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Rare photo of Ram Prasad Bismil |
Ram Prasad Bismil (11 June 1897 - 19 December 1927)
[1] was an
Indian revolutionary who participated in
Mainpuri Conspiracy of 1918, and the
Kakori conspiracy of 1925, both against
British Empire. As well as being a freedom fighter, he was also a patriotic poet.
Ram,
Agyat and
Bismil were known as his
pen names which he used in
Urdu and
Hindi poetry.
[2] But, he became popular with the last name "Bismil" only. He was associated with
Arya Samaj where he got inspiration from
Satyarth Prakash, a book written by
Swami Dayanand Saraswati.
[3] He also had a confidential connection with
Lala Har Dayal through his guru Swami Somdev, who was a renowned preacher of Arya Samaj.
Bismil was one of the founder members of the revolutionary organisation
Hindustan Republican Association.
Bhagat Singh praised him as a great poet-writer of Urdu and Hindi,
[4] who had also translated the books
Catherine from
English and
Bolshevikon Ki Kartoot from
Bengali. Several inspiring patriotic verses are attributed to him. The famous poem "
Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna" is also popularly attributed to him, although some progressive writers have remarked that 'Bismil' Azimabadi actually wrote the poem and Ram Prasad Bismil immortalized it.
[5]
Early life
Ram Prasad Bismil was born to Murlidhar and Moolmati at Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh on 11 June 1897. His grand father Narayan Lal belonged to Tomardhar area of earstwhile Gwalior estate and lived in Barbai village of Morena District in Madhya Pradesh. This rural area was adjacent to the British administered Central Province called Chambal valley. Its residents were so fearless, sturdy and brave that they never paid any land revenue to the collecter. The British government tried so many times but failed. Lastly they were exempted to pay any land revenue by the administration.
His father Murlidhar was an employee in the Municipal Board of Shahjahanpur. Having been tired of service for a long time he left the job and started lending money on interest to the needy persons. He had also hired out some own bulluck carts for the family's livelyhood. His first issue was a son who expired after a few days. Next issue being a son was very dear to everyone in the family. The mother and others called the child as Ram with love.
When the boy entered seventh year of age, his father started teaching him Hindi. But he did not learn Hindi for writing the alphabet "U" since it was taught as "U" for "Ulloo" (en: "Owl"). He always opposed and was beaten badly by his father. Later he was sent to a Moulvi to learn Urdu. When he picked up the basic knowledge of Urdu language, he was admitted to a school. He cleared the fourth standard in Urdu by reaching a teenager. Till then the habit of reading Urdu novels had taken hold of him. He needed money to buy the novels, but not given by parents so he started stealing money from his father’s safe. When Murlidhar knew about the stealing habits of his son he immediately changed the lock of the safe. The child had also become a chain smoker and started using bhang. As a result he failed in the examinations.
When he failed twice in 7th standard of Urdu Murlidhar decided not to send him to any school. Ram Prasad expressed his desire to join an English school but his father was not agree at all. Then he saught the help of his mother, who but supported to make him enable to join an English school.
Thus, he was admitted to the Mission School of the city where he found a good friend Chandra Sen. Under the company of Sushil Ram Prasad gave up smoking and became a studious boy. After passing 8th standard from this school in First Division, he was sent to the Government School of Shahjahanpur for further studies.
Contact with Swami Somdev
Munshi Indrajeet, the secretary of Arya Samaj Shahjahanpur once saw young Ram Prasad performing worship at a temple. He took Ram Prasad to Arya Samaj, taught him the Sandhya and Hawan (the traditional vedic system of prayer). He also described him the principles of Arya Sarmaj and gave him Sathyarth Prakash a wook written by Swami Dayanand Saraswati. This book influenced him deeply. Realizing the importance of Brahmchary, Ram Prasad practiced it in word and spirit. He gave up the evening meal. He also gave up savory and sour dishes and even the use of salt. The practice of Brahmchary and regular exercises made his face radiant and the body strong as steel.
At that time, Swami Somdev, a preacher of Arya Samaj, came to Shahjahanpur and stayed there to improve his health. He had become very weak due to loss of blood. Young Ram Prasad devoted himself to the service of Swami Somdev. Swami was proficient in Yoga too. He gave some good books to Ram Prasad for reading. Under the guidance of Swami Somdev, the views of Ram Prasad became more clear on religious and political issues. In the mean time, Bhai Parmanand was sentenced to death in - the Lahore Conspiracy case. Bhai Parmanand had written a book "Tavarikh - e -Hind" (en: History of Hindustan). Ram Prasad read the book and appreciated it immensely. He came to admire Parmanand. When he heard about the death sentence of Bhai Parmanand through Swami Somdev, his blood boiled and he took a vow that he would settle scores with the British Government for this grave injustice and told Swamiji about his vow. He remarked: " Ram Prasad! It is easy to take a vow but hard to keep it." Hearing these comments from Swamiji, Ram Prasad touched the feet of Somdev and declared: "If I have the grace of these sacred feet, my vow will surely be fulfilled; nothing can come in the way." This was the first step in the revolutionary life of Ram Prasad
[6].
Lucknow Congress
While studying in the ninth standard Ram Prasad was very active as an enthusiastic volunteer in the Shahjahanpur Seva Samiti. The annual session of Indian National Congress was to be held at Lucknow. There were two groups in the Congress at that time. One group consisted of liberals, who were opposed to any direct action against the British Government and the other group was that of extremists who believed in fighting the British Government and attaining full independence. Lokmany Bal Gangadhar Tilak was their leader. Tilak was expected to participate in the session and so the extremists had gathered there in large numbers. Ram Prasad also went to Lucknow along with his friends where he saw a majority of the liberal group was in the Reception Committee.
They had not made any elaborate arrangements to welcome Tilak. He was just to be received at the railway station. But the young men desired that Tilak should be taken in a procession through the city. With a student of the M. A. class as their leader they gathered at the rai1way station. As soon as Tilak got off the railway carriage, the volunteers of the Reception Committee surrounded him and took him to the waiting car. The M.A. student and Ram Prasad leaped forward and laid in front of the car and shouted: "If the car is to move, let it move over our bodies." The members of the Reception Committee and Tilak himself tried to dissuade them but they didn’t budge. Their friends hired a coach, set free the horses and then drew the coach by hands. Tilak was made to sit in the coach and taken in a procession. All along the way flowers were showered on Lokamanya Tilak.
After the Lucknow session Ram Prasad organised a group of youths and decided to publish a book in Hindi under the title
America Ki Swatantrata Ka Itihas (en: History of American independence), with the consent of Somdev. This book was published under the authorship of the fictitious Babu Harivans Sahai. and its publisher's name was given as Somdev Siddhgopal Shukla. As soon as the book was published, the government of Uttar Pradesh proscribed its circulation within the state
[7].
Revolutionary actions in Mainpuri
Bismil formed a revolutionary organization in the name of Matrivedi (en: altar of motherland) and contacted Genda Lal Dixit who was previously a school teacher at Auraiya. Reference of Dixit was given to Bismil by his mentor Som Dev
[8]. Till then, Bismil had collected some weapons also. Som Dev knew that Bismil could be more offensive in his mission if a matured and experienced person supported him. Genda Lal had contacts with some powerful revolutionaries of the state and he wanted to utilize their power in the armed struggle against the British rulers.
Like Bismil, Dixit too had formed an armed organisation of youths called Shivaji Samiti
[9]. When Bismil told Dixit that his ancestors belonged to the notorious area of Central Province known for bravery, Dixit was happy and he accepted the offer. After that they organised youths of Etawah, Mainpuri, Agra and Shahjahanpur districts of United Province (now Uttar Pradesh) to strengthen the organisation.
Absconded from Delhi Congress
On 28 January 1918, Bismil published a pamphlet titled
Deshvasiyon Ke Nam Sandesh (en: a message to countrymen), which he distributed along with his poem
Mainpuri Ki Pratigya (
Vow of Mainpuri).
[10] In order to collect funds for the party looting was undertaken on three occasions in 1918. Police searched for them in and around Mainpuri while they were selling the books proscribed by the U.P. Government in the Delhi Congress of 1918. When police found them, Bismil absconded with the books unsold. When he was planning another looting between Delhi and Agra, a police team arrived and firing started from both the sides. Bismil was very cautious: he jumped into the river
Yamuna and swam underwater. The police and his companions thought that he had died in the encounter. Dixit was arrested along with his other companions and he was kept in
Agra fort from which Dixit fled and lived underground in Delhi. A criminal case was filed against them. It is known as the "Mainpuri Conspiracy" against the British King Emperor. On 1 November 1919 the Judiciary Magistrate of Mainpuri B.S. Chris announced the judgement against all accused and declared Dixit and Bismil as absconders, because they could not be arrested by the police in spite of all efforts
[11].
Underground activities
From 1919 to 1920 Bismil remained inconspicuous, moving around various villages in Uttar Pradesh and producing several books. During this period he made many Hindi translations of Bengali writings olso. Some of his works include
[12]:
- Man Ki Lahar (en: A Sally of the Mind) - a collection of poems written by him and others,
- Yogic Sadhan - Hindi translation of Arbind Ghosh's book by Ram Prasad Bismil
- Bolshevikon Ki Kartoot (en: The Bolshevik Programme) - translated from Bengala book Nihilisto Rahasya.
- Catherine or Swadhinta Ki Devi - fabricated from an English text.
All of his works were published through his own resources under
Sushilmala - a series of publications except one
Yogik Sadhan which was given to a publisher of Benaras who absconded and could not be traced out.
Formation of Hindustan Republican Association
In February 1920, when all the prisoners in the Mainpuri conspiracy case were freed, Bismil returned to his native place Shahjahanpur. The District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police called him and asked to give an undertaking. Ram Prasad Bismil filed a written affidevit before the district authorities declaring therein not to participate in revolutionary activities. He got the job of a manager in the Bharat Silk Manufacturing Co of Shahjahanpur. Later he left the job and opened a shop of silk sarees in partnership with Banarsi Lal. Bismil and Banarsi became close friends and both of them got associated with the District Congress Committee of Shahjahanpur
[13]. Despite making a good living from the business, Bismil remained discontented with the existence of British rule in India according to his autobiography.
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Ahmedabad Congress 1921 |
In 1921, Bismil was among the many people from Shahjahanpur who attended the
Ahmedabad Congress. He had a seat on the dias, along with the senior congressman,
Prem Krishna Khanna, and the revolutionary,
Ashfaqulla Khan. Bismil played an active role in the Congress with
Maulana Hasrat Mohani and got the most debated proposal of
Poorn Swaraj passed in the General Body meeting of Congress.
Mohandas K. Gandhi, who was not in the favour of this proposal became quite helpless before the overwhelming demand of youths. It was another victory of Bismil against the Liberal Group of Congress.
[14] He returned to Shahjahanpur and mobilised the youths of United Province for non-cooperation with the Government. The people of U.P. were influenced by the furious speeches and verses of Bismil and becoming hostile against British Raj.
In February 1922 some agitating farmers were killed in
Chauri Chaura by the police. The police station of Chauri Chaura was attacked by the people and 22 policemen were burnt alive. Gandhi, without ascertaining the facts behind this incident,
[15] declared an immediate stop the non-cooperation movement without consulting any executive committee member of the Congress. Bismil and his group of youths strongly opposed Gandhi in the
Gaya session of Indian National Congress (1922). When Gandhi refused to rescind his decision, its existing president
Chittranjan Das resigned and the
Indian National Congress was divided into two groups - one
liberal and the other for rebellion. In January 1923, the rich
[16] group of party formed a new
Swaraj Party under the joint leadership of Pt.
Moti Lal Nehru and Chittranjan Das, and the youth group formed a revolutionary party under the leadership of Ram Prasad Bismil
[17].
Yellow Paper constitution
With the consent of
Lala Har Dayal, Bismil went to Allahabad where he drafted the constitution of the party in 1923 with the help of
Sachindra Nath Sanyal and another revolutionary of
Bengal, Dr.
Jadugopal Mukherjee.
[18] The basic name and aims of the organisation were typed on a
Yellow Paper and later on a subsequent Constitutional Committee Meeting was conducted on 3 October 1924 at
Kanpur in U.P. under the Chairmanship of Sachindra Nath Sanyal.
This meeting decided the name of the party would be the
Hindustan Republican Association (HRA). After a long discussion from others Bismil was declared there the District Organiser of Shahjahanpur and Chief of Arms Division. An additional responsibility of Provincial Organiser of United Province (Agra and Oudh) was also entrusted to him. Sachindra Nath Sanyal, was anonymously nominated as National Organiser and another senior member
Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee, was given the responsibility of Coordinator,
Anushilan Samiti. After attending the meeting in Kanpur, both Sanyal and Chatterjee left the U.P. and proceeded to Bengal.
[19] for further extension of the organisation.
Publication of The Revolutionary
A four-page manifesto entitled
The Revolutionary was published in January 1925, using the fictitious name of Vijay Kumar
[20] Circulated all over India, it promised
equal opportunity to every man irrespective of social status
high or low, rich or poor. The policies of Mohandas Gandhi were criticised and youths were called to join the organisation. The police reacted by arresting
Sachindra Nath Sanyal and
Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee, who had been involved in its productions and distribution.
Objectives and ideology of HRA
The immediate objective of the HRA was to establish a "Federal Republic of the United States of India by an organised and armed revolution".
[21] Armed struggle, terrorism and retaliatory strikes were the favoured tactics in the attempt to defeat the
British Empire. Its manifesto declared:
"The Official terrorism is surely to be met with counter terrorism. A spirit of utter helplessness pervades every strata of our society and terrorism is an effective means of restoring the proper spirits in the society without which progress will be difficult.... This revolutionary party has deliberatly abstained itself from entering into this terrorist campaign at the present moment even at the greatest of the provocations in the form of outrages committed on their sisters and mothers by the agent of a foreign government simply because the party is waiting to deliver the final blow. But when expediency will demand it the party will unhesitatingly enter into a desperate campaign of terrorism, when the life of every officer and individual helping the foreign government will be made intolerable...."
[22]
—"The Revolutionary" India 1 January 1925
Nationalisation of big sectors
In the manifesto their methodology and ideology was also clarified by saying that the final constitution shall be framed only when their representatives elected by the public will have the power to do so. In order to avoid the exploitation of a man by a man the party had proposed the nationalisation of big sectors, such as the railways, communication, mining, steel manufacture and shipbuilding.
Other aims
The HRA was socialist on the footprints of Indian sages in its attitude as its manifesto stated. Amongst other goals stated in the manifesto were
Universal Suffrage, supremacy of the legislature and religious freedom.
Kakori conspiracy
After arrest of both the senior organiser of HRA total responsibility to run the party had come on the shoulders of Bismil. The District Organisers were demanding money. They were writing very sensitive letters to him: "Pandit Ji! we are dying with hunger, please do something." As a result he was feeling himself guilty for their pitiable condition.
He decided to collect money like Irish revolutionaries by stealing from the rich people of society. So he looted the money at Bichpuri in
Pilibhit Distt. and at Dwarkapur in
Pratapgarh district of U.P., but not enough money was received in either of these actions.
Bismil executed a meticulous plan for looting the government treasury carried in a train at
Kakori, near Lucknow in U.P. This historical event happened on August 9, 1925 and is known as the Kakori conspiracy. Only ten revolutionaries stopped the 8 Down Saharanpur-Lucknow passenger train at Kakori - a station just before the Lucknow Railway Junction. German-made
Mauser C96 semi-automatic pistols
[23] were used in this action. Ashfaqulla Khan, the lieutenant of the HRA Chief Ram Prasad Bismil gave away his Mauser to
Manmath Nath Gupta and engaged himself to break open the cash chest. Eagerly watching a new weapon in his hand, Manmath Nath Gupta fired the pistol and incidentally a passenger Ahmed Ali, who got down the train to see his wife in ladies compartment, was killed in this rapid action.
[24]
The incident created a great upheaval in British India. The retribution was severe when more than 40 revolutionaries were arrested from all over India. As per official record of the British Government, a criminal conspiracy case was filed against 28 active members of HRA by the Special Magistrate Ainuddin after a long time. 21 persons were presented before Session Court of Special Judge A. Hamilton on 21 May 1926. Abbas Salim Khan, Banvari Lal Bhargava, Gyan Chattarji and Mohd. Ayuf were the assessors (legal advisers) of the Judge.
[25]
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Bismil, Ashfaq & Group Photo of all accused |
On April 6, 1927 the verdict of court came out of the special court of Lucknow. This special court was established by the then British Government in the
Ring Theatre. During the British rule, this Ring Theater was situated in between two important monuments - Kothi Hayat Baksh and Mallika Ahad's palace. This building was used by the Britishers for their entertainment. The English dramas were played and movies were screened. A board was put at the entrance which read "Dogs and Indians not allowed". The Kakori trial happened at this Theater.
Govind Vallabh Pant,
Chandra Bhanu Gupta, Mohan Lal Saxena and Kripa Shankar Hajela fought for the accused viz. Ram Prasad Bismil, Roshan Singh & Ashfaquallah Khan, etc. During the years 1929-1932 this Theater was transformed into the present General Post Office. It is situated on the main Vidhan Sabha Road, opposite to Capital Picture Hall and Christ Church of the main Hazratganj crossing. A stone embedded on the main gate of the GPO dates the buildings as 1929-1932
[26]. Court's verdict in 115 pages was published by Nawal Kishore Press Lucknow wherein charges were proved with legal witness.
Another supplementary case was filed against Ashfaqulla Khan and Shachindra Nath Bakshi in the court of Special Sessions Judge J.R.W. Bennett. An appeal was filed in the then Chief Court of Oudh (now in U.P.) on 18 July 1927. A very senior advocate Pt. Jagat Narayan Mulla pleaded the case as public prosecutor on behalf of the Government whereas Ram Prasad Bismil defended his case himself. He did not take any help from the Government.
On 22 August 1927 the Chief Court endorsed the original judgement with an exception of one or two punishments. A mercy appeal was filed in due course before the Provincial Governor of U.P. by the members of legislative council which was dismissed. Bismil wrote a letter to Pt.
Madan Mohan Malviya on 9 September 1927 from the Gorakhpur Jail.
Malviya sent a memorandum to the then Viceroy and Governor General of India
Edward Fredrick Lindley Wood with the signatures of 78 Members of Central Legislature, which was also turned down. On 16 September 1927 the final mercy appeal was forwarded to Privy Council at London and to the King Emperor through a famous lawyer of England S.L. Polak
[27] but the British Government, who had already decided to hang them, sent their final decision to the India office of Viceroy that all the four condemned prisoners are now to be hanged till death by 19 December 1927 positively.
Execution
In an 18-month long drawn case, Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Thakur
Roshan Singh and
Rajendra Nath Lahiri were sentenced to death under section 121(A), 120(B), 302 and 396 of Indian Penal Code. Bismil was hanged by the British authorities on 19 December 1927 in the morning at
Gorakhpur Jail, Ashfaqulla Khan at the
Faizabad Jail and Thakur Roshan Singh at Naini Allahabad Jail whereas fourth Rajendra Nath Lahiri was hanged on 17 December 1927 (two days before the scheduled date) at
Gonda Jail; all located in the present Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
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Dead body of Bismil in father's lap |
Last rites at Rajghat Gorakhpur
The dead body of Bismil was kept at Ghantaghar of Gorakhpur for the last view of the public in the City. From there it was taken to the
Rapti river where the last funeral of this
great martyr was performed under the proper Vedic Cremation System on the bank of the river. The place, where the ritual obligations of Bismil were done, was named by public as
Rajghat.[28] A new Transport Nagar has been developed in the side bye area of this place. A Rajghat police station has also been established there to commemorate the historical place.
Statue of Bismil
Shaheed Smarak Samiti of
Shahjahanpur established a memorial at Khirni Bagh mohalla of Shahjahanpur city where Bismil was born in 1897 and named it "Amar Shaheed Ram Prasad Bismil Smarak". A statue made of white marble was inaugurated by the then
Governor of Uttar Pradesh Motilal Vora on 19 December 1994 on the 68th martyr's day of Bismil.
Literary works
Bismil was known for his poems that acted as motivation for his fellow revolutionaries.
Among them,
Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna is the most well-known, though some
have claimed it was written by
Bismil Azimabadi.
Translated into English by CID
The autobiography of Ram Prasad Bismil was also published by
Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi in 1928 which was proscribed by the then government of
United Province. It was translated in English by the
Criminal Investigation Department, United Province
[29]
Kakori Memorial at Kakori
The
Kakori is the place where 10 revolutionaries stopped a train and looted the
British government's treasury which was being taken in the guard's cabin. A memorial of these revolutionaries has been established in this town.
Film adaptations/depictions
A lyric written by Ram Prasad Bismil was sung by
Bhupinder Singh (musician) in a Bollywood film
Aandolan which was released in
1977. Its music was given bu
Jaidev. (please see it in the external links given below)
In the
Bollywood movie
The Legend of Bhagat Singh, Bismil is depicted as a visionary who ignites in
Bhagat Singh the fire of freedom. The character was played by
Ganesh Yadav.
In another film
Rang De Basanti, Bismil was a more significant character played by
Atul Kulkarni.
Some of the famous songs written by Bismil were also featured in
Shaheed, a film by veteran film actor-director
Manoj Kumar released in 1965. The chorus song
Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna was sung by
Mohd. Rafi and others.
See also
Notes
References
- Mehrotra, Dr. N. C.; Tandon, Dr. Manisha (1993) (in Hindi) Swatantrata Andolan Mein Shahjahanpur Ka Yogdan (1 ed.) Shahjahanpur India: Shaheed-E-Azam Pt.Ram Prasad Bismil Trust.
- Upadhyaya, Dr. Vishvamitra (1994) (in Hindi) Ram Prasad Bismil Ki Aatmkatha New Delhi: N.C.E.R.T. Publication.
- Sharma, Dinesh; Joshi (1991) (in Hindi) RAM PRASAD BISMIL RACHANAVALI (1 ed.) New Delhi: Sandarbh Prakashan
- Gupta, Manmathnath (1993) (in Hindi) Bhartiya Krantikari Andolan Ka Itihas (7 ed.) Delhi: Atmaram and Sons ISBN 81-7043-054-2
- Jagesh, Jagdish (1989) (in Hindi) Kalam Aaaj Unkee Jay Bol (1 ed.) Varanasi: Hindi Pracharak Sansthan
- Verma, 'Krant' Madan Lal (1998) (in Hindi) Krantikari Bismil Aur Unki Shayri (1 ed.) Delhi: Prakhar Prakashan pp. 87 OCLC 466558602