(1897-1927)
With a view to
acquainting the younger generation of today with the sacrifices made by freedom
fighters.Let us also
remember Ram Prasad Bismil, the great martyr, on his 80th death anniversary, by
going through his autobiography which also provides some glimpse of the history
of freedom movement.
Ram Prasad Bismil was one
of the great revolutionary heroes of India who sacrificed his life for the
sake of freedom of Mother India. He was born in 1897 at Shahjahanpur, Uttar
Pradesh. His father, Muralidhar, was an employee of Shahjahanpur Municipality. Ram Prasad learnt Hindi from
his father and was sent to learn Urdu from a Moulvi. He also joined an English
medium school despite his father's disapproval. Bismil knew several languages
including Hindi, English, Urdu, Sanskrit and Bengali.
During his school days, Ram
Prasad came into the influence of Arya Samaj which, in those days, used to be an
inspirational force for thousands of patriots like Bhagat Singh, Lajpat Rai, and
Chandrasekhar Azad etc. Ram Prasad was also very talented in writing poetry and
made Hindi translations of some Bengali books. All of his poems have the intense
patriotic feeling.
Ram Prasad and his
associates raised a revolutionary organization for the sole purpose of fighting
against the British imperialism in India. His revolutionary team’s
members consisted of great freedom fighters stalwarts
like Chandrasekhar
Azad, Bhagawati Charan Verma, Rajguru and many more and also Ashfaqulla Khan (a
Muslim) in spite
of their differences of faith, their common objective was to free India
from the shackles of the British rule.
For running the
organization and for buying small weapons, they were badly in need of funds
which were difficult to be raised through charity and from common public. Hence,
they decided to loot the cash from the govt. treasury. On the evening of
9th August 1925,
the 8-Down train was passing through Kakori near Lucknow, when Ram Prasad and his nine
revolutionary followers pulled the chain and stopped it. The cash from the
Guard’s carriage was looted. Passengers had been told not to be afraid as the
purpose was not to harm them. With the exception of one innocent passenger who
was killed by an accidental shot, there was no bloodshed. This extremely
well-planned dacoity, which is known as ‘Kakori Conspiracy’, jolted the British
Government in India. After a month of detailed
preliminary inquiries and elaborate preparations, the government cast its net
wide for the revolutionaries. Arrest warrants were issued not only against the
ten participants but also against other leaders of the Hindustan Republican
Army. With the exception of Chandrasekhar Azad and Bhagvaticharan Verma, all
participants were caught. The case went on for over a year and a half, and death
sentences were awarded to Ram Prasad, Ashfaqullah, Roshan Singh and Rajendra
Lahiri. A strong campaign was organized throughout India
to save the lives of these revolutionary heroes. All the leaders of public life
appealed to the British Government to show mercy to the condemned men. But the
Government was unyielding.
While waiting for his date
with the hangman in the jail, he started writing his autobiography in his
prison-cell at Gorakhpur jail and concluded it just three days
prior to being hanged. His mother who had come to visit him in jail on 18
December 1927, along with Shiv Verma a close friend of Ramprasad were successful
in smuggling the manuscript outside jail premises. These pages were later
printed in the shape of a book and soon thereafter, the printed copies of the
book were confiscated and banned by the British Government. After
India’s Independence in 1947, this
autobiography was published by various Arya Samajs including Haryana Sahitya
Sansthan, Gurukul Jhajjar, Haryana. This autobiography of Ram Prasad Bismil has
been and will remain a source of inspiration for young men of India.
in his autobiography he had expressed his desire to work for “Krinvanto Vishwamaryam” in his next
birth. Today, some of Bismil’s personal belongings, including a blanket which he
used in jail, are kept at Haryana Archaeological Museum, Gurukul Jhajjar (Haryana).
On the day of the execution the
officials were amazed as he moved to the gallows he joyfully chanted Vande Matharam' and 'Bharath Matha ki Jai'. At the top of
his voice he shouted down with
the British Empire." Then he calmly
recited prayers like 'Vishwani deva savithaha
dunithani.... And embraced death. Ram Prasad ‘Bismil’ was hanged to
death in Gorakhpur jail on 19 December
1927.
Ram Prasad (‘Bismil’ was
his pen-name) was not only a revolutionary, but was a great poet also. One of
his song “Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna” induced so
many youngmen to lay down their lives for the country. 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."
But the most
famous was
Sarfaroshi ki
tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai,
Dekhna hai
zor kitna baazu-e-qaatil mein hai.
We are now raring to die for our
country's sake
Let's see how much of strength the assassin can
display!
Ram Prasad Bismil answered Lala Lajpat Rai's call to the nations youth
to join the freedom struggle against the British. When Lalaji scumed to death
from a beating during a protest march, Bismil's friends Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev avenged the anger
by shooting a British officer. Bismil with associates Chandrashekar Sharma Azad, Bhagawati
Charan, Rajguru and others organized many a brave
events. They printed literature, provided shelter to revolutionaries, made hand
bombs and were a constant source of headache to the British
Government.