested armed robbery. Many of his colleagues were dumb-founded at the suggestion. He asked them not to worry, told them that even Bhai Parmanand is in favor of robberies. He was given the job to confirm this assertion. Next day he told his colleagues that he had asked him and had his consent. He could not bear the thought that due to the lack of finances, there should be a delay in launching a revolution. He even did robberies to collect money. Preparation was made for revolt to take place in February 1915. In the first week (of Feb. 1915) he along with Pingle and some other friends went to Agra, Kanpur, Allahabad, Lucknow, Meerut and other places to meet people and consult them about the coming revolt. Finally the day for which they waited so long was drawing near. February 21, 1915 was the day fixed for launching the revolt all over India. All preparations were being made according to that. But at the same time a rat was sitting at the root of the tree of their hopes branches was nibbling at it. Four or five days before (the appointed date) it was suspected that every thing would be ruined because of the betrayal by Kirpal Singh. The misfortune of India can be the only reason for all this. Kartar Singh reached Ferozepur with his fifty or sixty colleagues according to the place. He met with his friend soldier Havaldar and talked to him about the revolt. But Kirpal Singh had already spoiled everything. Indian soldiers were disarmed. Arrests were made on a mass scale. Havaldar refused to help. Efforts of Kartar Singh were unsuccessful. He went to Lahore disappointed. The pace of arrests all over Punjab was quickened. There they were caught. They were chained. Judges were very impressed by his bravery. But like an enemy with big heart they did not call his bravery as bravery but remembered him with shameless words. Not only they showered abuses on Kartar Singh, but gave him the sentence to be hanged. He smiled and thanked the judges. The case lasted for a year and a half. On November 16, 1915 he was hanged. That day too he was happy as always. His weight too increased. He embraced the hanging rope with the words, "Victory to Mother India."

GIVIND BALLABH PANT

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Govind Ballabh Pant

Date of Birth : Sep 10, 1887
Date of Death : Mar 7, 1961
Place of Birth : Uttar Pradesh

Govind Ballabh Pant was an Indian freedom fighter, an important political leader from Uttar Pradesh and of the movement to establish Hindi as the national language of India. As a lawyer in Kashipur, Pant began his active work against the British Raj in 1914, when he helped a local parishad, or village council, their successful challenge of a law requiring locals to provide free transportation of the luggage of travelling British officials. In 1921, he entered politics and was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. In 1930, he was arrested and imprisoned for several weeks for organizing a Salt March inspired by Gandhi's earlier actions. In 1933, he was arrested and imprisoned for seven months for attending a session of the then-banned provincial Congress. In 1935, the ban was rescinded, and Pant joined the new Legislative Council. During the Second World War, Pant acted as the tiebreaker between Gandhi's faction, which advocated supporting the British Crown in their war effort, and Subash Chandra Bose's faction, which advocated taking advantage of the situation to expel the British Raj by any means necessary. In 1940, Pant was arrested and imprisoned for helping organize the Satyagraha movement. In 1942 he was arrested again, this time for signing the Quit India resolution, and imprisoned until March of 1945, at which point Jawaharlal Nehru had to plead for Pant's release, on grounds of failing health. After independence in 1947, Pant became Chief Minister of the United Provinces, which he renamed Uttar Pradesh. Among his achievements in that position was the abolition of the zamindari system. He was called on to succeed Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel as Home Minister after Patel's death in 1950; in that position, his chief achievement was the establishment of Hindi as an official language. In 1957, he was awarded the Bharat Ratna.

Dr .RAJENDRA PRASAD

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Dr. Rajendra Prasad

Date of Birth : Dec 3, 1884
Date of Death : Feb 28, 1963
Place of Birth : Zeradei, Bihar

Dr. Rajendra Prasad was the first President of India. Rajendra Prasad was a great freedom-fighter, and the architect of the Indian Constitution, having served as President of the Constituent Assembly that drafted the Constitution of the Republic from 1948 to 1950. He had also served as a Cabinet Minister briefly in the first Government of Independent India. He was a crucial leader of the Indian Independence Movement. Prasad was born in Jiradei, in the Siwan district of Bihar. His father, Mahadev Sahay, was a Persian and Sanskrit language scholar; his mother, Kamleshwari Devi, was a devout lady who would tell stories from the Ramayana to her son. At the age of 5, the young Rajendra Prasad was sent to a Maulavi for learning Persian. After that he was sent to Chapra Zilla School for further primary studies.

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He was married at the age of 12 to Rajvanshi Devi. He then went on to study at R.K. Ghosh's Academy in Patna to be with his older brother Mahendra Prasad. Soon afterward, however, he rejoined the Chapra Zilla School, and it was from there that he passed the entrance examination of Calcutta University, at the age of 18. He stood first in the first division of that examination. He then joined the Presidency College, Calcutta. He was initially a student of science and his teachers included J.C.Bose and Prafulla Chandra Roy. Later he decided to switch his focus to the arts. Acharya Prafulla Chandra Roy, who was impressed by his intellect and dedication asked him on the occasion "Why have you deserted your class?." Prasad lived with his brother in the Eden Hindu Hostel. A plaque still commemorates his stay in that room. He had been initiated into the Swadeshi movement by his brother. He then joined the Dawn Society run by Satish Chandra Mukherjee, and Sister Nivedita. In 1911, he joined the A.I.C.C. However, his family estate was in bad condition. He was looked upon as the provider. But he sought permission from his brother in a letter to join the Indian freedom movement. He wrote, "Ambitions I have none, except to be of some service to the Motherland". The shock of his brother, however, held him to the family. In 1916, Rajendra Prasad joined the High Court of Bihar, and Orissa. Such was his intellect and his integrity, that often when his adversary failed to cite a precedent, the judges asked Rajendra Prasad to cite a precedent against himself. After meeting Mahatma Gandhi, he quit as a Senator of the University, much to the regret of the British Vice-Chancellor.He also responded to the call by the Mahatma to boycott Western education by asking his son Mrityunjaya Prasad, a brilliant student to drop out of the University and enroll himself in Bihar Vidyapeeth, an institution he had along with his colleagues founded on the traditional Indian model. He wrote articles for Searchlight and the Desh and collected funds for these papers. He toured a lot, explaining, lecturing and exhorting. When the earthquake of Bihar occurred on January 15, 1934, Rajendra Prasad was in jail. He was released two days later. He set himself for the task of raising funds. The Viceroy had also raised a fund. However, while Rajendra Prasad's fund collected over 38 Lakhs (Rs. 3,800,000), the Viceroy could only manage one-third of that amount. The way relief was organized left nothing to be desired. Nationalist India expressed its admiration by electing him to the President of the Bombay session of the Indian National Congress.

After India became independent he was elected the President of India. As President, he used his moderating influence so silently and unobtrusively that he neither reigned nor ruled. His sister Bhagwati Devi died on the night of 25 January 1960. She doted on her dearly-loved younger brother. It must have taken Rajendra Prasad all his will power to have taken the Republic Day salute as usual, on the following day. It was only on return from the parade that he set about the task of cremation. In 1962, after 12 years as President, he announced his decision to retire. He was subsequently awarded the Bharat Ratna, the nation's highest civilian award. Within months of his retirement, early in September 1962, his wife Rajvanshi Devi passed away. In a letter written a month before his death to one devoted to him, he said, "I have a feeling that the end is near, end of the energy to do, end of my very existence". He died on 28 February 1963 with 'Ram Ram Ram' on his lips. Because of the enormous public adulation he enjoyed, he was referred to as Desh Ratna or the Jewel of the country. His legacy is being ably carried forward by his great grandson Ashoka Jahnavi-Prasad, a psychiatrist and a scientist of international repute who introduced sodium valproate as a safer alternative to lithium salts in the treatment of bipolar disorders

PURUSHOTTAM DAS TANDON

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Purushottam Das Tandon

Date of Birth : Aug 1, 1882
Date of Death : Jul 1, 1962
Place of Birth : Uttar Pradesh

Purushottam Das Tandon was a freedom fighter from Uttar Pradesh in India, of Punjabi Khatri descent. He is widely remembered for his efforts in achieving the Official Language of India status for Hindi. He was revered as Rajarshi. Purushottam Das Tandon was born at Allahabad. After obtaining a degree in law and an MA in history, he started practising in 1906 and joined the bar of Allahabad High Court in 1908 as a junior to Tej Bahadur Sapru. He gave up practise in 1921 to concentrate on public activities.
He was a member of Congress Party since his student days in 1899. In 1906, he represented Allahabad in the AICC. He was associated with the Congress Party committee that studied the Jallianwala Bagh incident in 1919. He was also a part of the Servants of the People Society. In the 1920s and 1930s he was arrested for participating in the Non-Cooperation movement and Salt Satyagraha respectively. He and Nehru were among the people arrested even before Mahatma Gandhi returned from the Round Table Conference at London in 1931. He was known for his efforts in farmers' movements and he served as the President, Bihar Provincial Kisan Sabha in 1934. He worked as the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the present-day Uttar Pradesh for a period of 13 years, from July 31, 1937 to August 10, 1950. He was elected to the Constituent Assembly of India in 1946. He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1952 and the Rajya Sabha in 1956. He retired from active public life after that due to indifferent health. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award in 1961.

VINOBA BHAVE

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Vinoba Bhave

Date of Birth : Sep 11, 1895
Date of Death : Nov 15, 1982
Place of Birth : Maharashtra

Vinoba Bhave, born Vinayak Narahari Bhave and often called Acharya (In Sanskrit and Hindi means teacher), is considered as a National Teacher of India and the spiritual successor of Mahatma Gandhi. He was born in Gagode, Maharashtra on September 11, 1895 into a pious family of the Chitpavan Brahmin clan. He was highly inspired after reading the Bhagavad Gita, one of the holiest Hindu scriptures at a very young age. He was associated with Mahatma Gandhi in the Indian independence movement. In 1932 he was sent to jail by the British colonial government because of his fight against British rule. There he gave a series of talks on the Gita, in his native language Marathi, to his fellow prisoners. These highly inspiring talks were later published as the book "Talks on the Gita", and it has been translated to many languages both in India and elsewhere. Vinoba felt that the source of these talks was something above and he believed that its influence will endure even if his other works were forgotten. In 1940 he was chosen by Gandhi to be the first Individual Satyagrahi (an Individual standing up for Truth instead of a collective action) against the British rule. Bhave also participated in the Quit India Movement.
Vinoba's religious outlook was very broad and it synthesized the truths of many religions. This can be seen in one of his hymns "Om Tat" which contains symbols of many religions. He was also a scholar of many languages. Vinoba observed the life of the average Indian living in a village and tried to find solutions for the problems he faced with a firm spiritual foundation. This formed the core of his Sarvodaya (Awakening of all potentials) movement. Another example of this is the Bhoodhan (land gift) movement. He walked all across India asking people with land to consider him as one of their sons and so give him a portion of their land which he then distributed to landless poor. Nonviolence and compassion being a hallmark of his philosophy, he also campaigned against the slaughtering of cows. Vinoba spent the later part of his life at his ashram in Paunar, Maharashtra. He controversially backed the Indian Emergency imposed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, calling it Anushasana Parva (Time for Discipline).

He died on November 15, 1982 after refusing food and medicine few days earlier. Some Indians have identified this as sallekhana. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1983.

SHAHEED UDHAM SINGH

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Shaheed Udham Singh

Date of Birth : Dec 26, 1899
Date of Death : July 31, 1940
Place of Birth : Sunam

Udham Singh was one of the great patriots of India, born as Sher Singh on 26 December 1899, at Sunam, in the then princely state of Patiala. His father, Tahal Singh, was at that time working as a watchman on a railway crossing in the neighbouring village of Upall. Sher Singh lost his parents before he was seven years and was admitted along with his brother Mukta Singh to the Central Khalsa Orphanage at Amritsar on 24 October 1907. As both brothers were administered the Sikh initiatory rites at the Orphanage, they received new names, Sher Singh becoming Udham Singh and Mukta Singh Sadhu Singh. In 1917, Udham Singh's brother also died, leaving him alone in the world.

Udham Singh left the Orphanage after passing the matriculation examination in 1918. He was present in the Jallianvala Bag on the fateful Baisakhi day, 13 April 1919, when a peaceful assembly of people was fired upon by General Reginald Edward Harry Dyer, killing over one thousand people. The event which Udham Singh used to recall with anger and sorrow, turned him to the path of revolution. Soon after, he left India and went to the United States of America. He felt thrilled to learn about the militant activities of the Babar Akalis in the early 1920's, and returned home. He had secretly brought with him some revolvers and was arrested by the police in Amritsar, and sentenced to four years imprisonment under the Arms Act. On release in 1931, he returned to his native Sunam, but harassed by the local police, he once again returned to Amritsar and opened a shop as a signboard painter, assuming the name of Ram Muhammad Singh Azad. This name, which he was to use later in England, was adopted to emphasize the unity of all the religious communities in India in their struggle for political freedom.

Udham Singh was deeply influenced by the activities of Bhagat Singh and his revolutionary group. In 1935, when he was on a visit to Kashmlr, he was found carrying Bhagat Singh's portrait. He invariably referred to him as his guru. He loved to sing political songs, and was very fond of Ram Prasad Bismal, who was the leading poet of the revolutionaries. After staying for some months in Kashmir, Udham Singh left India. He wandered about the continent for some time, and reached England by the mid-thirties. He was on the lookout for an opportunity to avenge the Jalliavala Bagh tragedy. The long-waited moment at last came on 13 March 1940. On that day, at 4.30 p.m. in the Caxton Hall, London, where a meeting of the East India Association was being held in conjunction with the Royal Central Asian Society, Udham Singh fired five to six shots from his pistol at Sir Michael O'Dwyer, who was governor of the Punjab when the Amritsar massacre had taken place. O'Dwyer was hit twice and fell to the ground dead and Lord Zetland, the Secretary of State for India, who was presiding over the meeting was injured. Udham Singh was overpowered with a smoking revolver. He in fact made no attempt to escape and continued saying that he had done his duty by his country. On 1 April 1940, Udham Singh was formally charged with the murder of Sir Michael O'Dwyer. On 4 June 1940, he was committed to trial, at the Central Criminal Court, Old Bailey, before Justice Atkinson, who sentenced him to death. An appeal was filed on his behalf which was dismissed on 15 July 1940. On 31 July 1940, Udham Singh was hanged in Pentonville Prison in London. Udham Singh was essentially a man of action and save his statement before the judge at his trial, there was no writing from his pen available to historians. Recently, letters written by him to Shiv Singh Jauhal during his days in prison after the shooting of Sir Michael O'Dwyer have been discovered and published. These letters show him as a man of great courage, with a sense of humour. He called himself a guest of His Majesty King George, and he looked upon death as a bride he was going to wed. By remaining cheerful to the last and going joyfully to the gallows, he followed the example of Bhagat Singh who had been his beau ideal. During the trial, Udham Singh had made a request that his ashes be sent back to his country, but this was not allowed. In 1975, however, the Government of India, at the instance of the Punjab Government, finally succeeded in bringing his ashes home. Lakhs of people gathered on the occasion to pay homage to his memory

SUKHDEV

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Sukhdev

Sukhdev was an Indian revolutionary. He is best known as an accomplice of Bhagat Singh and Shivaram Rajguru in the killing of a British police officer in 1928 in order to take revenge for the death of veteran leader Lala Lajpat Rai due to excessive police beating. All three were convicted of the crime and hanged on March 23, 1931.

SHIVARAM RAJGURU

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Shivaram Rajguru

Date of Birth : 1908
Date of Death : Mar 23, 1931
Place of Birth : India

Hari Shivaram Rajguru was an Indian revolutionary. He is best known as an accomplice of Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev in the killing of a British police officer in 1928 in order to take revenge for the death of veteran leader Lala Lajpat Rai due to excessive police beating. All three were convicted of the crime and hanged on March 23, 1931. Rajguru was hiding in Nagpur. He met Dr. K. B. Hedgewar and was hiding in one of the RSS worker's house. But after some days he went to Pune and later was arrested there.

LALA LAJAPAT RAI

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Lala Lajpat Rai

Date of Birth : Jan 28, 1865
Date of Death : Nov 17, 1928
Place of Birth : Moga district

Lala Lajpat Rai was an Indian politician who is chiefly remembered as a leader in the Indian fight for freedom from the British Raj. The freedom fighter was popularly known as Punjab Kesari (Lion of the Punjab). Rai was born on January 28, 1865 in village Dhudi Ke, in present day Moga district of Punjab, India. He was the eldest son of Munshi Radha Kishan Azad and Gulab Devi. His father had a chequered relationship with Hinduism - having converted to Islam and then reverted back to Hinduism, which had a lasting effect on Rai's attitude towards religions other than Hinduism. He was one of the three most prominent Hindu Nationalist members of the Indian National Congress, who fought for, and gave their lives during the Indian independence movement in the first half of the twentieth century. The other two were Bal Gangadhar Tilak of Maharashtra and Bipin Chandra Pal of Bengal. Collectively, they were dubbed Lal-Bal-Pal. Rai was also a member of the Hindu Maha Sabha, a forerunner of the current day Hindu nationalist party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The trio wanted a degree of self-government that was considered radical at the time. They were the first Indian leaders to demand complete political independence. Rai led the Punjab protests against the Amritsar Massacre (1919) and the Non-Cooperation Movement (1919 - 1922).
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He was repeatedly arrested. Rai however disagreed with Mohandas Gandhi's suspension of the movement due to the Chauri Chaura incident, and formed the Congress Independence Party, which was particularly pro-Hindu in voice and policy. He was not only a good orator but also a prolific and versatile writer. His journal Arya Gazette concentrated mainly on subjects related to the Arya Samaj. Bande Mataram and People, contained his inspiring speeches to end oppression by the foreign rulers. He founded the Servants of the People Society, which worked for the freedom movement as well as for social reform in the country. He also wrote an autobiography in English titled The Story of My Life.Lajpat Rai came early under the influence of the dynamic Hindu reformer, Dayanand Saraswati, the founder of the Arya Samaj. In conjunction with like minded people like Mahatma Hans Raj and Lala Sain Das, he was instrumental in laying the foundations of a strong Arya Samaj presence among the Punjabi Hindu urban populace. A strong believer in leading by example, he himself led a procession to demonstrate against the Simon Commission, which was to prove fatal for him. He was made the target of a brutal lathi charge in which he was injured badly. A meeting was held the same evening where he spoke with such vigour that his words, "Every blow aimed at me is a nail in the coffin of British imperialism", became historic. Though he recovered from the fever and pain within three days, yet his health had received a permanent setback and on November 17, 1928, he succumbed to the fatal injuries. The Lajpat Nagar , Lajpat Nagar Central Market, Lala Lajpat Rai Hall of Residence at Indian Institue of Technology Kharagpur and Lala Lajpat Rai Institute of Engineering and Technology, Moga are named in his honor..

SRINIVASA IYENGAR

2007-12-15T10:45:00.001-08:00

Srinivasa Iyengar

Date of Birth : 1874
Date of Death : May 19, 1941
Place of Birth : Madras

S. Srinivasa Iyengar was a distinguished lawyer, Indian freedom fighter and political leader. The son of an orthodox Vaishnava brahmin and respected landowner of Ramanathapuram district, Srinivasa Iyengar was born in 1874 in the erstwhile Madras Presidency. Attending college, he trained to become a lawyer, specializing in constitutional law. Srinivasa Iyengar commenced practice the Madras High Court in 1898, and advanced to the top of the profession in a short time. His intimate knowledge of Hindu Dharmasastra and of the great classics of jurisprudence and constitutional law coupled with his original inquiring mind, made him a legal thinker in his own right and his edition of Mayne's Hindu Law (1939) was hailed as a classic. Besides law, Srinivasa Iyengar's other interest were education, social reform, and politics. Among his early influences were Sir Sankaran Nair, C. Vijayaraghavachariar, two former Congress leaders. He was also an admirer of Gopal Krishna Gokhale (in whose name he endowed a prize) and later of Mahatma Gandhi. Upon the commencement of the Non-Cooperation Movement, Iyengar resigned the office of Advocate General and joined the Indian National Congress. He presided over the Madras Provincial Conference (1920) at Tirunelveli, gave up his princely practice at the Bar, resigned the membership of the Legislative Council (to which he had been returned by the Registered Graduates) returned his titles to the Government and took a leading part in Congress affairs. Iyengar actively participated in the Congress sessions from Ahmedabad (1921) to Lahore (1929) and gave an unparalleled lead to the Congress in Madras for about ten years. After the Congress had decided on Council-Entry he led the party to victory in Madras in 1926 and was himself elected from Madras to the Central Assembly and also acted as Leader for a time when Motilal Nehru was away from India.
Srinivasa lyengar presided over the Guwahati session of the Congress in 1926. Iyengar worked hard to deliver a resolution upholding Hindu-Muslim unity, bringing about a temporary political agreement between the political leaders of the two communities. He published Swaraj Constitution, in 1927, outlining a federal scheme of government for future India. When the All-Parties Report (known as the Nehru Report) was published in 1928 outlining a constitution for India in terms of Dominion status, Srinivasa Iyengar organised the Independence League with himself as President and Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose as leading members. The differences between Motilal Nehru and Srinivasa Iyengar on the issue of dominion status versus independence became acute during 1929, and although it was decided finally in favour of Independence at the Lahore Congress in December 1929, Srinivasa lyengar himself decided to retire from active public life early in 1930. Iyenger made a brief return to political life in 1939, upon the outbreak of World War II. He died suddenly on May 19, 1941, at his residence in Madras.

BHOGARAJU PATTABHI SITARAMAYYA

2007-12-15T10:37:00.000-08:00

Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya

Date of Birth : Nov 24, 1880
Date of Death : -
Place of Birth : Andhra Pradesh

Dr. Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya born on November 24th, 1880 in Gundugolanu village, West Godavari District in Andhra Pradesh, India was an Indian freedom fighter and political leader in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Pattabhi who had a BA degree in Madras Christian College, fulfilled his ambition to become a medical practitioner by securing a M.B.C.M. degree. He started his practice as a doctor in the coastal town of Machilipatnam. He left his lucrative practice to join the freedom fighting movement. He was recruited to run for the presidency of the Indian National Congress as the candidate closest to Mohandas Gandhi, against the more-radical Subhas Bose in 1939.

He lost owing to Bose's rising popularity and the belief that Pattabhi favored the inclusion of Tamil-majority districts in a future Telegu state in independent India. Serving on the Congress Working Committee when Quit India was launched in 1942, Pattabhi was arrested with the entire committee and incarcerated for three years without outside contact in the fort in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. During this time he maintained a detailed diary of day-to-day life during imprisonment, which was published later as Feathers and Stones. He ran successfully for Congress presidency in 1948, winning with the support of Jawaharlal Nehru, the Prime Minister of India. Pattabhi also served as the Governor of Madhya Pradesh. He established Andhra Bank in Machilipatnam on 28 November 1923. Andhra Bank is currently one of the major commercial banks of India.

KRISHNA MENON

2007-12-15T10:36:00.001-08:00

Krishna Menon

Date of Birth : May 3, 1897
Date of Death : Oct 6, 1974
Place of Birth : Kerala

Vengalil Krishnan (V.K.) Krishna Menon was an Indian nationalist and politician. Menon was born at Panniyankara in Calicut, Kerala, into the powerful Vengalil family of South India. He was the grandson of the Raja of Kartanad and the first son of a successful lawyer of the Calicut bar, Komath Krishna Kurup, one of Kerala's richest men at the time. Menon had his early education in Tellicherry and he took his B.A. degree from Presidency College, Chennai. While in college, he started taking an active interest in the national movement. While studying in the Law College of Madras, he became involved in Theosophy and actively associated with Annie Besant and the Home Rule Movement. He was a leading member of the 'Brothers of Service', founded by Annie Besant who spotted his gifts and helped him travel to England in 1924. In London, Menon pursued further education at the London School of Economics and University College London, and at the same time he became a passionate proponent of India's freedom. In England, he worked hard for Indian independence as a journalist and secretary (1929 - 1947) of the India League, and became associated with fellow Indian nationalist leader Jawaharlal Nehru. In 1934 he was admitted to the English bar, and after joining the Labour Party he was elected borough councillor of St. Pancras, London. St. Pancras later conferred on him the Freedom of the Borough, the only other person so honoured being Bernard Shaw. In 1932 he inspired a fact-finding delegation headed by Labour MP Ellen Wilkinson to visit India. Menon served as its Secretary and edited its report entitled 'conditions in India'. During the thirties he founded with Allen Lane the Penguin and Pelican paper back books. He worked as an editor for Bodley Head, Penguin and Pelican Books, and the Twentieth Century Library. After India was granted independence in 1947, Menon was appointed high commissioner to the United Kingdom, a post in which he remained until 1952. Subsequently, he led the Indian delegation to the United Nations (1952 - 1962), where he adopted a policy of non-alignment, loudly criticizing the United States and voicing support for the People's Republic of China.Even till date Krishna Menon's speech is the longest ever delivered in the Unites Nations Security Council(UNSC).
On 23 January 1957 he delivered an unpresidented 8 hour speech on defending india's stand on Kashmir. Krishna Menon became a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1953. On February 3, 1956, he joined the Union Cabinet as Minister without Portfolio. In 1957 he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Bombay, and in April of that year he was named minister of defence under Prime Minister Nehru. However, after India's staggering defeat in the Sino-Indian War of 1962, he was removed from office for the country's apparent lack of military preparedness. In 1967 he lost his parliamentary seat but was re-elected in 1969. He died on October 6, 1974 in New Delhi. During his tenure as the High commissioner to Britain, he was accused of being involved in a corruption scam involving the purchase of used military jeeps from Britain to supply to the Indian army during the war with Pakistan in 1948.

CHAKRAVARTHI RAJAGOPALACHARI

2007-12-15T10:32:00.000-08:00

C. Rajagopalachari

Date of Birth : Dec 10, 1878
Date of Death : Dec 25, 1972
Place of Birth : India

Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari, known as or Rajaji or C.R., was an Indian lawyer, writer, statesman and a Hindu spiritualist. He was the second Governor-General of independent India. Later he became the Chief Minister of Madras State. At one time considered Mahatma Gandhi's heir, this brilliant lawyer from Salem, Tamil Nadu was regarded in pre-independence years as one of the top five leaders of the Congress along with Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajendra Prasad, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. Rajaji was also related to Mahatma Gandhi - Rajmohan Gandhi is the grandson of both of them. Of the five, Rajaji, Nehru and Patel were christened the "head, heart and hands" of Gandhi, in whose shadows they remained till his death. Ironically, all three of them were to have a tempestuous relationship, bound together only by their common goal and Gandhi's charm. However, they respected each other immensely. Nehru wrote about Rajaji in his autobiography of how Rajaji's "brilliant intellect, selfless character, and penetrating powers of analysis have been a tremendous asset to our cause". Rajaji was perhaps the earliest Congress leader in the 1940s to admit to the likelihood of the Partition. He even prophesied then that Pakistan might break up in twenty-five years. Rajaji was known to be a fierce defender of his political ideals, and did not hesitate to contradict his closest aides and friends in public, whenever he sensed a threat to them. After serving time in British prisons for his work in the independence movement, he became a member of the Governor's Council in 1946. In 1948, after Indian independence was attained, he replaced Mountbatten to become the only Indian Governor-General of India, in which post he continued till the Republic was declared on January 26, 1950. The office was replaced by that of President, first held by Rajendra Prasad. Rajaji became a member of Jawaharlal Nehru's cabinet, first without portfolio, then, after Patel's death, as Home Minister. He was chief minister of Madras from 1952 to 1954. On leaving government, he was among the first recipients of the Bharat Ratna, the Indian government's highest civilian award.

His writings

As a writer, he is one of the finest that India has to offer. Most erudite people have command of one language, but Rajaji was an expert in at least 3 (possibly 4). His works in his native Tamil are recognized as modern classics (published and re-printed several times). After his break with politics, he started on the massive task of translating the Hindu Scriptures Ramayana, Mahabharata from Sanskrit toTamil language and later into English. He received rave reviews from scholars and religious seers alike. He translated Upanishads and Bhaja Govindam into English. His novels and short stories, themselves would have won him public adulation. He also translated 'The Tirukkural' from Tamil to English. 'Tirukkural' is an ancient piece of the Tamil literature and is often referred to as 'the flower of Tamilnad'. His ability as a writer, is in a sense, unparalleled, not just in India alone. Some of his poetry was set to music and sung by Carnatic music's dominant personality M S Subbulakshmi at several occasions of importance, and once at the United Nations Kurai Onrum Illai (meaning - No regrets have I My lord, None) is a very famous song in the semi-Carnatic music genre written by Rajaji and the most popular version, (widely acknowledged as soul-stirring) has been rendered by M.S. Subbulakshmi. Rajaji also composed a hymn "Here under this Uniting Roof" which was sung in 1966 at the United Nations, again by M.S. Subbulakshmi. He was invited to the White House by President Kennedy; perhaps the only civilian, not in power, ever to be accorded formal state reception. The two discussed various matters and it is said that the great Indian statesman tried to impress the young President on the folly of an arms race - even one which the US could win. Today, such warnings haunt us. Rajaji's statesmanship and vision for all mankind is recognized to this day. The nonagenarian's public life, spanning nearly eighty years are perhaps best recognized by Mahatma Gandhi's rich tribute to him praising him as: "the keeper of my conscience".Rajaji died in December, 1972 after a short illness.

SURENDRANATH BENARJI

2007-12-15T10:30:00.000-08:00

Surendranath Banerjea

Date of Birth : Nov 19, 1848
Date of Death : 1925
Place of Birth : India

Surendranath Banerjea was the President of the Indian National Congress twice, in 1895 and 1902. He was largely responsible in canalizing the energy of the youth of Bengal to the service of the Motherland. He founded the Indian Association on July 26, 1876, which he wanted to be the center of an all-India political movement. He was the editor of a paper called "Bengalee" from 1878 and wrote with fervor and without fear on the subject of national interest with emphasis on freedom, unity and culture.Surendranath Banerjea was a member of the Calcutta Corporation (1876-99) and a member of the Indian Legislative Council.
He was an ardent advocate of social reform including widow remarriage and the raising of the age of marriage of girls. Born on November 19, 1848, Surendranath Banerjea had his early education in Calcutta. He appeared for the Indian Civil Service Examination in London and started his career in 1871 as an Assistant Magistrate. He had to leave the service on his dismissal on a flimsy charge. He went back to England and prepared himself for his future career as a national leader. He was a gifted orator and writer.Returning to India in June, 1875 Surendranath started his career as a Professor in English. Later, he started a college called Ripon College, now named after him. "He took full advantage of his teaching profession to make the Indian students inspired with a new patriotic spirit."

Surendranath Banerjea passed away in 1925.

ARAVINDA ACKROYD GHOSH

2007-12-15T10:28:00.000-08:00

Aravinda Ackroyd Ghosh

Date of Birth : August 15, 1872
Date of Death : Dec 5, 1950
Place of Birth : Calcutta

Aravinda Ackroyd Ghosh was born on August 15, 1872, in Calcutta. His father, Dr. Krishnadhan Ghosh, a civil medical officer in Bengal, added the middle name Ackroyd because a Miss Ackroyd, a visitor from England, was present at his birth. His mother, Swarnalata Devi, was the daughter of nationalist Rajnarayan Bose. Aravinda's father attained his M.D. from the University of Aberdeen in England. By the time Krishnadhan returned to India, he was so westernized that he vowed to bring his children up as Englishmen.
Aravinda and his brothers were admitted to a special school in Darjeeling, in 1877, which was meant only for English children. For two years the boys were taught by Irish nuns of the Loretto Convent School. In 1879, the children were taken to England. The two elder boys were admitted to a school, while Aravinda, who was just seven years old, was left in the care of Rev. W. H. Drewett and his wife in Manchester. The Drewetts were to tutor Aravinda. Aravinda learned English and Latin from the Reverend, and history, geography, arithmetic and French from Mrs. Drewett. Aravinda became fond of reading and made full use of the personal library of the Drewetts. After five years of comfortable living in Manchester, when the boys moved to London, their remittances from Dr. Ghosh started dwindling. Aravinda continued to excel in his studies despite difficulties. He carried away prizes for the classics--classical literature in particular. He won the Butterworth prize for literature, the Bedford prize for history and a scholarship at St. Paul's. While in the King's College at Cambridge, Aravinda was awarded a senior classical scholarship of 80 pounds per annum, in addition to a stipend as a candidate of the Indian Civil Service. Aravinda passed the Classical Tripos examination in the first class with distinction and passed in the open competition for the Indian Civil Service in 1890. He cleared the periodical examination and the medical examination but failed to appear for the horse-riding test which was compulsory for entering the Indian Civil Service. Aravinda returned to India on January 1893 aboard the S.S. Carthage. Just before Aravinda set foot in India, his father died of heart failure. He was only 21 and did not even possess proper qualifications. He accepted a post promised by Sayaji Rao Gaekwad of Baroda when he was in England, with a fixed salary of Rs. 200. He was first appointed in the survey settlement department, and later in the department of stamp and revenue. Often he served as the Gaekwad's personal secretary and prepared the Gaekwad's speeches and wrote the communiques between Baroda State and the Indian Government. In 1900, Aravinda accepted the post of professor of English at Baroda College and also taught French as a part-time professor. Aravinda married Mrinalini, daughter of Bhupal Chandra Basu, in 1901. Aravinda was 29 years old at the time of marriage while Mrinalini was only 14. The two had very little time to spend with each other since Aravinda lived in Baroda, and Mrinalini remained in Calcutta. Aravinda deeply loved his wife and was always regular in writing letters to her. His letters to her were published as a book called "Letters to Mrinalini." Mrinalini was initiated by Ma Sarada, saintly wife of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa of Dakshineshwara, seeking spiritual refuge. Mrinalini died of influenza in 1918 in Calcutta at the age of 31. In one of his letters to Mrinalini, Aravinda mentioned his three beliefs. First, he believed that whatever he had: talent, virtue, high education-all belonged to God. Second, he wished to come face to face with God. Third, in his own words, "Others look upon India , their country, as a mass of matter, a number of fields, plains, forests, mountains, and rivers and nothing more." He believed his nation to be his own mother. He adored her and worshipped her. He saw the entire nation at his door, seeking shelter and help in attaining freedom from foreign shackles. Initially, Aravinda's political activities were limited to Baroda, but they soon extended to Maharashtra, Gujarat and Bengal. He learned Marathi and Gujarati and taught himself Sanskrit. He studied Bengali under litterateur Dinendra Kumar Roy. Ghosh's goal was to capture the public through writing. He made an extensive study of Indian literature and papers on the Indian freedom struggle. Armed with fluency in Marathi, Gujarati and Bengali, he then transcribed his views in papers like the Indu Prakash, Bande Mataram, Dharma, and Karma Yogin. His writing became the ideal for the Indian youth. He called on the young to serve the nation as "karmayogins." He wanted the youth to devote all their energies toward freeing Mother India. He told the youth that, "if you will study, study for her sake; train yourself body and mind and soul for her service; work so that she may prosper; suffer so that she may rejoice." Ghosh formed secret revolutionary societies which enveloped Bengal. He asked members of these secret societies to take a solemn oath to "secure the freedom of Mother India at any cost." He stoked the fire of revolution by organizing a huge rally on November 9, 1905, in Calcutta. In the meantime, the Bande Mataram, a paper Ghosh edited, won the praise and admiration of all. The British, in an effort to curb the growing dissent, prosecuted the Bande Mataram and arrested Ghosh, who was charged with propagating sedition. The British resorted to caning anyone chanting "Bande Mataram". Aravinda was acquitted for lack of proof. Ghosh was again arrested and put in jail in the Lal Bazar police station on May 5, 1908 as an undertrial prisoner for what came to be known as the Alipore bomb conspiracy. An attempt on Lord Kingsford's life, a presidency magistrate in Calcutta known for his harsh and prejudiced verdicts against Indians, was made by revolutionaries. The attempt went awry when the bomb intended for Lord Kingsford landed in the carriage of two English ladies. Both the ladies died. Ghosh had often proposed the use of an open rebellion to attain freedom. His secret societies practiced bomb making along with the study of revolutionary literature and the Gita. Ghosh's brother, Barin, opened a center in Ghosh's Maniktala Gardens residence in Calcutta. Following the bombing, Ghosh's residence was raided on May 2, 1908. Barin was arrested along with his associates. Ghosh was arrested at his Grey Street residence.

What began was a grueling trial in which Ghosh was defended by the renowned Calcutta lawyer Chittaranjan Das. Ghosh exhibited his abhorrence for terrorist style militant resistance. He had propagated the idea of an open armed revolt. In his statement, Ghosh said, "The whole of my case before you is this. It is suggested that I preached the idea of freedom to my country which is against the law, I plead guilty to the charge. If it is an offence to preach the idea of freedom, I admit I have done it. I have never disputed it... I felt I was called upon to preach to my country to make them realize that India had a mission to perform in the comity of nations." Ghosh denied having engineered the attempt on Lord Kingsford's life, declaring the act as being against everything he stood for. Due to Chittaranjan Das's professional defense, Ghosh was acquitted.

On his release from jail, Ghosh came out a changed man. He seemed confident that India would attain her freedom. He now decided to devote his life to the liberation of the whole of the human race. On the advice of some friends, like Sister Nivedita, disciple of Swami Vivekananda, Ghosh left British India and moved to French Pondicherry on April 4, 1910 to avoid confrontation with the British.

Ghosh came to be known as Sri Aurobindo to the world. Aurobindo completed his "Savitri", which he began writing in 1899 and published in 1954. Besides the "Savitri", Sri Aurobindo compiled numerous treatise on the Vedas, Upanishads and the Gita. His "Life Divine", "The Superman", and "Ideal of Human Unity" are fine examples of work done in simple prose. In addition, his literary criticisms, poems, and plays made Sri Aurobindo a litterateur of the highest order. Sri Aurobindo was a master of Yoga which he believed would develop the "higher principles of life" which remain hidden within every individual. He felt humanity could attain perfection little by little through conscious preparation and effort. On Independence Day, Sri Aurobindo's message to the nation was, "August 15, 1947 is the birthday of free India. It marks for her the end of an old era, the beginning of a new age. But we can also make it by our life and acts as a free nation, an important date in a new age opening for the whole world, for the political, social, cultural and spiritual future of humanity." Sri Aurobindo died on December 5, 1950 in Pondicherry

DINESH GUPTA

2007-12-15T10:23:00.000-08:00

Dinesh Gupta

Date of Birth : Dec 6, 1911
Date of Death : Jul 7, 1931
Place of Birth : Josholong

Dinesh Chandra Gupta or Dinesh Gupta was a Bengali Indian freedom fighter and revolutionary. Dinesh Gupta was born on 6 December 1911 in the village of Josholong in Munshiganj District, now in Bangladesh. While he was studying in Dhaka College, Dinesh joined Bengal Volunteers - a group organised by Subhas Chandra Bose in 1928 , at the occasion of Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress. Soon the Bengal Volunteers transformed itself to a more active revolutionary association and planned to liquidate infamous British police officers. The association targeted Col NS Simpson, the Inspector General of Prisons, who was infamous for the brutal oppression on the prisoners in the jails. The revolutionaries decided not only to murder him, but also to strike a terror in the British official circles by launching an attack on the Secretariat Building - the Writers' Building in the Dalhousie Square in Kolkata. On 8 December 1930, Dinesh along with Benoy Basu and Badal Gupta, dressed in European costume, entered the Writers' Building and shot dead Simpson.
British police started firing. What ensued was a brief gunfight between the 3 young revolutionaries and the police.Some other officers like Twynam, Prentice and Nelson suffered injuries during the shooting. Soon police overpowered them. However, the three did not wish to be arrested. Badal Gupta took Potassium cyanide, while Benoy and Dinesh shot themselves with their own revolvers.Benoy was taken to the hospital where he died on 13 December 1930. However, Dinesh survived the near-fatal injury. He was convicted and the verdict of the trial was death by hanging for anti-government activities and murder. While awaiting execution, Dinesh wrote a number of letters from his prison cell on the heroism of the revolutionaries and his belief in the greatness of self-sacrifice. Dinesh Chandra Gupta was only 19 when he was hanged on 7 July 1931 at Alipore Jail. The martyrdom of Benoy, Badal, and Dinesh inspired futher revolutionary activities in Bengal, as well as the rest of India. After independence, Dalsousie Square was named B.B.D. Bagh - after the Benoy-Badal-Dinesh trio.

BADAL GUPTHA

2007-12-15T10:22:00.001-08:00

Badal Gupta

Date of Birth : 1912
Date of Death : 1930
Place of Birth : Dhaka

Badal Gupta was a Bengali Indian freedom fighter and revolutionary. Badal Gupta was born Sudhir Gupta in the village Purba Shimulia (West Shimulia) in the Vikrampur region of Dhaka District, now in Bangladesh. Badal was greatly inspired towards patriotism by Nikunja Sen, a teacher of the Banaripara School of Vikrampur. Badal joined the Bengal Volunteers (BV) as a member. Bengal Volunteers targetted Col NS Simpson,The Inspector General of Prisons, who was infamous for the brutal oppression on the prisoners in the jails.
The revolutionaries decided not only to murder him, but also to strike a terror in the British official circles by launching an attack on the Secretariat Building - the Writers' Building in the Dalhousie square in Kolkata. On 8 December 1930, Badal along with Dinesh chandra Gupta and Benoy, dressed in European costume, entered the Writers' Building and shot dead Simpson. British police started firing.What ensued was a brief gunfight between the 3 young revolutionaries and the police.Some other officers like Twynam, Prentice and Nelson suffered injuries during the shooting. Soon police overpowered them.However, the three did not wish to be arrested.Badal took Potassium cyanide, while Benoy and Dinesh shot themselves with their own revolvers.Badal died on the spot. The martyrdome and self-sacrifice of Benoy,Badal and Dinesh inspired further revolutionary activities in Bengal,in particular and India,in general. After independence, the dalsousie square was named B.B.D. Bagh - after the Benoy-Badal-Dinesh trio.

SURYA SEN

2007-12-15T10:20:00.001-08:00

Surya Sen

-Surya Sen, a teacher by profession,he was a prominent Bengali Indian freedom fighter and was the chief architect of anti-British freedom movement in Chittagong, Bengal (now in Bangladesh). A resident of Noapara under Chittagong, he was initiated into revolutionary ideas in 1916 by one of his teachers while he was a student of BA Class in the Behrampore College. On his return to Chittagong in 1918, he became the president of the Chittagong branch of the Indian National Congress, revived the hardline patriotic organisation and became a teacher of the local national school. Hence, he was known as Mastarda (teacher brother).
By 1923 Surya Sen established a number of hardline patriotic organisations (including Jugantar) in different parts of Chittagong district. Aware of the limited equipment and other resources of the freedom fighters, he was convinced of the need for secret guerrilla warfare against the colonial Government. One of his early successful undertakings was a broad day robbery at the treasury office of the Assam-Bengal Railway at Chittagong. His subsequent major success in the anti-British revolutionary violence was the Chittagong Armoury Raid in 1930. Surya Sen, being constantly followed up by the police, had to hide at the house of Sabitri Devi, a widow, near Patiya. A police and military force under Captain Cameron surrounded the house on 13 June 1932.Cameron was shot dead while ascending the staircase and Surya Sen along with Pritilata Waddedar and Kalpana Dutta escaped to safety. Ultimately a villager revealed the hiding place of Surya Sen at Gahira village in Chittagong and in the early hours of 17th February 1933, a Gurkha contingent surrounded the hideout and a soldier seized Surya Sen while he was trying to break the cordon. Tarakeswar Dastidar, the new president of the Chittagong Branch Jugantar Party, made a preparation to rescue Surya Sen from the Chittagong Jail. But the plot was unearthed and consequently frustrated. Tarakeswar and Kalpana along with others were arrested. Special tribunals tried Surya Sen, Tarakeswar Dastidar, and Kalpana Datta in 1933. Sentenced to death in August 1933, Surya Sen was hanged in the Chittagong Jail on the 8th January, 1934. At the time of his execution, the detainees kept up a continuous chorus of revolutionary songs. The villager who had revealed the hiding place of Surya Sen to the police was murdered in broad daylight on the 8th January, 1934.

CHITTARANJAN DAS

2007-12-15T09:31:00.001-08:00

Chittaranjan Das

Date of Birth : Nov 25, 1870
Date of Death : Jun 16, 1925
Place of Birth : India

Chittaranjan Das (C.R.Das) (popularly called Deshbandhu) was a Bengali lawyer and a major figure in the Indian independence movement.

Educated in England, his public career began in 1909 when he successfully defended Aurobindo Ghosh on charges of involvement in the previous year's Alipore bomb case.

He was a leading figure in Bengal during the Non-Cooperation Movement of 1919-1922, and initiated the ban on British clothes, setting an example by burning his own European clothes and taking up "desi" Khadi clothes. With Motilal Nehru, he founded the Swaraj Party to express his non-moderate opinions.

He brought out a newspaper called Forward and later changed its name to Liberty to fight the British Raj. When the Calcutta Corporation was formed, he became its first Mayor. He presided over the Gaya session of the Indian National Congress. Throughout his political life, he was plagued with ill health but despite that, he showed valor, courage and determinism in rising up to the British.

He was a believer of non-violence and constitutional methods for the realisation of national independence, and advocated communal harmony and championed the cause of national education. His legacy was carried forward by his disciples, and notably by Subhash Chandra Bose.

He is generally referred to by the honorific Desh Bandhu meaning "comrade of the nation."

BIPIN CHANDRA PAL

2007-12-15T09:29:00.001-08:00

Bipin Chandra Pal

Date of Birth : Nov 7, 1858
Date of Death : -
Place of Birth : Sylhet (Bangladesh)

Bipin Chandra Pal was born on November 7, 1858 in Sylhet, (now in Bangladesh), in a wealthy Hindu Kayastha family. His father was Ramchandra Pal. He was a teacher, journalist, orator, writer and librarian who started the journal Bande Mataram.
He was one of the trilogy of the three Extremist patriots of the Indian National Congress who had fought and gave his life during Indian independence movement in the first half of the twentieth century. The other two were Lala Lajpat Rai and Bal Gangadhar Tilak. Together they were known as Lal-Bal-Pal. They had advocated extremist means to get their message across to the British, like boycotting British manufactured goods, burning Western clothes made in the mills of Manchester and strikes and lock outs of British owned businesses and industrial concerns. He came under the influence of eminent Bengali leaders of his time such as Keshab Chandra Sen and Pandit Sivanath Sastri, and joined the Brahmo Samaj. He was imprisoned for six months on the grounds of his refusal to give evidence against Sri Aurobindo in the Bande Mataram sedition case.

SUBHASH CHANDRA BOSE

2007-12-15T09:27:00.001-08:00

Subhas Chandra Bose

Date of Birth : Jan 23, 1897
Date of Death : Aug 18, 1945
Place of Birth : Orissa

Subhash Chandra Bose (January 23, 1897 - August 18, 1945?), also known as Netaji, was one of the most prominent leaders of the Indian Independence Movement against the British Raj. Subhas Chandra Bose was born to an affluent family in Cuttack, Orissa. His father, Janakinath Bose, was a public prosecutor who believed in orthodox nationalism, and later became a member of the Bengal Legislative Council. His mother was Prabhavati Bose, a remarkable example of Indian womanhood. Bose was educated at Cambridge University. In 1920, Bose took the Indian Civil Service entrance examination and was placed second. However, he resigned from the prestigious Indian Civil Service in April 1921 despite his high ranking in the merit list, and went on to become an active member of India's independence movement. He joined the Indian National Congress, and was particularly active in its youth wing. Subhas Chandra Bose felt that young militant groups could be molded into a military arm of the freedom movement and used to further the cause. Gandhiji opposed this ideology because it directly conflicted with his policy of ahimsa (non-violence). The British Government in India perceived Subhas as a potential source of danger and had him arrested without any charge on October 25, 1924. He was sent to Alipore Jail, Calcutta and in January 25, 1925 transferred to Mandalay, Burma. He was released from Mandalay in May, 1927 due to his ill health. Upon return to Calcutta, Subhas was elected President of the Bengal Congress Committee on October 27, 1927.
Subhas was one of the few politicians who sought and worked towards Hindu-Muslim unity on the basis of respect of each community's rights. Subhas, being a man of ideals, believed in independence from the social evil of religious discord. In January 1930 Subhas was arrested while leading a procession condemning imprisonment of revolutionaries. He was offered bail on condition that he signs a bond to refrain from all political activities, which he refused. As a result he was sentenced to a year's imprisonment. On his release from jail, Subhas was sworn in as Mayor of the Calcutta Corporation. In 1931 the split between Gandhiji and Subhas crystallized. Although the two never saw eye to eye on their view of freedom and the movement itself, Subhas felt that Gandhiji had done a great disservice to the movement by agreeing to take part in the Second Round Table Conference. Subhas viewed freedom as an absolute necessity, unlike the freedom which Gandhiji was "negotiating" with the British. Subhas was arrested again while returning from Bombay to Calcutta, and imprisoned in several jails outside West Bengal in fear of an uprising. His health once again deteriorated and the medical facilities diagnosed him with tuberculosis. It was recommended that he be sent to Switzerland for treatment. Realizing that his avenues abroad were greater with the restrictions of the British, Subhas set sail for Europe on February 23, 1933. Subhas stayed in various parts of Europe from March 1993 to March 1936 making contacts with Indian revolutionaries and European socialists supporting India's Struggle for Independence. Subhas met Mussolini in Italy and made Vienna his headquarters. Subhas was opposed to the racial theory of Nazism but appreciated its organizational strength and discipline. On March 27, 1936 he sailed for Bombay and but was escorted to jail immediately after disembarking. After lying low for a year, he was able to work actively. He attended the All India Congress Committee Session in Calcutta, the first one he attended after a lapse of nearly six years. Time had healed the tensions between Subhas and Gandhiji, and Gandhiji supported Subhas in his efforts to become the President of the next Congress session, 1938. He went to England for a month in 1938 and rallied for the Indian freedom cause amongst Indian students and British labor leaders sympathetic toward India's cause. It was a bold move since he was constantly under British surveillance. Upon his return to India in February 1938, Subhas was elected President of the Indian National Congress. An excerpt from his Presidential address read, "I have no doubt in my mind that our chief national problems relating to the eradication of poverty, illiteracy and disease and the scientific production and distribution can be tackled only along socialistic lines... ." Subhas emphasized that political freedom alone would not be sufficient, as the ills of the British reign would continue to haunt post-Independent India. He stressed the need to solve linguistic and religious prejudices and to achieve a high literacy rate amongst Indians. Gandhiji found Subhas's ideologies far too leftist and strongly disagreed with Subhas's criticism of village industries and stress on competing with the rest of the world in the Industrial age. Opposition from Sardar Vallabhai Patel, lack of support from Gandhiji and Nehru's indecision marked Subhas's year as the President of the Congress. One of Subhas' major contributions was setting up of a National Planning Committee, for the development of an economic program running parallel to the national movement. Differences between Gandhiji and Subhas led to a crisis when Gandhiji opposed Subhas' idea that the Bengal Government (a coalition between the Krishak Praja Party & Muslim League) be ousted and the Congress take charge in coalition with the Krishak party. The idea was criticized by Gandhiji and Nehru, which resulted in the strengthening of the Muslim League in Bengal and ultimately partition of India. It is obvious today that had Subhas been able to carry out his plans, Bengal would be a different entity on the atlas. Despite opposition from the Congress brass, Subhas was a favorite amongst the majority as he was re-elected for a second term in March 1939. Gandhiji considered Subhas's victory as his personal defeat and went on a fast to rally the members of the Working Committee to resign. Subhas resigned and Dr. Rajendra Prasad assumed the Presidency of the Congress. In May 1939, Subhas formed the Forward Bloc within the Congress as an umbrella organization of the left forces within the Congress. Gandhiji and his supporters accused Subhas of breach of Congress party discipline and drafted a resolution removing Subhas from the Congress Working Committee and restrained him from holding any office for three years. On September 3, 1939 Subhas was informed that war had broken out between Britain and Germany. Subhas discussed the idea of an underground struggle against the British with members of the Forward Bloc. Subhas pressurized the Congress leaders to get a Declaration of War Aims from the Viceroy; he declined. Subhas was elected President of the West Bengal Provincial Congress. In December the Congress Working Committee subverted the Provincial Committee's authority and appointed its own ad hoc committee. The Forward Bloc progressively became militant and by April 1940 most of its senior members were arrested. Subhas was convinced that the only way he could bring about India's Independence was by leaving the country and fighting from foreign territories. He had made contact with radical Punjab and Pathan activists who had contacts in Afghanistan and Russia to organize a militia. Subhas knew that Britain was in a vulnerable position following the surrender of France in June 1940. He announced the launch of Siraj-ud-daula Day on July 3, in memory of the last king of Bengal who was defeated by Clive. His plan was to hold a procession and to unify Hindu and Muslim nationalists. The Government interceded and imprisoned Subhas on July 2, 1940 in Presidency Jail, Calcutta. Netaji believed that foreign assistance was a must to free India from British rule. In 1939, when the Second World War broke out, Subhas sought assistance from Germany, Italy, and Japan as they were enemies of Britain and thus would be natural allies. In 1941, he evaded a house-arrest in Calcutta by disguising himself as a Maulavi and going to Kabul, Afghanistan. Later, he procured an Italian passport and fled to Berlin, Germany. There he met Hitler and discussed his plans and sought his assistance to free India. He also sought assistance from Mussolini. From time to time, he aired his speeches on the Azad Hind Radio from Berlin to communicate his intentions to fellow Indians and to prove that he was still alive. After the defeat of Germany, Netaji realized that he could not continue his struggle from Germany anymore. Ultimately, Netaji reached Japan in June, 1943. He established the Indian National Army (INA) with some 30,000 Indian soldiers. He also set up a radio network in South East Asia in order to appeal to the people, both in India and outside, for support. The INA declared war against Britain and America. However, the INA had to retreat from the Indo-Burmese border after a heavy defeat of the Japanese troops there. The British defense was impenetrable. Though the "Delhi Chalo" mission failed, Netaji proved to the world that his determination was strong and his attitude was positive in his dream to free India from the clutches of the British.

On August 16, 1945 Netaji boarded a plane from Singapore to Bangkok. Netaji was scheduled to fly in a Type 97-2 bomber 'Sally' from Bangkok to Saigon. The plane made a stopover in Taipei and crashed within minutes of take-off from Taipei. Netaji's body was cremated in Taipei on August 20, 1945 and his ashes were flown to Tokyo on September 5, 1945 where they rest in the Renkoji Temple. To this day, many believe that Netaji escaped from the air crash and went into hiding.

Netaji wanted unconditional and complete freedom. He dreamed of a classless society with no caste barriers, social inequalities or religious intolerance. He believed in equal distribution of wealth and destruction of communalism. His slogan "Jai Hind" still acts as a great binding force today

MAHADEO GOVIND RANADE

2007-12-15T09:22:00.001-08:00

Mahadeo Govind Ranade

Date of Birth : -
Date of Death : Jan 16, 1901
Place of Birth : -

At the age of six, Ranade was sent to a Marathi school in Kolhapur, and in 1851, when he was nine, he was transferred to an English school. Ranade completed his schooling at the Elphinstone Institute, Bombay. His academic performance was so good that within a year he was admitted into the prestigious Elphinstone College, Bombay.
Ranade was a scholar. He spent hours reading with utmost concentration, not stopping to relax or socialize.Ranade was among the 21 students who appeared in the Matriculation Examination held in Bombay in 1859. He achieved distinctions in all his degree courses, commencing with B.A. Honors in 1862, M.A. in 1864 and LL.B. and LL.B. Honors in 1864 and 1865 respectively. Almost throughout his academic career he was a scholarship-holder. Ranade became a proponent of the Vidhava-vivaha Uttejaka Mandali (Society for the Encouragement of Widow-remarriage) founded in 1845 by English and Sanskrit scholar, Vishnushastri Pandit. Ranade was also actively involved with the Prathna Samaj, which was similar to the Brahmo Samaj movement in Bengal. Ranade gave the Samaj his best in forwarding social reforms like inter-dining and inter- marriage, widow re-marriage, upliftment of women and the depressed classes. Ranade helped found the Indian National Social Conference to function like the social wing of the Indian National Congress. The Conference aimed at educating women, prevent child marriage and oppose the dowry system. In 1881 he was given the position of Special Sub-Judge in Poona which gave him the opportunity to come closer to the poor farmers and assist in settling land related disputes. While in the Legislative Council, Ranade wrote the "Rise and Fall of the Maratha Power" with Chatrapati Shivaji as the key figure. The same year he published an "Introduction to the Satara Rajas" and "The Peshwa Diaries." Ranade studied the economies of Switzerland, France, Italy and Belgium and made comparisons with the Indian economy. He felt the fragile state of the economy was because of the over-dependence on agriculture -an occupation that suffered from drawbacks like floods, droughts, famines, heavy taxation and inadequate irrigation facilities and relief measures during famines. Ranade stressed on the development of indigenous small industries. He forwarded the idea for the establishment of agricultural banks by the Government, to give loans directly to the peasants. From 1893 to 1900, Ranade served on the bench of the Bombay High Court where he took several steps to the liberalize the Hindu Law with regard to women's rights. Ranade died on January 16, 1901 of now common ailment angina pectoris.

SENAPATHI BAPAT

2007-12-15T09:17:00.000-08:00

Senapati Bapat

Date of Birth : Nov 12, 1880
Date of Death : Nov 28, 1967
Place of Birth : Maharashtra

Senapati Bapat was born in Ahmednagar, a district of Maharashtra, on November 12, 1880. He was fearless as a child. Having once almost drowned in a nearby stream, he didn't think twice of venturing into the stream again. He brought this same dedication and fearlessness to the aide of his motherland.

Bapat was educated in Edinburgh, Scotland, because he lost a scholarship he had received from the British Government, for expressing anti-British views at a meeting of the Independent Labor Party. Despite the loss of the scholarship he continued his studies abroad, and came home with preliminary knowledge of how to build bombs. Armed with this knowledge he planned to join other revolutionaries to use it against the British Government, not in an attempt to kill innocent victims, but to draw attention to the cause of freedom. On August 15, 1947 when India was declared free, Jawaharlal Nehru raised the Indian flag in Delhi for the first time. Senapati Bapat was given the same honor in Pune. After independence Senapati Bapat took an active part in political life. He passed away on November 28, 1967 at the age of 87

KULAPATHI K.M. MUNSHI

2007-12-15T09:11:00.000-08:00

Kulapati K.M. Munshi

Date of Birth : Dec 30, 1887
Date of Death : 1971
Place of Birth : Broach

Versatile", "a philosopher in action", "a man of great ideas and great courage", "a multi-faceted genius"-these are the ways in which friends and admirers described Dr. Kanhaiyalal Maneklal Munshi, the founder of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.The versatility of Munshiji is seen in his roles as lawyer, creative writer, constitution-maker, freedom fighter, administrator, organization-builder and champion of Indian culture. Dr. Munshi looked upon himself as a "sea shell thrown up by the mighty flood of Indian renaissance." He founded the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan along with a few friends late in 1938. Born in Broach on December 30, 1887, Munshiji came under the influence of Sri Aurobindo while studying at Baroda College. A prize winner at the B.A. and LL.B. examinations, he enrolled himself initially as a Pleader and later as an Advocate in the Bombay Bar. He first joined Dr. Besant's All India Home Rule League in 1916 and later the Indian National Congress. He married Lilavati Sheth in 1926 (who was one of his literary critics) after the death of his first wife, Atilakshmi Pathak, whom he married when he was just 13.
He was elected to the Bombay Legislative Council in 1927. He took part in the Salt Satyagraha in 1930 and was imprisoned for 6 months. In 1932 he was sentenced to two years' rigorous imprisonment. He was elected to the Bombay Legislative Assembly in 1937 and appointed the Home Minister in the first Congress Government. He served as India's Agent-General in Hyderabad when the Nizam was trying to keep his State independent of the Indian Union. He became a member of the Constituent Assembly in 1948. He was Food and Agriculture Minister of the Government of India in 1950. He was Governor of Uttar Pradesh during 1952-57. He resigned from the Congress and became the Vice President of the newly formed "Swatantra Party" standing for free enterprise. Till his death in 1971 he devoted all his energies to the building up of the Bhavan as the premier cultural organization of the country.

GANESH VASUDEV MAVLANKAR

2007-12-15T09:09:00.001-08:00

Ganesh Vasudev Mavlankar

Ganesh Vasudev Mavlankar was an Indian freedom fighter and the first Speaker of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament of India. Mavlankar hailed from Marathi background but lived and worked in Ahmedabad, capital of Gujarat. He was a colleague and close friend of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Mavlankar joined the Indian Independence Movement with the Non-Cooperation Movement. Although he temporarily joined the Swaraj Party in the 1920s, he returned to Mahatma Gandhi and the Salt Satyagraha in 1930. In 1952, after the first general elections in independent India, G.V. Mavlankar was elected the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. He would serve many years in the Parliament of India.

VITHALBHAI PATEL

2007-12-15T09:07:00.001-08:00

Vithalbhai Patel

Date of Birth : 1871
Date of Death : 1935
Place of Birth : Gujarat

Vithalbhai Patel was an Indian legislator and political leader, and co-founder of the Swaraj Party. Born in Nadiad, in the Indian state of Gujarat, Vithalbhai Jhaverbhai Patel was the third of five Patel brothers, four years elder to Vallabhbhai Patel, raised in the village of Karamsad. Vithalbhai educated himself in Nadiad and in Bombay, and worked as a pleader (a junior lawyer) in the courts of Godhra and Borsad. At a very young age, he was married to a girl from another village, Diwaliba. His younger brother Vallabhbhai Patel had similarly studied by himself and worked as a pleader. Studying in England was a dream to both men, although they did not know this. Vallabhbhai had saved enough money and ordered his passport and travel tickets, when the postman delivered them to Vithalbhai, on account that it was addressed to a Mr. V.J. Patel, Pleader. Vithalbhai insisted on traveling on those documents actually meant for Vallabhbhai, pointing out that it would be socially criticized that an older brother followed the lead of the younger. Respecting his brother despite the obvious cruelty of fate on his own hard work, Vallabhbhai allowed him to proceed to England, and even paid for his stay. Vithalbhai entered the Middle Temple Inn in London, and completed the 36-month course in 30, emerging at the top of his class. Returning to Gujarat in 1913, Vithalbhai became an important barrister in the courts of Bombay and Ahmedabad. However, his wife died in 1915, and he remained a widower. Patel entered politics before his more renowned brother, winning a seat on the Bombay Legislative Council, a body with no real functions. Although failing to achieve anything concrete in terms of the fight for national independence, self-government or public welfare, Patel grew popular and respected by his oratorical and witty mastery and belittling of the Raj's officials, winning many a battle of wit, which bore little overall significance. He rose to the presidency of the Imperial Legislative Council, a collage of pro-British elected and appointed Indians and Englishmen designated to rubber-stamp the Viceroy's decisions.

Although never truly accepting the philosophy and leadership of Mohandas Gandhi, Patel joined the Congress and the struggle for freedom. He had no regional base of support, yet he was an influential leader who expanded the struggle through fiery speeches and articles published. When Gandhi aborted the struggle in 1922 following the Chauri Chaura Incident, Patel left the Congress to form the Swaraj Party with Chittaranjan Das and Motilal Nehru, which would seek to foil the Raj by sabotaging the government after gaining entry in the councils. The party only succeeded in dividing the Congress and finally itself, but Patel and others were important voices who rebelled against the leadership of Gandhi when the nation anguished over the abortion of the Non-Cooperation Movement. Vithalbhai Patel rejoined the Congress in 1930 upon the declaration of Purna Swaraj (Complete Independence), yet later gave it up after the end of the Salt Satyagraha. He became a fierce critic of Gandhi and a strong ally of Subhas Chandra Bose. Bose and Patel travelled across Europe, gathering funds and political support - among others, they met Eamon DeValera, President of Ireland. However, Patel fell seriously ill, and died in Geneva, Switzerland.

GOPALAKRISHNA GOKHALE

2007-12-15T09:04:00.000-08:00

Gopal Krishna Gokhale

Date of Birth : May 9, 1866
Date of Death : 1915
Place of Birth : Maharashtra

Gopal Krishna Gokhale was born on May 9, 1866, in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, and he became one of the most learned men in India, a leader of social and political reformists and one of the earliest, founding leaders of the Indian Independence Movement. Gokhale was a senior leader of the Indian National Congress and the Servants of India Society. The latter was committed to only social reform, but the Congress Party in Gokhale's time was the main vehicle for Indian political representation. Gokhale was a great, early Indian champion for public education. Being one of the first generations of Indians to receive college education, Gokhale was respected widely in the nascent Indian intellecutal community and acoss India, whose people looked up to him as the least elitist of educated Indians. Coming from a background of poverty, Gokhale was a real man of the people, a hero to young Indians discovering the new age and the prospects of the coming 20th century; he worked amongst common Indians to encourage education, sanitation and public development. He actively spoke against ignorance, casteism and untouchability in Indian society. Gokhale was also reputed for working for trust and friendship between Hindu and Muslim communities. It should be remembered that Gokhale was a pioneer in this work, never done before in Indian history by Indians. Along with distinguished colleagues like Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Dadabhai Naoroji, Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai and Annie Besant, Gokhale fought for decades to obtain greater political representation and power over public affairs for common Indians. He was moderate in his views and attitudes, and sought to petition the British authorities, cultivate a process of dialogue and discussion which would yield greater British respect for Indian rights. In 1906, he and Tilak were the respective leaders of the moderates and extremists (now known by the more politically correct term,'aggressive nationalists') in the Congress. Tilak advocated civil agitation and direct revolution to overthrow the British Empire, and the Congress Party split into two wings. The two sides would patch up in 1916. Gokhale did not support explicit Indian independence, for such an idea was not even understood or expressed until after the World War I.
Gopal Krishna Gokhale's biggest contribution to India was as a teacher, nurturer of a whole new generation of leaders conscious to their responsibilities to a wider nation. Gokhale was famously a mentor to a young barrister who had been blooded in the work of revolution in South Africa a few years earlier. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi received great warmth and hospitality from Gokhale, including personal guidance, knowledge and understanding of India, the issues of common Indians and Indian politics. By 1920, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi would become known as Mahatma Gandhi, and ad the leader of nationalist Indians and the largest non-violent revolution in the history of the world. However, Gokhale himself died in 1915. In his autobiography, Gandhi calls Gokhale his mentor and guide, while Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the future founder of Pakistan, in 1912 wanted to become the "Muslim Gokhale," "Ambassador of Hindu-Muslim Unity."

MAHADEV DESAI

2007-12-15T09:01:00.000-08:00

Mahadev Desai

Date of Birth : Jan 1, 1892
Date of Death : Aug 15, 1942
Place of Birth : Gujarat

Mahadev Desai was an Indian freedom fighter, a nationalist writer and most famously known for being the personal secretary of Mahatma Gandhi. Mahadev Desai was born on January 1st, 1892 at Saras, a village in Olpad Taluka of Surat district of the Indian state of Gujarat, where his father Haribhai Desai was a school teacher. The family originally hailed from Dihen in the same district. He lost his mother Jamnaben when he was only seven years old. Gujarat was also the birthplace and home of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the most prominent leaders in the Indian Independence Movement. Desai was a young lawyer in Ahmedabad when he decided to join Gandhi along with Narhari Parikh, Mohanlal Pandya and Ravi Shankar Vyas, and became his most devoted secretary for over 25 years, from 1917 to 1942. The four were the earliest supporters of Gandhi. Mahadev Desai was arrested with Gandhi during all the nationalist revolts. The chief period of interest is the time Gandhi was incarcerated in the Yeravda Jail near Pune, Maharashtra from 1931 to 1934. Desai wrote most of his important works on Gandhi during this period. When arrested during the Quit India movement and sent to the Aga Khan Palace for imprisonment, he died on August 15th, 1942. Gandhi was devastated by Desai's death at a young age. Both Gandhi and his wife Kasturba Gandhi had seen him as their son, and his death was mourned by Gandhi's supporters across the country. He wrote several books on the non-violent struggles led by Gandhi in India, and a diary called 'Day to Day with Gandhi' in 9 volumes. His son Narayan Desai is also a non-violent activist.

His Writings

A Righteous Struggle

With Gandhi in Ceylon, 1928.

The Story of Bardoli, 1929

Swadeshi-True and False, 1929.

Unworthy of Wardha, 1929.

Eclipse of Faith, 1929.

BAL GANGADHARA TILAK

2007-12-15T08:57:00.000-08:00

Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Date of Birth : Jul 23, 1856
Date of Death : 1920
Place of Birth : Maharashtra

Bal Gangadhar Tilak, was an Indian nationalist, social reformer and freedom fighter who was the first popular leader of the Indian Independence Movement. Tilak sparked the fire for complete independence in Indian consciousness, and is considered the father of Hindu nationalism as well. Swaraj is my birthright, and I shall have it! This famous quote of his is very popular and well-remembered in India even today.
Reverently addressed as Lokmanya (meaning "Beloved of the people" or "Revered by the world"), Tilak was a scholar of Indian history, Sanskrit, Hinduism, mathematics and astronomy. He was born on July 23, 1856, in a village near Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, into a middle class Chitpavan Brahmin family. Tilak was an avid student with a special aptitude for mathematics. He was among India's first generation of youth to receive a modern, college education. After graduation, Tilak began teaching mathematics in a private school in Pune and later became a journalist. He became a strong critic of the Western education system, feeling it demeaning to Indian students and disrespectful to India's heritage. He organized the Deccan Education Society to improve the quality of education for India's youth. Tilak founded the Marathi daily Kesari (The Lion) which fast became a popular reading for the common people of India. Tilak strongly criticized the government for its brutalism in suppression of free expression, especially in face of protests against the division of Bengal in 1905, and for denigrating India's culture, its people and heritage. He demanded the British immediately give the right to self-government to India's people. Tilak joined the Indian National Congress in the 1890s, but soon fell into opposition of its liberal-moderate attitude towards the fight for self-government. Tilak opposed the moderate views of Gopal Krishna Gokhale, and was supported by fellow Indian nationalists Bipin Chandra Pal in Bengal and Lala Lajpat Rai in Punjab. In 1907, the Congress Party split into the Garam Dal (literally, "Hot Faction"), led by Tilak, Pal and Lajpat Rai, and the Naram Dal (literally, "Soft Faction") led by Gokhale during its convention at Surat in Gujarat. When arrested on charges of sedition in 1906, Tilak asked a young Mohammad Ali Jinnah to represent him. But the British judge convicted him and he was imprisoned from 1908 to 1914 in Mandalay, Burma. Upon his release, Tilak re-united with his fellow nationalists and re-united the Indian National Congress in 1916. He also helped found the All India Home Rule League in 1916-18 with Annie Besant and Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Tilak proposed various social reforms, such as a minimum age for marriage, and was especially keen to see a prohibition placed on the sale of alcohol. His thoughts on education and Indian political life have remained highly influential - he was the first Congress leader to suggest that Hindi, written in the devanagari script, should be accepted as the sole national language of India, a policy that was later strongly endorsed by Mahatma Gandhi. However, English, which Tilak wished to remove completely from the Indian mind, remains an important means of communication in India. But the usage of Hindi (and other Indian languages) has been reinforced and widely encouraged since the days of the British Raj, and Tilak's legacy is often credited with this resurgence. Another of the major contributions relates to the propagation of Sarvajanik (public) Ganesh festival, over 10-11 days from Bhadrapada Shukla (Ganesh) Chaturthi to (Anant) Chaturdashi (in Aug/Sept span), which contributed for people to get together and celebrate the festival and provided a good platform for leaders to inspire masses. His call for boycott of foreign goods also served to inspire patriotism among Indian masses. Tilak was a critic of Mahatma Gandhi's strategy of non-violent, civil disobedience. Although once considered an extremist revolutionary, in his later years Tilak had considerably mellowed. He favored political dialogue and discussions as a more effective way to obtain political freedom for India, and did not support leaving the British Empire. However, Tilak is considered in many ways to have created the nationalist movement in India, by expanding the struggle for political freedoms and self-government to the common people of India. His writings on Indian culture, history and Hinduism spread a sense of heritage and pride amongst millions of Indians for India's ancient civilization and glory asa nation.

Tilak was considered the political and spiritual leader of India by many, and Gandhi is considered his successor. When Tilak died in 1920, Gandhi paid his respects at his cremation in Bombay, along with 200,000 people. Gandhi called Tilak "The Maker of Modern India".

Tilak is also today considered the father of Hindu Nationalism. He was the idol of Indian revolutionary Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, who penned the political doctrine of Hindutva.

His writings

- Tilak authored the well-regarded The Orion, or, Researches into the antiquities of the Vedas (1893) in which he used astronomy to establish that the Vedic people were present in India at least as early as the 4th millennium BC.

- Later, in 1903, he wrote the much more speculative Arctic Home in the Vedas. In it he argued that the Vedas could only have been composed in the Arctics, and the Aryan bards brought them south after the onset of the last Ice age.

- Tilak also authored 'Geetarahasya' - the analysis of 'Karmayoga' in the Bhagavadgita, which is known to be gist of the Vedas and the Upanishads.

Other collections of his writings include:

- The Hindu philosophy of life, ethics and religion (published in 1887).

- Vedic chronology and vedanga jyotisha.

- Letters of Lokamanya Tilak, edited by M. D. Vidwans.

- Selected documents of Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, 1880-1920, edited by Ravindra Kumar.

- Trial of Tilak.

SARDAR VALLABHBHAI PATEL

2007-12-15T08:55:00.001-08:00

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Date of Birth : Oct 31, 1875
Date of Death : Dec 15, 1950
Place of Birth : Gujarat

Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel was born at his maternal uncle's house in Nadiad, Gujarat. His actual date of birth was never officially recorded - Patel entered October 31st as his date of birth on his matriculation examination papers. He was the fourth son of Jhaverbhai and Ladba Patel, and lived in the village of Karamsad, in the Kheda district. Somabhai, Narsibhai and Vithalbhai Patel (also a future political leader) were his elder brothers. He had a younger brother, Kashibhai, and a sister, Dahiba. Patel helped his father in the fields, and bimonthly kept a day-long fast, abstaining from food and water - a cultural observance that enabled him to develop physical tougheness. He entered school late - parental attention was focused on the eldest brothers, thus leading to a degree of neglect of Patel's education. Patel travelled to attend schools in Nadiad, Petlad and Borsad, living self-sufficiently with other boys. He took his matriculation at the late age of 22; at this point, he was generally regarded by his elder relatives as an unambitious man destined for a commonplace job. But Patel himself harbored a plan - he would pass the Pleader's examination and become a lawyer. He would then set aside funds, travel to England, then train to become a barrister.
During the many years it took him to save money, Vallabhbhai - now a pleader - earned a reputation as a fierce and skilled lawyer. He had also cultivated a stoic character - he lanced a painful boil without hesitation, even as the barber supposed to do it trembled. Patel spent years away from his family, pursuing his goals assiduously. Later, Patel fetched Jhaverba from her parent's home - Patel was married to Jhaverba at a young age. As per Indian custom at the time, the girl would remain at her mother's house until her husband began earning - and set up his household. His wife bore him a daughter, Manibehn, in 1904, and later a son, Dahyabhai, in 1906. Patel also cared for a personal friend suffering from Bubonic plague when it swept the state. After Patel himself came down with the disease, he immediately sent away his family to safety, left his home, and moved into an isolated house in Nadiad (by other accounts, Patel spent this time in a dilapidated temple); there, he recovered slowly. Patel took on the financial burdens of his homestead in Karamsad even while saving for England and supporting a young family. He made way for his brother Vithalbhai Patel to travel to England in place of him, on his own saved money and opportunity. The episode occurred as the tickets and pass Patel had applied for arrived in the name of "V. J. Patel," and arrived at Vithalbhai's home, who bore the same initials. Patel did not hesitate to make way for his elder brother's ambition before his own, and funded his trip as well. In 1909, Patel's wife Jhaverba was hospitalized in Bombay to undergo a major surgical operation for cancer. Her health suddenly worsened, and despite successful emergency surgery, she died. Patel was given a note informing him of his wife's demise as he was cross-examining a witness in court. As per others who witnessed, Patel read the note, pocketed it and continued to intensely cross-examine the witness, and won the case. He broke the news to others only after the proceedings had ended. Patel himself decided against marrying again. He raised his children with the help of his family, and sent them to English-medium schools in Mumbai (then Bombay). At the age of 36, he journeyed to England and enrolled at the Middle Temple Inn in London. Finishing a 36-month course in 30 months, Patel topped his class despite having no previous college background. Patel settled in the city of Ahmedabad, and became one of the city's most successful barristers. Wearing European-style clothes and urbane mannerisms, he also became a skilled bridge player at the Gujarat Club. His close friends would include his neighbours Dr. Balwantray and Nandubehn Kanuga, who would remain dear to him, and a young lawyer, Ganesh Vasudev Mavlankar. He had also made a pact with his brother Vithalbhai to support his entry into politics in Bombay, while Patel himself would remain in Ahmedabad and provide for the family. According to some of Patel's friends, he nurtured ambitions to expand his practise and accumulate great wealth, and to provide his children with modern education.

Vallabhbhai Patel was a major political and social leader of India and its struggle for independence, and is credited for achieving the political integration of independent India. In India and across the world, he is known as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, where Sardar stands for Chief in many languages of India. Patel organized the peasants of Kheda, Borsad, and Bardoli in Gujarat in non-violent civil disobedience against the oppressive policies imposed by the British Raj - becoming one of the most influential leaders in Gujarat. He rose to the leadership of the Indian National Congress and at the forefront of rebellions and political events - organizing the party for elections in 1934 and 1937, and leading Indians into the Quit India movement. He was imprisoned by the British government on numerous occasions, especially from 1931 to 1934, and from 1942 to 1945. Becoming the first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India, Patel organized relief and rehabilitation efforts in the riot-struck Punjab and Delhi, and led efforts to restore security. Patel took charge of the task to forge a united India from a plethora of semi-independent princely states, colonial provinces and possessions. Patel employed an iron fist in a velvet glove diplomacy - frank political negotiations backed with the option (and the use) of military action to weld a nation that could emancipate its people without the prospect of divisions or civil conflict. His leadership obtained the peaceful and swift integration of all 565 princely states into the Republic of India. Patel's initiatives spread democracy extensively across India, and re-organized the states to help transform India into a modern federal republic. His admirers call him the Iron Man of India. He is also remembered as the "patron saint" of India's civil servants for his defence of them against political attack, and for being one of the earliest and key defenders of property rights and free enterprise in independent India.

On 29 March 1949, a plane carrying Patel and the Maharaja of Patiala lost radio contact, and Patel's life was feared for all over the nation. The plane had made an emergency landing in the desert of Rajasthan upon an engine failure, and Patel and all passengers were safe, and traced by nearby villagers. When Patel returned to Delhi, members of Parliament and thousands of Congressmen gave him a raucous welcome. In Parliament, MPs gave a thunderous ovation to Patel - stopping proceedings for half an hour. Till his last few days, he was constantly at work in Delhi. Patel's health worsened after 2 November 1950, and he was flown to Bombay to recuperate. After suffering a massive heart attack - his second - he died in Bombay on December 15th, 1950. In an unprecedented gesture, more than 1,500 officers of India's civil and police services congregated at Patel's residence in Delhi on the day after his death to mourn him - they pledged "complete loyalty and unremmitting zeal" in India's service. His cremation in Sonapur, Bombay, was attended by large crowds, Nehru, Rajagopalachari, President Prasad and many Congressmen and freedom fighters.

DADABHAI NOUROJI

2007-12-15T08:53:00.001-08:00

Dadabhai Naoroji

Date of Birth : Sep 4, 1825
Date of Death : Jun 30, 1917
Place of Birth : India

Dadabhai Naoroji was a Parsi intellectual and educator, and an early Indian political leader. He was a Member of Parliament in the Parliament of the United Kingdom between 1892 and 1895, and the first Asian to be a British MP. The son of Maneckbai and Naoroji Palanji Dordi, a poor Athornan Parsi family, Naoroji was educated at Elphinstone College and later became a teacher. By 1855 he was Professor of Mathematics and Natural philosophy. He moved to England in 1855, first working in business, later becoming professor of Gujarati at University College London. In 1867 Naoroji helped establish the East India Association. In 1874 he became Prime Minister of Baroda and was also a member of the Legislative Council of Bombay (1885-88). He also founded the Indian National Association from Calcutta a few years before the founding of the Indian National Congress in Bombay, with the same objectives and practices. The two groups later merged into the INC, and Naoroji was elected President of the Congress in 1886. Naoroji moved to Britain once again and continued his political involvement. Elected for the Liberal Party in Central Finsbury in July 1892, he was the first British Indian MP.
He refused to take the oath on the Bible as he was not a Christian, but was allowed to take the oath of office in the name of God on his small book of Avesta. In Parliament he spoke on Irish Home Rule and the condition of the Indian people. In his political campaign and duties as an MP, he was assisted by Muhammed Ali Jinnah, the future Muslim nationalist and founder of Pakistan. In 1906, Naoroji was again elected president of the Indian National Congress. Naoroji was a staunch moderate within the Congress, during the phase when opinion in the party was split between the moderates and extremists.

By the time of his death in 1917, Naoroji was known as the 'Grand Old Man of India', a mentor to Mahatma Gandhi. He was married to Gulbai from the age of eleven.

MAHATMA GANDHI

2007-12-15T08:50:00.000-08:00

Mahatma Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

Date of Birth : Oct 2, 1869
Date of Death : Jan 30, 1948
Place of Birth : Gujarat

Biography of Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi (Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi) was born into a Hindu Modh family in Porbandar, Gujarat, India in 1869. He was the son of Karamchand Gandhi, the diwan (Chief Minister) of Porbandar, and Putlibai, Karamchand's fourth wife (his previous three wives had died in childbirth), a Hindu of the Pranami Vaishnava order. Growing up with a devout mother and surrounded by the Jain influences of Gujarat, Gandhi learned from an early age the tenets of non-injury to living beings, vegetarianism, fasting for self-purification, and mutual tolerance between members of various creeds and sects. He was born into the vaishya, or business, caste.

In May 1883, at the age of 13, Gandhi was married through his parents' arrangement to Kasturba Makhanji (also spelled "Kasturbai" or known as "Ba"), who was the same age as he. They had four sons: Harilal Gandhi, born in 1888; Manilal Gandhi, born in 1892; Ramdas Gandhi, born in 1897; and Devdas Gandhi, born in 1900. Gandhi was a mediocre student in his youth at Porbandar and later Rajkot. He barely passed the matriculation exam for the University of Bombay in 1887, where he joined Samaldas College. He was also unhappy at the college, because his family wanted him to become a barrister. He leapt at the opportunity to study in England, which he viewed as "a land of philosophers and poets, the very centre of civilization." Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was a major political and spiritual leader of India, and the Indian independence movement. He was the pioneer and perfector of Satyagraha - the resistance of tyranny through mass civil disobedience strongly founded upon ahimsa (total non-violence) - which led India to independence, and has inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world.

Gandhi is commonly known and addressed in India and across the world as Mahatma Gandhi and as Bapu. Though his elders objected, Gandhi could not be prevented from leaving; and it is said that his mother, a devout woman, made him promise that he would keep away from wine, women, and meat during his stay abroad. Gandhi left behind his son Harilal, then a few months old. In London, Gandhi encountered theosophists, vegetarians, and others who were disenchanted not only with industrialism, but with the legacy of Enlightenment thought. They themselves represented the fringe elements of English society. Gandhi was powerfully attracted to them, as he was to the texts of the major religious traditions; and ironically it is in London that he was introduced to the Bhagavad Gita. Here, too, Gandhi showed determination and single-minded pursuit of his purpose, and accomplished his objective of finishing his degree from the Inner Temple.

He was called to the bar in 1891, and even enrolled in the High Court of London; but later that year he left for India. After one year of a none too successful law practice, Gandhi decided to accept an offer from an Indian businessman in South Africa, Dada Abdulla, to join him as a legal adviser. Unbeknown to him, this was to become an exceedingly lengthy stay, and altogether Gandhi was to stay in South Africa for over twenty years. The Indians who had been living in South Africa were without political rights, and were generally known by the derogatory name of 'coolies'. Gandhi himself came to an awareness of the frightening force and fury of European racism, and how far Indians were from being considered full human beings, when he thrown out of a first-class railway compartment car, though he held a first-class ticket, at Pietermaritzburg. From this political awakening Gandhi was to emerge as the leader of the Indian community, and it is in South Africa that he first coined the term satyagraha to signify his theory and practice of non-violent resistance. Gandhi was to describe himself preeminently as a votary or seeker of satya (truth), which could not be attained other than through ahimsa (non-violence, love) and brahmacharya (celibacy, striving towards God). Gandhi conceived of his own life as a series of experiments to forge the use of satyagraha in such a manner as to make the oppressor and the oppressed alike recognize their common bonding and humanity: as he recognized, freedom is only freedom when it is indivisible. In his book 'Satyagraha in South Africa' he was to detail the struggles of the Indians to claim their rights, and their resistance to oppressive legislation and executive measures, such as the imposition of a poll tax on them, or the declaration by the government that all non-Christian marriages were to be construed as invalid. In 1909, on a trip back to India, Gandhi authored a short treatise entitled 'Hind Swaraj' or Indian Home Rule, where he all but initiated the critique, not only of industrial civilization, but of modernity in all its aspects.

Gandhi returned to India in early 1915, and was never to leave the country again except for a short trip that took him to Europe in 1931. Though he was not completely unknown in India, Gandhi followed the advice of his political mentor, Gokhale, and took it upon himself to acquire a familiarity with Indian conditions. He traveled widely for one year. Over the next few years, he was to become involved in numerous local struggles, such as at Champaran in Bihar, where workers on indigo plantations complained of oppressive working conditions, and at Ahmedabad, where a dispute had broken out between management and workers at textile mills. His interventions earned Gandhi a considerable reputation, and his rapid ascendancy to the helm of nationalist politics is signified by his leadership of the opposition to repressive legislation (known as the "Rowlatt Acts") in 1919.

His saintliness was not uncommon, except in someone like him who immersed himself in politics, and by this time he had earned from no less a person than Rabindranath Tagore, India's most well-known writer, the title of Mahatma, or 'Great Soul'. When 'disturbances' broke out in the Punjab, leading to the massacre of a large crowd of unarmed Indians at the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar and other atrocities, Gandhi wrote the report of the Punjab Congress Inquiry Committee. Over the next two years, Gandhi initiated the non-cooperation movement, which called upon Indians to withdraw from British institutions, to return honors conferred by the British, and to learn the art of self-reliance; though the British administration was at places paralyzed, the movement was suspended in February 1922 when a score of Indian policemen were brutally killed by a large crowd at Chauri Chaura, a small market town in the United Provinces.

Gandhi himself was arrested shortly thereafter, tried on charges of sedition, and sentenced to imprisonment for six years. At The Great Trial, as it is known to his biographers, Gandhi delivered a masterful indictment of British rule. Owing to his poor health, Gandhi was released from prison in 1925. Over the following years, he worked hard to preserve Hindu-Muslim relations, and in 1924 he observed, from his prison cell, a 21-day fast when Hindu-Muslim riots broke out at Kohat, a military barracks on the Northwest Frontier. This was to be of his many major public fasts, and in 1932 he was to commence the so-called Epic Fast unto death, since he thought of "separate electorates" for the oppressed class of what were then called untouchables (or Harijans in Gandhi's vocabulary, and dalits in today's language) as a retrograde measure meant to produce permanent divisions within Hindu society. Gandhi earned the hostility of Ambedkar, the leader of the untouchables, but few doubted that Gandhi was genuinely interested in removing the serious disabilities from which they suffered, just as no one doubt that Gandhi never accepted the argument that Hindus and Muslims constituted two separate elements in Indian society.

These were some of the concerns most prominent in Gandhi's mind, but he was also to initiate a constructive programme for social reform. Gandhi had ideas -- mostly sound -- on every subject, from hygiene and nutrition to education and labor, and he relentlessly pursued his ideas in one of the many newspapers which he founded. Indeed, were Gandhi known for nothing else in India, he would still be remembered as one of the principal figures in the history of Indian journalism. In early 1930, as the nationalist movement was revived, the Indian National Congress, the preeminent body of nationalist opinion, declared that it would now be satisfied with nothing short of complete independence (purna swaraj). Once the clarion call had been issued, it was perforce necessary to launch a movement of resistance against British rule. On March 2, Gandhi addressed a letter to the Viceroy, Lord Irwin, informing him that unless Indian demands were met, he would be compelled to break the "salt laws".

Predictably, his letter was received with bewildered amusement, and accordingly Gandhi set off, on the early morning of March 12, with a small group of followers towards Dandi on the sea. They arrived there on April 5th: Gandhi picked up a small lump of natural salt, and so gave the signal to hundreds of thousands of people to similarly defy the law, since the British exercised a monopoly on the production and sale of salt. This was the beginning of the civil disobedience movement: Gandhi himself was arrested, and thousands of others were also hauled into jail. It is to break this deadlock that Irwin agreed to hold talks with Gandhi, and subsequently the British agreed to hold a Round Table Conference in London to negotiate the possible terms of Indian independence. Gandhi went to London in 1931 and met some of his admirers in Europe, but the negotiations proved inconclusive. On his return to India, he was once again arrested. For the next few years, Gandhi would be engaged mainly in the constructive reform of Indian society.

He had vowed upon undertaking the salt march that he would not return to Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, where he had made his home, if India did not attain its independence, and in the mid-1930s he established himself in a remote village, in the dead center of India, by the name of Segaon (known as Sevagram). It is to this obscure village, which was without electricity or running water, that India's political leaders made their way to engage in discussions with Gandhi about the future of the independence movement, and it is here that he received visitors such as Margaret Sanger, the well-known American proponent of birth-control. Gandhi also continued to travel throughout the country, taking him wherever his services were required. One such visit was to the Northwest Frontier, where he had in the imposing Pathan, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (known by the endearing term of "Frontier Gandhi", and at other times as Badshah Khan), a fervent disciple. At the outset of World War II, Gandhi and the Congress leadership assumed a position of neutrality: while clearly critical of fascism, they could not find it in themselves to support British imperialism. Gandhi was opposed by Subhas Chandra Bose, who had served as President of the Congress, and who took to the view that Britain's moment of weakness was India's moment of opportunity. When Bose ran for President of the Congress against Gandhi's wishes and triumphed against Gandhi's own candidate, he found that Gandhi still exercised influence over the Congress Working Committee, and that it was near impossible to run the Congress if the cooperation of Gandhi and his followers could not be procured. Bose tendered his resignation, and shortly thereafter was to make a dramatic escape from India to find support among the Japanese and the Nazis for his plans to liberate India. In 1942, Gandhi issued the last call for independence from British rule. On the grounds of what is now known as August Kranti Maidan, he delivered a stirring speech, asking every Indian to lay down their life, if necessary, in the cause of freedom.

He gave them this mantra: "Do or Die"; at the same time, he asked the British to 'Quit India'. The response of the British government was to place Gandhi under arrest, and virtually the entire Congress leadership was to find itself behind bars, not to be released until after the conclusion of the war. A few months after Gandhi and Kasturba had been placed in confinement in the Aga Khan's Palace in Pune, Kasturba passed away: this was a terrible blow to Gandhi, following closely on the heels of the death of his private secretary of many years, the gifted Mahadev Desai. In the period from 1942 to 1945, the Muslim League, which represented the interest of certain Muslims and by now advocated the creation of a separate homeland for Muslims, increasingly gained the attention of the British, and supported them in their war effort. The new government that came to power in Britain under Clement Atlee was committed to the independence of India, and negotiations for India's future began in earnest. Sensing that the political leaders were now craving for power, Gandhi largely distanced himself from the negotiations. He declared his opposition to the vivisection of India.

It is generally conceded, even by his detractors, that the last years of his life were in some respects his finest. He walked from village to village in riot-torn Noakhali, where Hindus were being killed in retaliation for the killing of Muslims in Bihar, and nursed the wounded and consoled the widowed; and in Calcutta he came to constitute, in the famous words of the last viceroy, Mountbatten, a "one-man boundary force" between Hindus and Muslims. The ferocious fighting in Calcutta came to a halt, almost entirely on account of Gandhi's efforts, and even his critics were wont to speak of the Gandhi's 'miracle of Calcutta'. When the moment of freedom came, on 15 August 1947, Gandhi was nowhere to be seen in the capital, though Nehru and the entire Constituent Assembly were to salute him as the architect of Indian independence, as the 'father of the nation'. The last few months of Gandhi's life were to be spent mainly in the capital city of Delhi. There he divided his time between the 'Bhangi colony', where the sweepers and the lowest of the low stayed, and Birla House, the residence of one of the wealthiest men in India and one of the benefactors of Gandhi's ashrams. Hindu and Sikh refugees had streamed into the capital from what had become Pakistan, and there was much resentment, which easily translated into violence, against Muslims. It was partly in an attempt to put an end to the killings in Delhi, and more generally to the bloodshed following the partition, which may have taken the lives of as many as 1 million people, besides causing the dislocation of no fewer than 11 million, that Gandhi was to commence the last fast unto death of his life. The fast was terminated when representatives of all the communities signed a statement that they were prepared to live in "perfect amity", and that the lives, property, and faith of the Muslims would be safeguarded.

A few days later, a bomb exploded in Birla House where Gandhi was holding his evening prayers, but it caused no injuries. However, his assassin, a Marathi Chitpavan Brahmin by the name of Nathuram Godse, was not so easily deterred. Gandhi, quite characteristically, refused additional security, and no one could defy his wish to be allowed to move around unhindered. In the early evening hours of 30 January 1948, Gandhi met with India's Deputy Prime Minister and his close associate in the freedom struggle, Vallabhai Patel, and then proceeded to his prayers. That evening, as Gandhi's time-piece, which hung from one of the folds of his dhoti (loin-cloth), was to reveal to him, he was uncharacteristically late to his prayers, and he fretted about his inability to be punctual. At 10 minutes past 5 o'clock, with one hand each on the shoulders of Abha and Manu, who were known as his 'walking sticks', Gandhi commenced his walk towards the garden where the prayer meeting was held. As he was about to mount the steps of the podium, Gandhi folded his hands and greeted his audience with a namaskar; at that moment, a young man came up to him and roughly pushed aside Manu. Nathuram Godse bent down in the gesture of an obeisance, took a revolver out of his pocket, and shot Gandhi three times in his chest. Bloodstains appeared over Gandhi's white woolen shawl; his hands still folded in a greeting, Gandhi blessed his assassin: He Ram! He Ram! As Gandhi fell, his faithful time-piece struck the ground, and the hands of the watch came to a standstill. They showed, as they had done before, the precise time: 5:12 P.M.

Dr. AMBEDKAR

2007-12-15T08:47:00.000-08:00

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar

Date of Birth : Apr 14, 1893
Date of Death : Dec 6, 1956
Place of Birth : Madhya Pradesh

Dr. Ambedkar was the main architect of the Indian Constitution. He was born in a very poor low caste family of Madhya Pradesh. In U.S.A., he did his M.A. in 1915 and Ph.D. in 1916. From 1918 to 1920, he worked as a Professor of Law. Dr. Ambedkar set up his legal practice at the Mumbai High Court. Ambedkar was the main inspiration behind the inclusion of special provision in the Constitution of India for the development of Schedule Caste people. Dr. Ambedkar was the Law Minister of India from 1947 to 1951. He took part in the Satyagraha of untouchables at Nasik in 1930 for opening the Hindu temples to them. Dr. Ambedkar was emancipator of the 'untouchables' and crusader for social justice. This liberator of the down trodden was affectionately called "Babasaheb". He was posthumously awarded 'Bharat Ratna' in the year 1990.

RAM MANOHAR LOHIA

2007-12-15T08:45:00.000-08:00

Ram Manohar Lohia

Date of Birth : Mar 23, 1910
Date of Death : Oct 12, 1967
Place of Birth : Faizabad (UP)

Ram Manohar Lohia was an Indian freedom fighter and a socialist political leader. He was born on March 23, 1910 in a village named Akbarpur in Faizabad district, Uttar Pradesh, in India. Ram's father, Hira Lal, was a nationalist by spirit and a teacher by profession. His mother, Chanda, died when Ram was very young. Ram was introduced to the Indian Independence Movement at an early age by his father through the various protest assemblies Hari Lal took his son to. Ram made his first contribution to the freedom struggle by organizing a small hartal on the death of Lokmanya Tilak. Hari Lal, an ardent follower of Mahatma Gandhi, took his son along on a meeting with the Mahatma. This meeting deeply influenced Lohia and sustained him during trying circumstances and helped seed his thoughts, actions and love for swaraj. Ram was so impressed by Gandhiji's spiritual power and radiant self-control that he pledged to follow the Mahatma's footsteps. He proved his allegiance to Gandhi, and more importantly to the movement as a whole, by joining a satyagraha march at the age of ten. Lohia met Jawaharlal Nehru in 1921. Over the years they developed a close friendship. Lohia, however, never hesitated to censure Nehru on his political beliefs and openly expressed disagreement with Nehru on many key issues.
Lohia organized a student protest in 1928 to protest the all-white Simon Commission which was to consider the possibility of granting India dominion status without requiring consultation of the Indian people. Lohia attended the Banaras Hindu University to complete his intermediate course work after standing first in his school's matric examinations. In 1929, Lohia completed his B.A. from Calcutta University. He decided to attend Berlin University, Germany over all prestigious educational institutes in Britain to convey his dim view of British philosophy. He soon learned German and received financial assistance based on his outstanding academic performance. While in Europe, Lohia attended the League of Nations assembly in Geneva. India was represented by the Maharaja of Bikaner, an ally of the British Raj. Lohia took exception to this and launched a protest there and there from the visitors gallery. He fired several letters to editors of newspapers and magazines to clarify the reasons for his protest. The whole incident made Lohia a recognized figure in India overnight. Lohia helped organize the Association of European Indians and became secretary of the club. The main focus of the organization was to preserve and expand Indian nationalism outside of India. Lohia wrote his Phd thesis paper on the topic of Salt Satyagraha, focusing on Gandhiji's socio-economic theory. Lohia joined the Indian National Congress as soon as he returned to India. Lohia was attracted to socialism and helped lay the foundation of Congress Socialist Party, founded 1934, by writing many impressive articles on the feasibility of a socialist India. Lohia formed a new branch in the Indian National Congress - the All India Congress Committee (a foreign affairs department). Nehru appointed Lohia as the first secretary of the committee. During the two years that he served he helped define what would be India's foreign policy. In the onset of the Second World War, Lohia saw an opportunity to collapse the British Raj in India. He made a series of caustic speeches urging Indians to boycott all government institutions. He was arrested on May 24, 1939, but released by authorities the very next day in fear of a youth uprising. Soon after his release, Lohia wrote an article called "Satyagraha Now" in Gandhiji's newspaper, Harijan, on June 1, 1940. Within six days of the publication of the article, he was arrested and sentenced to two years of jail. During his sentencing the Magistrate said, "He (Lohia) is a top-class scholar, civilized gentleman, has liberal ideology and high moral character." In a meeting of Congress Committee Gandhi said, "I cannot sit quiet as long as Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia is in prison. I do not yet know a person braver and simpler than him. He never propagated violence. Whatever he has done has increased his esteem and his honor." Lohia was mentally tortured and interrogated by his jailers. In December of 1941, all the arrested Congress leaders, including Lohia, were released in a desperate attempt by the government to stabilize India internally. He vigorously wrote articles to spread the message of toppling the British imperialist governments from countries in Asia and Africa. He also came up with a hypothetical blueprint for new Indian cities that could self-administer themselves so well that there would not be need for the police or army. Gandhi and the Indian National Congress launched the Quit India movement in 1942. Prominent leaders, including Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru and Maulana Azad, were jailed. The "secondary cadre" stepped-up to the challenge to continue the struggle and to keep the flame for swaraj burning within the people's hearts. Leaders who were still free carried out their operations from underground. Lohia printed and distributed many posters, pamphlets and bulletins on the theme of "Do or Die" on his secret printing-press. Lohia, along with freedom fighter Usha Mehta, broadcast messages in Bombay from a secret radio station called Congress Radio for three months before detection, as a measure to give the disarrayed Indian population a sense of hope and spirit in absence of their leaders. He also edited Inquilab (Revolution), a Congress Party monthly along with Aruna Asaf Ali. Lohia then went to Calcutta to revive the movement there. He changed his name to hide from the police who were closing in on him. Lohia fled to Nepal's dense jungles to evade the British. There he met the Nepalese people and Koirala brothers (freedom fighters in Nepal), who remained Lohia's allies for the rest of their lives. Lohia was captured in May of 1944, in Bombay. Lohia was taken to a prison in Lahore, notorious throughout India for its tormenting environment. In the prison he underwent extreme torture. His health was destroyed but his courage remained. Even though he was not as fit his courage and will power strengthened through the ordeal. Under Gandhiji's pressure the Government released Lohia and his comrade Jayaprakash Narayan. A huge crowd waited to give the two a hero's welcome. Lohia decided to visit a friend in Goa to relax. Lohia was alarmed to learn that the Portuguese government had censured the people's freedom of speech and assembly. He decided to deliver a speech to oppose the policy but was arrested even before he could reach the meeting location. The Portuguese government relented and allowed the people the right to assemble. The Goan people weaved Lohia's tale of unselfish work for Goa in their folk songs. As India's tryst with freedom neared, Hindu-Muslim strife increased. Lohia strongly opposed partitioning India in his speeches and writings. He appealed to communities in riot torn regions to stay united, ignore the violence surrounding them and stick to Gandhiji's ideals of non-violence. Lohia comforted the Mahatama as a nation that once wielded the power of non-violence took refuge in killing their own brothers and sisters. Lohia remained beside Gandhiji as son would remain beside a father. Lohia was a socialist and wanted to unite all the socialists in the world to form a potent platform. He was the General Secretary of Praja Socialist Party. He established the World Development Council and eventually the World Government to maintain peace in the world. During his last few years, besides politics, he spent hours talking to thousands of young adults on topics ranging from Indian literature to politics and art. Lohia died on October 12, 1967 in New Delhi. He left behind no property or bank balance, just prudent contemplations.

MAHAVIR TYAGI

2007-12-15T08:42:00.001-08:00

Mahavir Tyagi

Date of Birth : 1899
Date of Death : 1980
Place of Birth : Uttar Pradesh

Mahavir Tyagi was an Indian freedom fighter and famous parliamentarian from the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Tyagi was educated in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. He joined the British Indian Army and was posted in Persia but resigned after the Amritsar Massacre of April 13, 1919. He was court martialled in Quetta (capital of Baluchistan, now in Pakistan) and externed from Baluchistan with all pay deposits forfeited. Returning to India, Tyagi became a staunch follower of Mahatma Gandhi.
In Uttar Pradesh politics he was known as a "Rafian", that is, an associate of Rafi Ahmed Kidwai, the famous Indian nationalist Muslim. Tyagi, who was active in the Kisan (peasant) movement, remained a life-long member of the Indian National Congress. He was imprisoned by the British several times. In 1921 he was tried at Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh. Mahatma Gandhi wrote four articles on the trial in the journal Young India. Mahavir Tyagi was close to, and had been a jail companion of, the leading Indian nationalist, Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru's father. In the 1920s Tyagi helped resolve, with the help of Maulana Mohammad Ali, a misunderstanding that had arisen between Motilal Nehru and Jawaharlal Nehru. Tyagi became a legislator in the United Provinces (later known as Uttar Pradesh) before Indian independence. In this capacity, he was a member of a committee which heralded social and land reform in the tribal area of Jaunsar Bawar in Dehradun district of Uttar Pradesh (an area now forming part of Uttaranchal state). While he himself adhered to Gandhian non-violence, he had close contacts even among the "revolutionaries", that is those who were not opposed to using violent means to overthrow the imperial state. These included Sachindra Nath Sanyal, Prem Kishan Khanna and Vishnu Sharan Dublish. When riots broke out in the Indian subcontinent after its partition in 1947, Tyagi, taking inspiration from Gandhi, staked his own life to help save Muslims in his home state and to bring peace. Mahavir Tyagi was a member of the Constituent Assembly of India. In this capacity he is known especially for his strong stand against unsafeguarded Preventive Detention laws and against suspension of fundamental rights in emergency situations.On India's becoming a Republic in 1950, Tyagi remained a member of the Provisional Parliament (1950-52),and the Lower House of the Indian Parliament, that is, the First, Second and Third Lok Sabha (1952-67). Tyagi was Minister for Revenue & Expenditure in the Nehru Council of Ministers (1951-53). In this capacity he introduced the First Voluntary Disclosure Scheme, known as the Tyagi Scheme, primarily, as he put it, to bring into the open incomes which had not been revealed to the alien government prior to independence. While in the Ministry of Finance, Tyagi earned a reputation as a strict economiser. Later Mahavir Tyagi became Minister for Defence Organisation (1953-57). General B M Kaul records in his "The Untold Story" that as Minister of Defence Organisation, Tyagi opposed policy proposals involving draconian measures in the tribal areas of India's North-East. Tyagi also gave instructions for recruitment of Muslims in large numbers in the Indian Army. The proportion of Muslims in the Army had fallen after Partition of India in 1947. Known for his independence, Tyagi opposed, even while he was a minister, the reorganisation of Indian states in 1956. He also opposed the decision to dismiss the Communist government led by E M S Namboodirapad in Kerala state at the end of the fifties, saying that this would establish a wrong precedent. Tyagi was Chairman of the Direct Taxes Administration Enquiry Committee (1958-59) and in that capacity paved the way, along with the Law Commission, for the Income Tax Act, 1961.

Tyagi famously criticized Nehru's statement in the Indian Parliament in the prelude to the Sino-Indian War: Nehru commented that "Not a blade of grass grows in Aksai Chin", attempting to explain that Aksai Chin was a barren, inhospitable land and the nation had lost little by its occupation by China. Tyagi retorted, pointing to his bald head: "Nothing grows here ..should it be cut off or given away to somebody else?". A tense situation that had been developing in the House on the subject of the border conflict was averted as the House dissolved in laughter in which Nehru also joined. Tyagi continued to enjoy an affectionate relationship with Jawaharlal Nehru. He served as Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament (1962-64). In April 1964, a month before Nehru's death, Tyagi rejoined the Government as Cabinet Minister in charge of Rehabilitation. In the General Elections of 1967 which saw a popular backlash against the Congress Party, Tyagi lost to an independent candidate backed by an anti-Congress combination of parties. In 1968 he became the Chairman of the Fifth Finance Commission.After the split in the Congress in 1969, Tyagi stayed with the Congress(O), the organisational wing of the party. In 1970 he was elected to the Upper House of Parliament, the Rajya Sabha, from Uttar Pradesh and led the Congress(O) in the House till he retired in 1976. Tyagi's being in the Congress(O) did not prevent him from being critical of the movement led by Jaya Prakash Narayan in 1974-75. He was equally critical of the Emergency imposed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975. Mahavir Tyagi passed away in New Delhi on May 22, 1980. A popular figure, he had friends across political parties and was widely admired for his integrity, outspokenness, ready wit and sense of humour.

His writings

Prior to independence, Mahavir Tyagi had written a booklet on proportional representation. His memoirs in Hindustani were published in the 1960s in two volumes : (i) Ve Kranti Ke Din and (ii) Meri Kaun Sunega. These volumes have now been combined in one and, along with some other unpublished articles by Tyagi, have been published under the title Azadi Ka Andolan: Hanste Huye Aansu (Kitab Ghar, 24 Ansari Road, Daryaganj, Delhi).

MADAN MOHAN MALAVYA

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Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya

Date of Birth : Dec 25, 1861
Date of Death : 1946
Place of Birth : Allahabad

Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya was a national leader and a freedom fighter of India. Born to an educated orthodox Hindu family at Prayag (Allahabad) on December 25, 1861, Malviya is known for achievements such as founding a university (Banaras Hindu University) in Benaras, India. A postage stamp has been printed in India in his honor.

JAYAPRAKASH NARAYANA

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Jayaprakash Narayan

Date of Birth : Oct 11, 1902
Date of Death : Oct 8, 1979
Place of Birth : Uttar Pradesh

Jayaprakash Narayan, widely known as JP, was an Indian freedom fighter and political leader. He was one of the few leaders of modern India who fought for its independence and took part in active politics for a long time after it became independent. He was born in Sitabdiara, village in Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh, and did his higher studies including his phd in politics and sociology in the United States. He adopted Marxism while studying at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin under Edward Ross; he was also deeply influenced by the writings of M. N. Roy. After returning to India, JP joined the Indian National Congress on the invitation of Jawaharlal Nehru in 1929; M. K. Gandhi would be his mentor in the Congress. During the Indian independence movement, he was arrested, jailed, and tortured several times by the British. He won particular fame during the Quit India movement. JP married Prabhavati Devi, a freedom fighter in her own right and a staunch disciple of Kasturba Gandhi in October 1920; she stayed in Sabarmati ashram while JP was abroad and became a devoted Gandhian; she often held opinions which were not in agreement with JP's views, but JP respected her independence. She was the older daughter of Brajkishore Prasad, one of the first Gandhians in Bihar and one who played a major role in Gandhi's campaign in Champaran. After being jailed in 1932 for civil disobedience against British rule, he was imprisoned in Nasik Jail, where he met Ram Manohar Lohia, Minoo Masani, Achyut Patwardhan, Ashok Meta, Yusuf Desai and other national leaders. After his release, the Congress Socialist Party, a left-wing group within the Congress, was formed with Acharya Narendra Deva as President and JP as General secretary. During the Quit India movement of 1942, when senior Congress leaders were arrested in the early stages, JP, Lohia and Basawon Singh (Sinha) were at the forefront of the agitations. Leaders such as Jayaprakash Narayan and Aruna Asaf Ali were described as "the political children of Gandhi but recent students of Karl Marx."
After independence and the death of Mahatma Gandhi; JP, Acharya Narendra Dev and Basawon Singh (Sinha) led the CSP out of Congress to become the opposition Socialist Party, which later took the name Praja Socialist Party. Initially a defender of physical force, JP was won over to Gandhi's position on nonviolence and advocated the use of satyagrahas to achieve the ideals of democratic socialism. Furthermore, he became deeply disillusioned with the practical experience of socialism in Nehru's India. Not long before his death, it was in fact erroneously announced by the Indian prime minister, causing a brief wave of national mourning, including the suspension of parliament and regular radio broadcasting, and closure of schools and shops. In 1998, he was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna award in recognition of his social work. Other awards include the Magsaysay award for Public Service in 1965. JP is sometimes referred to with the honorific title Lok nayak or 'guide of the people'.

LAL BAHADUR SASTHRI

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Lal Bahadur Shastri

Date of Birth : Oct 2, 1904
Date of Death : Jan 11, 1966
Place of Birth : Uttar Pradesh

Lal Bahadur Shastri was the second Prime Minister of independent India and a significant figure in the struggle for independence. Shashtriji was born in Mughalsarai, in Uttar Pradesh. To take part in the non-cooperation movement of Mahatma Gandhi in 1921, he began studying at the nationalist, Kashi Vidyapeeth in Kashi, and upon completion, he was given the title Shastri, or Scholar, Doctor at Kashi Vidyapeeth in 1926. He spent almost nine years in jail in total, mostly after the start of the Satyagraha movement in 1940, he was imprisoned until 1946. Following India's independence, he was Home Minister under Chief Minister Govind Ballabh Pant of Uttar Pradesh. In 1951, he was appointed General Secretary of the Lok Sabha before re-gaining a ministerial post as Railways Minister. He resigned as Minister following a rail disaster near Ariyalur, Tamil Nadu. He returned to the Cabinet following the General Elections, first as Minister for Transport, in 1961, he became Home Minister. After Jawaharlal Nehru's death in May 27, 1964, he became the prime minister. Shastri worked by his natural characteristics to obtain compromises between opposing viewpoints, but in his short tenure was ineffectual in dealing with the economic crisis and food shortage in the nation.
However, he commanded a great deal of respect in the Indian populace, and he used it to advantage in pushing the Green Revolution in India; which directly led to India becoming a food-surplus nation, although he did not live to see it. His administration began on a rocky turf. In 1965 Pakistan attacked India on the Kashmiri front and Lal Bahadur Shastri responded in kind by punching toward Lahore. In 1966 a cease-fire was issued as a result of international pressure. Lal Bahadur Shastri went to Tashkent to hold talks with Ayub Khan and an agreement was soon signed. Lal Bahadur passed away in Tashkent before returning home. All his lifetime, he was known for his honesty and humility. He was the first person to be posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna and a memorial "Vijay Ghat" was built for him in Delhi. The slogan 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan' is attributed to Shastri. 'If one person gives up one meal in a day, some other person gets his only meal of the day.': made during the food crisis to encourage people to evenly distribute food.

MOTILAL NEHRU

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Motilal Nehru

Date of Birth : May 6, 1861
Date of Death : Feb 6, 1931
Place of Birth : Delhi

Motilal Nehru was an early Indian freedom fighter and leader of the Indian National Congress. He was also the patriarch of India's most powerful political family. Motilal Nehru was born in Delhi, to a Kashmiri Brahmin family. By coincidence Rabindranath Tagore was also born on that day. He became one of the first generation of young Indians to receive Western-style college education. He attended Muir College at Agra, but failed to appear for the final year B.A examinations. He then enlisted as a lawyer in the English courts. Nehru became a barrister and settled in the city of Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. Many of Motilal's suits involved civil cases and soon he made a mark for himself in the legal profession of Allahabad. With the success of his practice, he bought a large family home in the Civil lanes of the city and aptly christened the house as Anand Bhavan or Abode of happiness. In 1909 he reached the pinnacle of his legal career by gaining the approval to appear in the Privy Council of Great Britain. His frequent visits to Europe, angered the Kashmiri Brahmin community as he refused to perform the traditional "prayachit" or reformation ceremony. In the 1910s, Nehru was a man of many elitist habits and attitudes, and a Westernized lifestyle, and one of the moderate, wealthy leaders of the Indian National Congress. With the ascent of Mahatma Gandhi in 1918, Nehru was one of the first to transform his life (and considering his age, wealth and long-time Anglicized habits, a quite remarkable achievement) to exclude western clothes and material goods, and adopt a more native Indian lifestyle. To meet the expenses of his large family and large family homes (he built Swaraj Bhavan later), Nehru had to occasionally return to his practice of law. Motilal Nehru twice served as President of the Congress Party. He was also arrested during the Non-Cooperation Movement. Although initially close to Gandhi, he openly criticized Gandhi's suspension of civil resistance in 1922 due to the murder of policemen by a nationalist mob in Chauri Chaura. Motital joined the Swaraj Party, which sought to enter the British-sponsored councils, if only in order to wreck the government. The party failed however, and Motilal returned to the Congress. The entry of Motilal's glamorous, highly-educated young son Jawaharlal Nehru into politics in 1916, created a celebrative atmosphere, giving birth to the most powerful and influential Indian political dynasties. When in 1929, Nehru handed over the Congress presidency to Jawaharlal (Jawaharlal was elected, with Gandhi's backing), it greatly pleased Motilal and Nehru family admirers to see the son take over from his father. Jawaharlal had opposed his father's favor for dominion status, and had himself not left the Congress Party when Motilal helped found the Swaraj Party. Motilal Nehru chaired the famous Nehru Commission in 1928, that was a counter to the all-British Simon Commission. Nehru's Report, the first constitution written by Indians only, conceived a dominion status for India within the Empire, akin to Australia, New Zealand and Canada. It was endorsed by the Congress Party, but rejected by more radical Indians who sought complete independence, and by many Muslims who didn't feel their interests, concerns and rights were properly represented. Motilal Nehru's age and declining health kept him out of the historic events of 1929-1931, when the Congress adopted complete independence as its goal and when Gandhi launched the Salt Satyagraha. He was arrested in 1930, however, after his son was arrested, but was released shortly due to his failing health. He died on February 6, 1931. Nehru is largely remembered for being the patriarch of India's most powerful political family that has produced three Prime Ministers and still controls the Congress Party.

Family and descendants

Nehru has the following descandants, most of whom played an active role in the Politics of India:

Jawaharlal Nehru (Son of Motilal - late Prime Minister of India)

Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit (Daughter of Motilal)

Indira Gandhi (Daughter of Jawahar - late Prime Minister of India)

Feroze Gandhi (Husband of Indira)

Rajiv Gandhi (Son of Indira - late Prime Minister of India)

Sanjay Gandhi(Son of Indira)

Sonia Gandhi (Wife of Rajiv )

Rahul Gandhi (Son of Rajiv)

Priyanka Gandhi (Daughter of Rajiv)

Varun Gandhi (Son of Sanjay)

Maneka Gandhi (wife of Sanjay)

NANA SAHEB

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NANA SAHEB

The First War of Independence (1857-58) was the first general widespread uprising against the rule of the British East India Company. The Doctrine of Lapse, issue of cartridges greased with animal fat to Indian soldiers, introduction of British system of education and a number of social reforms had infuriated a very wide section of the Indian people, who rose in revolt at a number of places all over India. The East India Company was brought under the direct rule of the British Crown as a result of this uprising.
Nana Sahib

Of the very large number of freedom fighters, who led the struggle, four are being commemorated through the present series, which is a part of the larger series on India's Struggle for Freedom.

A Maratha, one of the leaders of the First War of Independence, Nana Saheb was born in 1824 to Narayan Bhatt and Ganga Bai. In 1827 his parents went to the court of the last Peshwa Baji Rao, who adopted Nana Saheb, thus making him heir-presumptive to the throne.

Nana Saheb was well educated. He studied Sanskrit and was known for his deep religious nature. On the death of the last Peshwa, Baji Rao-II, in 1851 the Company's Government stopped the annual pension and the title. Nana Saheb's appeal to the Court of Directors was not accepted. This made him hostile towards the British rulers. When the First War of Independence broke out, he assumed leadership of the mutineers in Kanpur. After seizing Kanpur, which had a small British garrison, Nana Saheb proclaimed himself the Peshwa and called for the total extermination of the British power in India.

Kanpur was recaptured by the British under General Havelock and the last serious engagement (16 July, 1857) resulted in a total rout of Nana's forces. Nana rode away to an unknown destination in Nepal in 1859 and probably perished in the jungle.

JHANSI LAKSHMI BAI

2007-12-15T07:47:00.000-08:00

Jhansi ki Rani Lakshmi Bai

Jhansi Rani, Jhansi TourismRani Lakshmi Bai, the fiery Queen of Jhansi, also known as the Rani of Jhansi, one of the great nationalist heroine of the first war of India freedom, a symbol of resistance to the British rule in India was born on 19th November 1835 at Kashi (Presently known as Varanasi). Her father Moropanth was a Brahmin and her mother Bhagirathibai was a cultured, intelligent and God fearing lady. Mannikarnika (Manu) was the name of Rani Lakshmi Bai in her childhood. Manu lost her mother at the age of four. The Complete responsibility of the young girl fell on the father. She completed her education and also learned horse riding, Sword fighting and shooting on a target with a gun.

She was married to Raja Gangadhar Rao, the Maharaja of Jhansi in 1842, and became the Rani of Jhansi. After the marriage She was given the name Lakshmi Bai. The Marriage ceremony was perform in Ganesh Mandir, the temple of Lord Ganesha situated in the city of Jhansi. Rani Lakshmi Bai gave birth to a son in 1851, but unfortunately this child died when he was about four months old. After this tragedy, Damodar Rao was adopted as son. Later on Maharaja Gangadhar Rao also died on 21st November 1853. After the death of Maharaja Gangadhar Rao, Rani Lakshmi Bai was left alone. At this time she was eighteen years old. Rani Lakshmi Bai did not lost her courage, She always remembered her responsibility.
Jhansi Travel Vacations
At that time Lord Dalhousie was the Governor -General of India. Though little Damodar Rao, adopted son of late Maharaja Gangadhar Rao and Rani Lakshmi Bai was Maharaja's heir and successor as per the Hindu tradition, but the British rulers rejected Rani's claim that Damodar Rao was their legal heir. Loard Dalhousie decided to annexe the state of Jhansi as Maharaja Gangadhar Rao had left no legal heir. This misfortune of Jhansi was used by the Britishers to expand there Empire.

In March 1854 the British ruler announced 60,000 ( Sixty Thousand) annual pension for Rani and also ordered to leave the Jhansi fort. Jhansi was in humiliating condition but it was like a silent volcano before eruption.

Rani Jhansi was determined not to give up Jhansi. She was a symbol of patriotism and self respect. Britishers were making every effort to destroy the freedom of country whereas Rani was determined to get rid of Britishers.
Jhansi Travel Guide
Rani Lakshmi Bai strengthened the defense of Jhansi and she assembled a volunteer army of rebellions. Women were also given Military training. Rani was accompanied by her brave warriors, some of them were Gulam Gaus Khan, Dost Khan, Khuda Baksh, Lala Bhau Bakshi, Moti Bai, Sunder-Mundar, Kashi Bai, Deewan Raghunath singh and Deewan Jawahar Singh. Along with all these warriors the local population of Jhansi irrespective of their religion or caste were always determined to fight and give their lives with pleasure for the cause of Independent and their beloved Rani.

The Britishers attacked Jhansi in March 1858. Rani Jhansi with her faithful warriors decided not to surrender. The fighting continued for about two weeks. Shelling on Jhansi was very fierce. In the Jhansi army women were also carrying ammunition and were supplying food to the soldiers. Rani Lakshmi Bai was very active. She herself was inspecting the defense of the city. However, after this great war, Jhansi fell to the British forces.

On that black day, the British army entered the Jhansi City. Rani Lakshmi Bai, still full of courage and deathless patriotism dressed as a man, took up arms, her son Damodar Rao was strapped tightly to her back. She was holding the reins of her horse in her mouth. In the fierce fighting she was using the sword with both her hands. When the situation was not in control, Rani of Jhansi with some of her warriors departed from Jhansi.

Rani Lakshmi Bai reched Kalpi. Many other rebellions force joined her. Tatia Tope from Kalpi was also one of them, from Kalpi Rani departed to the Gwalior. Again a fierce battle took place. Rani Jhansi fought with deathless patriotism and martyrdom. However on the second day of fighting, the great heroine of the first struggle for India freedom, at the age of 22 years, lost her life. That unfortunate day was 18th June of 1858.

VASUDEV BALWANT PHADKE

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Vasudeo Balwant Phadke (1845-11-04–1883-02-17) was an Indian revolutionary and is widely regarded as the "father of the armed struggle" of India's independence. Moved by the plight of the farmer community in Maharastra, Vasudev formed a revolutionary group, known as Ramoshi, which waged a struggle to overthrow the British Raj. Vasudev came into the limelight when he got complete control over the city of Pune for a few days by catching the British soldiers off guard during one of his surprise attacks.

Early years

Vasudev was born on 1845-11-04 in Shirdhon village in Raigad district, Maharashtra. He dropped out of high school and took up several different jobs. Eventually he worked as a clerk with military accounts department in Pune for 15 years. During this period he began attending lectures by Govind Ranade which mainly focused on how the British Raj policies hurt the Indian economy. Vasudev was deeply hurt by how this was leading to widespread suffering in the society. In 1870, he joined a public agitation in Pune that was aimed at addressing people's grievances. Vasudev then founded an institution, the Aikya Vardhini Sabha, to educate the youth.

In 1875, after the then Gaikwad ruler of Baroda was deposed by the British, Phadke launched protest speeches against the government. Severe famine coupled with the evident apathy of the British administration propelled him to tour the Deccan region, urging people to strive for a free republic. Unable to get support from the educated classes, he gathered a band of people from the Ramoshi caste. People from the Kolis, Bhils and Dhangars were also included later. He taught himself to shoot, ride and fence. He organised around 300 men into an insurgent group that aimed at liberating India from British rule. Vasudev intended to build an army of own but lacking funds they decided to break into government treasuries. The first raid was done in a village called Dhamari in Shirur taluka in Pune district. The income tax which was collected for British Raj was kept in the house of local business man Mr. Balchand Fojmal Sankla. They attacked the house and took the money for the benefit of famine stricken villagers. There they collected about four hundred rupees but this led to his being branded as a dacoit. To save himself Vasudev had to flee from village to village, sheltered by his sympathisers and well-wishers, mostly the lower class of the society. Impressed by his zeal and determination, the villagers of Nanagaum offered him protection and cover in the local forest. The general plot would be to cut off all the communications of British forces and then raid the treasury. The main purpose of these raids was to feed famine-affected farmer communities. Vasudev performed many such raids in areas near Shirur and Khed talukas in Pune.

Meanwhile, Vasudev continued his raids and increased his follower-base. The monetary situation of the movement improved. But then Vasudev had a realization the people around him were more interested in his loot, or wealth, than in the ideals that he wanted to fight for. Vasudev decided it was time for him to find a new place. He decided to move to south, and headed for Shri Shaila Mallikarjun shrine. After overcoming the moral defeat, Vasudev again recruited about 500 Rohilas to form strong army to start a fresh fight against the British Raj.

Capture and death

Vasudev's plans to organize several simultaneously attacks against the British Raj nation wide were met with very limited success. He once had a direct engagement with the British army in the village of Ghanur, whereafter the government offered a bounty for his capture. Not to be outdone, Phadke in turned offered a bounty for the capture of the Governor of Bombay, announced a reward for the killing of each European, and issued other threats to the government. He then fled to Hyderabad State to recruit Rohilla and Arabs into his organisation. A British Major, Henry William Daniell and Abdul Haque, Police Commissioner to the Nizam of Hyderabad, pursued the fleeing Vasudev day and night. The British move to offer a bounty for his capture met with success: someone betrayed Phadke, and he was captured after a fierce fight at Devar, Navadgi near Hyderabad on 20 July, 1879. From here he was taken to Pune for trial. His own diary provided evidence to have him sentenced for life. Vasudev was transported to jail at Aden, but escaped from the prison by taking the door off from its hinges on 13 February, 1883. But his escape was too short lived: he was recaptured and put back in prison. Vasudev then went on a hunger strike to death. On 17 February, 1883 Vasudev breathed his last breath as a result of his protest hunger strike.

Phadke's exploits are sometimes held to have inspired Bankim Chandra Chatterjee to write the patriotic novel Anand Math. In 1984, the Indian Postal Service issued a 50 paise stamp in honour of the revolutionary. A chowk in South Mumbai near Metro Cinema is named in his honour.Saga of Indian Revolutionaries

PANDIT SHYAMJI KRISHNA VARMA

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Great revolutions begin in the best heads and run steadily down to the populace. A fierce and fearless revolutionary cast in this grand mould was Pandit Shyamaji Krishna Verma (1857-1930) who served the cause of India's freedom from outside the country. Like Mahatma Gandhi, he also hailed from Gujarat. Like Gandhi fighting for the cause of rights of Indians in South Africa from 1893 to 1914, Shyamaji Krishna Verma too played an important role during the most crucial period of India's struggle for freedom mainly operating from Europe from 1899 to 1930. It was he who founded the famous INDIA HOUSE in London in 1904 which became the nerve centre and nucleus for India's revolutionaries like Veer Savarkar, Madame Cama, Sardar Singh Rana, V V S Iyer, Lala Hardayal and Virendranath Chattopadhaya and Madhanlal Dhingra. Madhanlal Dhingra became the first Indian martyr on the British soil. He murdered Sir Curzon Vyllie on 1 July 1909 and was hanged in the Pentoville jail on 17 May 1909. Shyamji Krishna Verma was the political guru of Veer Savarkar, V V S Iyer and many other freedom fighters in this period.

Shyamji Krishna Verma was born on 4 October, 1857 at Mandvi village of Kutch district in Gujarat. He lost his mother during his early childhood. He had his primary education in the village school at Mandvi and high School education at Bhuj. He was an extraordinarily brilliant student. He acquired a deep knowledge of Sanskrit for which he was awarded the title of 'Pandit'. He was married to Bhanumati, the daughter of a rich merchant, Seth Chhabildas Lalubhai of Bombay in 1875.

Pandit Shyamaji Krishna Verma
(1857-1930)
Shyamji Krishna Varma was greatly influenced by Swami Dayanand Saraswati (1824-1883) and became the first President of Bombay Arya Samaj. He later joined the Oxford University and was appointed assistant professor of Sanskrit at Balliol College in Oxford. Subsequently, he entered Temple's Inn and was the first Indian Bar-at law. He returned to India in January, 1888 and served for a short time as Diwan of Ratlam. He started practice at Ajmer and made his name as an advocate. He became a member of the Municipality of Ajmer city, served as Diwan of Ajmer and later as Diwan of Junagarh.

In 1899, he returned to England and became the unquestioned leader of all the young men and revolutionaries who were then fighting for our national freedom in England. He started the publication of a monthly journal called 'INDIAN SOCIOLOGIST' which became a vehicle of revolutionary ideas. In February 1905, he established the Indian Home Rule Society to raise his voice against British domination in India. He established 'India House' in London to help Indians visiting England. Freedom fighters like Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and his brother Ganesh, Lala Hardayal, Biren Chattopadhyaya and V V S Iyer were some of the direct beneficiaries who lived in 'India House' at that time. Shyamji Krishna Verma raised strong protests against the British rule in India by publishing pamphlets, writing books and delivering speeches.

What inspired Shyamaji Krishna Verma to establish India House in London is by itself an inspiring story. He was already an admirer of Herbert Spencer and came under the spell of his inspiring words: 'Resistance to aggression is not only justifiable but also imperative.' This became Krishna Verma's Jap-Mantra (Motto). In September 1904, standing before the grave of Herbert Spencer at his first death anniversary, he announced a few scholarships to outstanding students but on one condition that they would not accept any service under the government, which was exploiting and suppressing Indians. To facilitate his activities, the India House was formally founded on a freehold land at High Gate in February 1905. A galaxy of luminaries was present on the occasion Dadabhai Naoroji, Lala Lajpat Rai, and Madame Cama.

Shyamaji Krishna Verma instituted several scholarships and fellowships to attract Indian students to study in England staying in India House. Many of them did not take long to join the institution and work wholeheartedly for the coming revolution. The most outstanding amongst them was Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, who arrived in the middle of 1906. Weekly meetings of Abhinav Bharat Mandal were held on Sundays. The tone of Shyamaji Krishna Verma's speeches became more and more inspiring, even inciting. Those less interested in revolution slowly dropped out.

Though an ardent patriot, Shyamaji Krishna Verma was not happy with the Congress right from 1899. Even while in England, he did not join the British Committee of the Indian National Congress. When the Boers launched their struggle for freedom from British rule in 1899, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (not yet a Mahatma), practising as a barrister in Natal in South Africa, came forward to organise a pro-British Volunteer Corps. The Boers were pained by this gesture. Shyamaji Krishna Verma publicly declared: 'I am ashamed as an Indian and as a Gujarati that Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi should have chosen to support the British imperialists against the Boers fighting for their liberty and freedom.'

It is amazing to note a revolutionary like Shyamji Krishna Verma should have given the name of Indian Sociologist to his nationalistic journal a one-penny pamphlet he started to expound and propagate his political ideals. The cover page of this Avant Garde journal carried the banner words: 'An Organ of Freedom and of Political Social and Religious Reform.' In addition it also contained the slogan: 'Resistance to Aggression is not simply justifiable but imperative.' Long before the UNESCO Preamble wrote the immortal words that 'War starts in the minds of men', Shyamji Krishna Verma proved through his journal that 'revolutions also start in the minds of men', and came out with his one-penny pamphlet.

In the July 1907 issue of Indian Sociologist, Shyamaji Krishna Verma wrote: 'Our advocacy of the rights of the Indian people has created for us a large number of enemies among Englishmen in general and Anglo-Indians in particular. Lately, there have appeared numerous articles in the leading English Journals and Magazines adversely criticising our propaganda and showering choice epithets on us for no other reason than that we hold strong views on the hypocritical and bloodthirsty rule of England in India.'

The pamphlet continued its publication, with many obstacles on its way in its way till the middle of 1914. The paper, in English and French, continued till it stopped regular publication due mostly to the First Great war. But some occasional publication had been there even when he shifted to Geneva. But due mainly to the infirmity of age, the publication was finally stopped in 1923.

On account of his political activities, he was forced to leave England in 1910. He went to Paris, where he continued his activities supporting India's liberation. Due to the outbreak of the first World War, he could not stay in Paris and had to go to Geneva in Switzerland, where he spent the rest of his life. He died in Geneva on 31 March, 1930.

The Government of India issued a postage stamp on Shyamaji Krishna Verma in 1998 - fifty-one years after independence!! His only fault was that he did not belong, like Sanjay Gandhi, to the Nehru family! In 2003, seventy-three years after Shayamaji Krishna Verma's death in Geneva in 1930, Chief Minister Narendra Modi covered himself with glory by bringing back to Gujarat the urns containing the ashes of Shyamaji Krishna Verma and his wife Bhanumati. The sacred ashes were taken in a 'VeeranjalYatra' and the State government directed the administration of 17 districts through which the Yatra was to pass to render all assistance to the public participating in the yatra. The procession ended in the coastal town of Mandvi in Kutch District where Shyamaji Krishna Verma was born in 1857.

Narendra Modi's efforts to honour a freedom fighter like Shyamji Krishna Verma was decried in a section of the press citing Shyamji Krishna Verma's opposition to Gandhiji during the days of the Boer War. All the pseudo-secular mercenaries in the Congress Party and other parties would like to disown our pre-Gandhian Congress leaders like Bipin Chandra Pal, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, Aurobindo Ghosh and Madan Mohan Malviya because they were unapologetically Hindu. Shyamaji Krishna Verma had raised the voice of India for Independence in the last decade of the 19th century, more than 25 years before the arrival of Gandhiji on the Indian scene.

In fact, even the idea of Satyagraha came from him much before Gandhiji developed it into political action. He wrote in 1905: 'It is not necessary for Indians to resort to arms for compelling England to relinquish its hold on India... If the brown man struck work for a week, the Empire would collapse like a house of cards... If anyone refused to buy or sell any commodity, or to have any transaction with any class of people, he commits no crime known to the law. It is, therefore, plain that Indians can obtain emancipation by simply refusing to help their foreign master without incurring the evils of a violent revolution.'

Thus there is no doubt that it was Shyamji who first advocated non-violent means of getting rid of the British and using withdrawal of cooperation with the colonial administration as the most effective weapon for this purpose. Gandhiji built on this and evolved Satyagraha as a tool to oust the British much later.

LALA HARI DAYAL

2007-12-15T07:30:00.000-08:00

Lala Har Dyal (1884-1939)

L. Har Dayal was born in a Mathur family on October 14, 1884 in Delhi. His mother was a pious lady. His father Shri Gauri Dayal Mathur was a scholar of Persian and Urdu.

L. Har Dayal was actuated by zeal for public welfare from his very boyhood. As a student he led a band of workers from Lahore to help the earthquake victims of Kangra in the beginning of the century.

L. Har Dayal was blessed with a photographic memory.

He was always first in his class. In one year he did M.A. in English and broke past records. He passed M.A. in History next year. He was awarded State Scholarship in 1905 besides two other scholarships for higher studies in England.

In England Shyamji Krishna Verma, a great Indian sociologist and revolutionary, influenced L. Har Dayal, Vir Savarkar and Bhai Parmanand, brave sons of India. The arrests of S. Ajit Singh and L. Lajpat Rai moved him so much that he returned his scholarship money and discontinued his studies.
He was known for his high character, simplicity, nobility and intellectuality. Due to the high spirit of renunciation, self denial and altruism L. Har Dayal was held in high esteem by all. He was a sincere man who had the courage to live according to his convictions.

He kept two objects before him - knowledge and service. Being a polyglot he knew so many languages that one can't even imagine. He intended to devote himseld for the uplift of morals and civic education of his people. He established "World Fellowship of Faiths" in London.
L. Har Dayal, Bhai Jwala Singh and others instituted six Guru Gobind Singh Scholarships for higher education at Berkeley in U.S.A.

In 1911, he joined Stanford University (U.S.A.) as a lecturer in Indian Philosophy. He was awarded Doctorate for his thesis "Bodhisatva Doctrine" in 1932.

Bhai Parmanand who was then in U.S.A., introduced L. Har Dayal to the Panjabee immigrants in America, who had an urge to free their country from the British domination. The leadership of L. Har Dayal gave strength to the movement. Consequently the Hindustan Ghadar Party was founded in Yugantar Ashram at San Francisco in Nov., 1913 with Baba Sohan Singh Bhakna as president, L. Har Dayal as secretary and Pt Kanshi Ram as treasurer. It was secularism married to revolutionary movement based on the principles of Liberty-Equality, Fraternity and Justice. It had its Punjab base mainly. The tremendous energies of L. Har Dayal found an appropriate outlet in the activities of the Ghadar Party. He had the marvellous spiritual power to turn ordinary men into heroes and martyrs by the thousand. Whoever came in his contact was bewitched and magnetised by his wonderful ability and erudition.

Sir Michael O' Dwyer admits, "The Gadar movement was by far the most serious attempt to subvert British rule in India". The Rowlatt Report confirms the above view.

The British Government considered L. Har Dayal as the fountain-head of revolutionary movement and pressed the United States Government to deport him. L. Har Dayal was arrested on March 23, 1914 but he reached Switzerland Via Turkey. Before leaving America he issued a strongly worded statement to the press to bring out the subservience of the United States administration to the British Government.

At the outbreak of First World War, Indian Independence Committee was founded in Berlin in the middle of 1915 with L. Har Dayal and Sh. B.N. Chattopadhayay as its leading figures..

He died in Philadelphia on March 4, 1939 while on a Lecture tour of America.