Observing the Death Anniversary of Ram Prasad Bismil

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Ram Prasad Bismil

On 19th December 1927, freedom fighter Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil was hanged in Gorakhpur jail. A large number of people gathered at the jail gate after hearing the news. The main gate of the jail was kept closed. And, the body of Bismil was handed over to his family by breaking the wall in front of the house.

Bismil

Early Life of Bismil

  • Ram Prasad Bismil was the famous freedom fighter who was involved in the historic Kakori train robbery.
  • He was born in 1897 at Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh. His father Muralidhar was an employee of Shahjahanpur Municipality.
  • Ramaprasad learnt Hindi from his father and was sent to learn Urdu from Moulvi.
  • His grandfather Narayan Lal migrated from his ancestral village Barbai and settled at a very distant place in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
  • Barbai was situated on the bank of river Chambal in Tomardhar region of the then estate of Gwalior in the British period. This village is now in the Murena district of Madhya Pradesh.

Pen Name as Bismil…

  • When he failed twice in 7th standard in an Urdu school, he was admitted to an English school called Mission School of the city.
  • After passing 8th standard from Mission School in First Division, he was admitted to the Government School in Shahjahanpur.
  • While studying in this school, he kept his pen-name as ‘Bismil’ and continued writing patriotic poetry. He became popular by the name Bismil amongst his classmates.
  • When he was a student of 9th class, he read in newspaper a news about the death sentence of Bhai Parmanand, a famous scholar and companion of Lala Har Dayal. Bismil was 18 years old at that time.
  • In those days he used to go to the Arya Samaj Temple of Shahjahanpur daily, where Swami Somdev, a friend of Bhai Paramanand, was staying.

A poet

  • A revengeful anger had burst out in the mind of Bismil through this incident. He composed a poem in Hindi titled “My Birth” (hi. mera janm) and showed it to Swami Somdev. In that poem, he showed his commitment to root out the British Empire from India.
  • Being a very talented poet, all his poems reflected patriotism.  He always wanted to see India as a free nation and dedicated himself to the cause of the country.
  • His company consisted of great freedom fighters like Ashfaqulla Khan, Chandrasekhar Azad, Bhagawati Charan, Rajguru, and many more. Ramaprasad used to take advice related to religion and politics from a great patriot and scholar Swami Somdev.

revolutionaries

Revolutionary Turn

  • When Swami Somdev saw a burning flame of revolution in Bismil’s eyes, he advised him to prepare himself politically and go to Lucknow to participate actively in the next Indian National Congress of 1916.
  • Next year, Bismil left the school and went to Lucknow with his friends. The Liberal group was not prepared to allow Moderate group for any type of welcome of Tilak in the city.
  • Bismil and a senior student of M.A. laid down the car of Tilak and lead the overwhelming procession of Bal Gangadhar Tilak in whole of the city.
  • Bismil was highlighted there and so many youths from all over India became his fans.
  • They organised a group of youths and decided to publish a book in Hindi on the history of American independence, America Ki Swatantrata Ka Itihas, with the consent of Swami Somdev.
  • This book was published with a fictitious name of Babu Harivans Sahai, B.A. and its publisher’s name was given as Somdev Siddhgopal Shukla.
  • As soon as the book was published, the then U.P. Government proscribed it to be sold anywhere in the state.

Matrivedi

  • Bismil formed a revolutionary organization in the name of Matrivedi (Altar of Motherland) and contacted Pt. Genda Lal Dixit who was a school teacher at Auraiya.
  • Reference of Dixit was given to him by his mentor Somdev. Till then, Bismil had collected some weapons also.
  • Somdev 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 decoits of the state. He wanted to utilize their power in the armed struggle against the British rulers.
  • Like Bismil, Dixit had also formed an armed organisation of youths called Shivaji Samiti (named after Shivaji).
  • 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.

In Delhi Congress

  • On 28 January 1918, ‘Bismil’ published a pamphlet titled “Deshvasiyon Ke Nam Sandesh” (A Message to Countrymen) and distributed it amongst public along with his poem “Mainpuri Ki Pratigya” (Vow of Mainpuri).
  • 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.

delhi congress

  • 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.

Underground activities of Bismil

  • From 1919 to 1920, Bismil remained underground, for some time in Rampur Jagir/Jahangir village of present Gautam Budh Nagar Distt situated in Greater Noida, sometimes in Kosma village of Mainpuri district, sometimes in Bah and Pinahat of Agra Distt (all in the U.P. state).
  • He also went to his paternal village Barbai in Morena district of M.P. state to take some money from his mother.
  • While living underground, he wrote several books: Man Ki Lahar – a collection of poems, Bolshevikon Ki Kartoot – a revolutionary novel, Yogik Sadhan – a booklet of yoga defining how to create a firm resolve in one’s mind, and Catherine or Swadhinta Ki Devi – a consigned autobiography of Catherine, the grandmother of the Russian Revolution.
  • Out of these books only Man Ki Lahar was a collection of poems written by ‘Bismil’ and his contemporary poets, whereas Bolshevikon Ki Kartoot and Yogik Sadhan were translated from Bengali and the Catherine or Swadhinta Ki Devi was fabricated from English.

 

Bismil’s Translation of Bengali books

  • The way he wrote these books was not so easy. As he has mentioned in his autobiography, he used to go to the arid land pasture and let the cattle loose to graze.
  • Then he would settle down under a Babul tree with an exercise book and a pencil to translate the Bengali books.
  • After completing some translation he used to see whether the cattle are grazing peacefully or not.
  • Sometimes when the cattle were not visible nearby, Bismil used to recall them with a stick and retrieve them back to the range of his voice command.
  • He would spend most of his time to translate the books and the least to his daily routine for the monotonous meals which he also used to make himself.

Formation of Hindustan Republican Association

  • In February 1920, when all the prisoners of Mainpuri Conspiracy Case were released under government proclamation, Bismil returned to his native place Shahjahanpur and met the District Authorities.
  • They allowed Bismil to live peacefully after taking an affidavit of undertaking from him declaring therein not to participate in any such revolutionary activity.

chauri chaura

Back to home

  • He joined Bharat Silk Manufacturing Co. as a manager for sometime and after that started a business of silk sarees in the partnership of Banarsi Lal. Banarsi Lal and Bismil had been associated with the District Congress Committee of Shahjahanpur.
  • Although Bismil earned good money in the business yet he was not satisfied because his earlier commitment to get out British rulers from India was not fulfilled.

Ahmedabad Congress

  • In 1921, Bismil attended Ahmedabad Congress along with many volunteers from Shahjahanpur and occupied a place on the dias.
  • Senior congressman Prem Krishna Khanna and revolutionary Ashfaqulla Khan were also with him. Bismil played an active role in the Congress with Maulana Hasrat Mohani and got the most debated proposal of Poorna 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. He returned to Shahjahanpur and mobilised the youths of United Province for non-cooperation with the Government.
  • The people of U.P. were so much influenced by the furious speeches and verses of Bismil that they became hostile against British Raj.

Opposition of Gandhi in Gaya Congress

  • 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, declared an immediate stop on 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 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 Bismil.

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.
  • 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.

yellow paper const

Sharing responsibility

  • This meeting decided the name of the party would be the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA).
  • After a long discussion from others, Bismil was declared 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 for further extension of the organisation.

Publication of “The Revolutionary”

  • A pamphlet titled “The Revolutionary” was published in January 1925. It was under a fictitious name, Vijay Kumar and was circulated all over India.
  • It was a pamphlet of four pages wherein the programme or manifesto of the revolutionaries was declared with a promise to Indian public for equal opportunity to every man irrespective of social status high or low, rich or poor. Policies of Mohandas Gandhi were openly criticised and youths were called to join the organisation.
  • The police were astonished to see the language of pamphlet and sought its leader in Bengal. Sachindra Nath Sanyal had gone to despatch this pamphlet in a bulk and was arrested in Bankura, West Bengal.
  • Before Sanyal’s arrest Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee had also gone in the hands of police at Howrah railway station of Calcutta in Bengal.

 

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 organisers 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, Bismil was feeling himself guilty for their pitiable condition.

kakori

On the way of Irish revolution

  • Bismil 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 Distt of U.P.. However, it was not enough money in either of these actions.

Action of Kakori

  • 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 were used in this action. Ashfaqulla Khan, the lieutenant of the HRA Chief Ram Prasad Bismil gave away his Mauser to Manmath Nath Gupta. Then, he engaged himself to break open the cash chest.
  • Eagerly watching a new weapon in his hand, Manmath Nath Gupta fired the pistol. Then, he incidentally a passenger Ahmed Ali, who got down the train to see his wife in ladies compartment, was killed in this rapid action.

kakori train robbery

Arrest & filing of criminal case

  • 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.

Verdict of case

  • 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 famous 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.
  • Court’s verdict was published in 115 pages and the charges were proved in such a manner that no body could escape the punishment.

Supplementary case decision and appeal in Chief Court

  • 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.

Chief Court’s decision and mercy appeal

  • 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.

Madan Mohan Malviya’s joint memorandum

  • 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. But the British Government had already decided to hang them. They 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.

Bismil’s Final 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. Rajendra Nath Lahiri was hanged on 17 December 1927 at Gonda Jail; all located in the present Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

End of the play

  • On 19 December 1927, Bismil woke up at 3.30 a.m. as usual in the morning and did his formal duties of daily routine. He meditated for half an hour and bore new dhoti-kurta. Then, he sat in the waiting of his long awaited beloved death.
  • At the appropriate time the Magistrate came along with the jailor. He unlocked the condemned cell and asked Bismil to get ready.
  • The Magistrate was astonished to see him smiling. Bismil rose up immediately and said – “Let us move!”

Bismil’s Last wish

    • He went cheerfully up to the gallows saying his last goodbye to whomsoever met in the way.
    • Bismil stood up at the altar of gallows and kissed the noose. He spoke very loudly his last wish – “I wish the downfall of British Empire!”
  • Then he whispered the vedic prayer “Om vishvaani dev savitur duritaani paraasuv, yad bhadram tann aasuv” And, then, put the noose around his neck like a garland.
  • The hangman pulled the lever of gallows and the body of Bismil hanged in the open air.
  • For half an hour, he was kept hanging to safeguard the certainty of death.
  • In this way, a daredevil son of Mother India departed for the common cause of every Indian’s freedom.

Bismil’s Dead body’s procession

  • Looking into the huge rush at the main gate of the jail authorities broke open the wall in front of gallows, the dead body was brought out and handed over to his parents Murlidhar and Moolmati.
  • A huge rush of about 1.5 lakhs of people had gathered from all over the country. They took the dead body of their departed brother Ram Prasad. They carried it to the bank of Rapti under a grand procession.
  • Prominent personalities like notable Hindi writer Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi founder editor of Kalyan Hanuman Prasad Poddar and politician Govind Ballabh Pant participated in the procession and remained there till the list rites ceremonials.

martyrs

Bismil’s 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. The last funeral of this great martyr was performed there. The proper Vedic Cremation System on the bank of the river was followed.
  • The place, where the ritual obligations of Bismil were done, was named by public as Rajghat.
  • 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.

 

Rememberance Of Bismil

  • Rajendra Singh alias Rajju Bhaiya, the then Sarsanghchalak, said that Bismil was the man who patronised the Aryan race. Bismil led the national revolution in freedom movement of India.
  • Indian journalist Ved Pratap Vaidik said that Urdu poetry of Bismil was parallel to the Ghalib.
  • His literary evaluation requires a serious attention from the critics.
  • Shaheed Smarak Samiti of Shahjahanpur established a memorial at Khirni Bagh mohalla of Shahjahanpur city. Bismil was born there in 1897. He 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.

statue

  • Like Ram Prasad Bismil, Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Pasha alias Kemal Ataturk was also a revolutionary writer. He was a freedom fighter who became the first President of Turkey.
  • Bismil had written an article in the Hindi magazine Prabha about him in November 1922. The title was Vijayee Kemal Pasha.
  • Later too, Bismil appraised Kemal Pasha in his Autobiography written from the gallows of Gorakhpur jail before his death. In order to pay respect to Bismil, Kemal Ataturk established a district in Diyarbakir state of Turkey in 1936 and named it “Bismil” after the pen name of this fierce fighter of freedom and patriotic poet of India.