23rd March is the day that Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev attained Martyrdom.

One
example of the resoluteness of Sardar Bhagat Singh and his associates remains inspirational
even today. In order to disgrace Sardar Bhagat Singh and his associates, the then British
Government informed them, If you feel that you should be spared from being hanged, then
you must apply for mercy. The spirited answer to that advice, as given
by Sardar Bhagat Singh, was as follows-
The Government says that we should apply for mercy. But why should we do so? Are we
thieves or dacoits orgoondas? We are political prisoners in this war for freedom. The blood
of complete freedom is circulating in every blood vessel of ours. Whatever bold action we
did was for the sake of freedom alone ! We may not be worshippers of non-violence; our
path may not be devoid of atrocities but is it not true that we are freedom-fighters? If the
government has even a fraction of justice left within it, it has to treat us as political
prisoners. We will never beg for mercy.
We do not intend to face this death sentence by saying Do whatever you like but spare us
from being hanged. We dislike even climbing on the foot board meant for hanging. We are
brave soldiers and true men ! Hence treat us like that by either shooting us with bullets or
blast us with cannons. Who wants to face such a feeble sentence as hanging? We request
you to respect this last wish of ours!
Our politicians have seemingly dismissed memories of revolutionaries sacrifice
completely. Their martyrdom appears to have no value for those with a political agenda.
O People, though the politicians have forgotten these revolutionaries, you at least do not be
ungrateful to Revolutionaries by forgetting them !
Martyr Bhagat Singh
Born : 27
th
Sept. 1907, Punjab.
Died: Hanged in the early hours of 23
rd
March 1931.
As a freedom fighter, he was considered to be one of the most famous revolutionaries of
the Bharatiya Independence movement. For this reason, he is often referred to as Martyr
Bhagat Singh. At such a young age, if anyone was smiling just before being hanged to
death, it was Martyr Bhagat Singh. His uncle, Sardar Ajit Singh as well as his father, were
both great freedom fighters, so Bhagat Singh grew up in a patriotic atmosphere.
At an early age, Bhagat Singh started dreaming of uprooting the British Empire. Never
afraid of fighting during his childhood, he thought of 'growing guns in the fields', so that he
could fight the British. The Ghadar Movement left a deep imprint on his
mind. Kartar Singh Sarabha, hanged at the age of 19, became his hero. The massacre
at Jallianwala Bagh on 13th April, 1919 drove him to Amritsar, where he kissed the earth
sanctified by the martyrs' blood and brought back home a little of the soaked soil. At the
age of 16, he used to wonder why so many Bharatiyas could not drive away a fistful of
invaders.
In search of revolutionary groups and ideas, he met Sukhdev and Rajguru. Bhagat Singh,
along with the help of Chandrashekhar Azad, formed the Hindustan Socialist Republican
Army (HSRA). The aim of this Bharatiyarevolutionary movement was now defined as not
only to make Bharat independent, but also to create a socialist Bharat.
A brutal attack by the police on veteran freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai at an anti-British
procession caused his death on 17th November 1928, in Lahore. Bhagat Singh was
determined to avenge Lajpat Rai's death by shooting the British official responsible for the
killing, Deputy Inspector General Scott. However he shot down Assistant Superintendent
Saunders instead, mistaking him for Scott. Then he made a dramatic escape from Lahore to
Calcutta and from there to Agra, where he established a bomb factory.
The British Government responded to the act by imposing severe measures like the Trades
Disputes Bill. It was to protest against the passing of the Bill that he threw bombs in the
Central Assembly Hall (now our Loksabha) while the Assembly was in session. The bombs
did not hurt anyone, but the noise they made was loud enough to wake up an enslaved
Nation from a long sleep.
After throwing the bombs, Bhagat Singh and his friend deliberately courted arrest by
refusing to run away from the scene. During his trial, Bhagat Singh refused to employ any
Defence counsel.
Despite great popular pressure and numerous appeals by political leaders of Bharat, Bhagat
Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru were accorded the death sentence and hanged in the early
hours of 23rd March 1931. Their bodies were cremated on the bank of the Sutlej in
Ferozepur. Bhagat Singh was just 23 years old at that time. Old timers say that in many
places, not a single hearth fire burned that day.

The last paragraph of the leaflet that he distributed (and wrote) in the Assembly Hall said:
"We are sorry that we who attach such great sanctity to human life, we who dream of a very
glorious future when man will be enjoying perfect peace and full liberty, have been forced
to shed human blood. But sacrifice of individuals at the altar of the Revolution will bring
freedom to all, rendering exploitation of man by man impossible. Inquilab Zindabad (Long
live the Revolution)."

There was a time when the very mention of the name of the young revolutionary stirred the
passions of most Bharatiyas.

We pay obeisance to this invaluable son of Bharat, who is still an inspiration to millions of
Bharatiyas. We pay obeisance to this invaluable son of Bharat.
Sukhdev Thapar
Sukhdev Thapar (15
th
May 1907 - 23
rd
March 1931) was a Bharatiya revolutionary from
Punjab. He was an active member of the HSRA, being one of its senior most leaders. He is
known to have started study circles at the National College (Lahore), in order to delve into
Bharat's past as well as to scrutinise the finer aspects of the worlds revolutionary literature.
Along with Bhagat Singh and others he started the Naujawan Bharat Sabha at Lahore. The
main aims of this organisation were to activate the youth for the freedom struggle, inculcate
a rational scientific attitude, fight communalism and end the practice of untouchability.

His letter to Mahatma Gandhi written just prior to his hanging, protesting against the latter's
disapproval of revolutionary tactics, throws light on the disparities between the two major
schools of thought among Bharatiya freedom fighters at that time.
We pay obeisance to this invaluable son of Bharat.
Shivram Rajguru
Shivram Hari Rajguru (1908 - 23
rd
March 1931) was born in an average middle-class Hindu
Brahmin family at Khed in Pune District in 1908. He came to Varanasi at a very early age
where he learnt Sanskrit and read the Hindu religious scriptures. He had a great admiration
for Shivaji and his guerrilla tactics.

At Varanasi, he came in contact with revolutionaries. He joined the movement and became
an active member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Army (HSRA). Rajguru had a
fearless spirit and indomitable courage. The only object of his adoration and worship was
his motherland, for whose liberation, he considered no sacrifice too great. He was a close
associate of Chandrashekhar Azad and Bhagat Singh and his field of activity was UP and
Punjab, with Kanpur, Agra and Lahore as his headquarters.

Rajguru was a good shot and was regarded as the gunman of the party. He took part in
various activities of the revolutionary movement, the most important being Saunder's
murder. Chandrashekhar Azad, Shivram Rajguru, Bhagat Singh and Jai Gopal were
deputed for the job. On 17th December 1928, while Saunders came out of his office and
started his motor-cycle, he was shot dead in front of the police headquarters at Lahore by
Rajguru.
At the time of his martyrdom, Rajguru was hardly 23 years of age.
We pay obeisance to this invaluable son of Bharat.


Ashfaqulla Khan
Ashfaqulla Khan was one of the greatest martyrs who laid down their lives for the
emancipation of the country. By his unique sacrifice, Ashfaqulla Khan became an immortal
revolutionary.
Born in the early part of the 20th century in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, Ashfaqulla Khan
was the son of Shafiqulla Khan. In 1921, Mahatma Gandhi had called on Indians not to pay
taxes to the government or cooperate with the British. This non-cooperation movement
kindled the fire of freedom in the hearts of all Indians. However, Chauri Chaura violence
which resulted into setting ablaze of a police station and death of some policemen, Mahatma
Gandhi called off the non-cooperation movement in February, 1922. The youth of the country
were greatly disappointed and they resolved that the country should become free as early as
possible. Ashfqulla Khan joined the band of such revolutionaries. Ramaprasad Bismil who
also hailed from Shahjahanpur was the leader of the militant group of these revolutionaries.
Ashfaqulla Khan cultivated friendship with Ramaprasad Bismil. Ramaprasad was a
Aryasamajist whereas Ashfaqulla Khan was a devout Muslim. Their religion however, did
not come in the way of their firm resolve to join together for the freedom struggle.
The two became bosom friends. So much so that they moved together, ate together and
worked together. An incident in this connection is worth mentioning. Once Ashfaq had
severe fever and under the very high temperature he was muttering Ram, my dear Ram.
Ashfaq's parents got perturbed and thought Ashfaq had been overpowered by some evil spirit
since he was uttering the name of Ram, the Lord of Hindus. They called their neighbour. The
neighbour assured them explaining that Ashfaq was remembering Ram Prasad Bismil, his
friend whom he is in the habit of addressing as Ram. Bismal was called. Asfaq's muttering
came to a stop and both embraced each other.
Varanasi was the centre of their activities. They formed the Hindustan Republican
Association. Shachindra Nath Sanyal was the founder of this organisation. Their objective
was to win freedom for the country through armed revolution. The association published a
manifesto called Krantikari in 1925 advocating the elimination of inequality and slavery. For
the purpose of carrying out the revolution, they needed money. The famous Kakori train
robbery was conceived with the objective of getting money for carrying out their
revolutionary activities. The train robbery was conceived by Ramaprasad. While travelling
from Shahjahanpur to Lucknow, he noticed moneybags being taken into the guard's van and
being dropped into an iron safe. Ashfaq opposed the idea saying that it would be a hasty step
and will expose the revolutionaries to direct attack by strong government who will use the
entire machinery to crush the revolutionary activities. However, the revolutionaries decided
to go ahead with the plan. Like a disciplined soldier, Ashfaq vowed to join.
On August 9, 1925, the train from Shahjahanpur to Lucknow was approaching Kakori. Some
one pulled the chain and the train stopped abruptly. Ashfaq got off the second class
compartment with his friends Sachindra Bakshi and Rajendra Lahiri. The two revolutionaries
fell on the guard and made him lie down on his face. Ashfaq was the strongest of the group.
He entered the guard's van and pushed the bags containing money to the ground. He dealt
blows after blows on the opening of the box to widen it and to take the moneybags out. The
group consisting of ten young revolutionaries took the money and fled. Till about a month,
none of the revolutionaries was arrested. But the government had spread a big net.
On 26th September 1925 Ramaprasad Bismil was arrested. Ashfaq escaped from his home
and hid in a sugarcane field. Later, he managed to reach Kashi and stayed for some time in
Banaras University. With the help of his friends he went to Bihar and got a job as a clerk in
an engineering firm at Daltonganj. Later, he went to Delhi with a plan to go abroad. In Delhi,
he met a Pathan friend who also hailed from Shahjahanpur and was a classmate of Ashfaq.
Falling for greed of money which the British Government had announced on Ashfaqs head,
the Pathan sounded the police and next morning Ashfaq was arrested. The police charge
sheeted him in the court.
During the Court proceedings the Superintendent of Police who was a Muslim went to
Ashfaqs jail room and tried to break him from the revolutionaries. The S.P. said: "Ashfaq, I
am also Muslim. I am very sorry for your arrest. I can have you released if you accept my
advice. You become Government approver and give testimony against Ram Prasad Bismil.
He is a Hindu and wants to establish the rule of Hindus. You should not be with him". Ashfaq
got enraged to hear the words of the Muslim S.P. and retorted. "I warn you, never utter such
unholy words from your mouth. Ram Prasad is my brother. I would rather die under the rule
of Hindus than to live under the British rule".
A committee consisting of eminent lawyers like Moti Lal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru,
Sriprakasha, Acharya Narendra Dev, Govind Ballabh Pant and Chandra Bhanu Gupta was
formed to defend the revolutionaries in the Kakori train robbery case. Their effort to save the
revolutionaries, however, failed in the court of justice under the British rule, which sentenced
to death Ramaprasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Rajendra Lahiri and Roshan Singh. The
others were given life sentences.
The whole country protested against the death sentences. Petitions were made to the Viceroy
to reduce their death sentence into life sentences. Even the Privy Council was approached.
The British imperialism was however, thirsting for the blood of the Indian revolutionaries.
On 19th December 1927, Ashfaqulla Khan was hanged to death at district jail, Faizabad.
When Ashfaq was brought to gallows he said, "My hands are not soiled with the murder of
man, God will give me justice. He then prayed to the almighty and went down the plank on
which he stood after the hangman's noose came around his neck.
Ashfaq's devotion to the cause of freedom made him the foremost among those who gave
their lives to win the freedom of the country. Love for the motherland, clear thinking,
courage, firmness and loyalty were embodied in Ashfaq to the hilt. He deserves to be
remembered and cherished by all Indians for his noble qualities.
Lala Lajpat Rai
Lajpat Rai was born on 28th Jan, 1865 at a village named Dhudike in Ferozepur District of
Punjab. His father,Munshi Radha Krishan Azad was a great scholar of Persian and Urdu.
Lalaji's mother, Shrimati Gulab Devi, a strict religious lady, inculcated in her children strong
morals values. Lalaji was brought up in a family background that allowed freedom of having
different faiths and beliefs. Since childhood he had a desire to serve his country and its
people, and therefore took a pledge to free it from foreign rule.
In 1884 his father was transferred to Rohtak and Lala Lajpat Rai came along. He became the
secretary of Arya Samaj in Rohtak. In 1886 he passed his Law exams and he started his
practice in Rohtak but moved to Hissar where some of his friends were also practicing Law.
Lalaji's early legal practice at Hissar was very successful. His life of six years in Hissar
became the apprenticeship for public service. He was elected to the Hissar municipality as a
member and later as secretary. Besides practicing, Lalaji collected funds for the Daya Nand
College, attended Arya Samaj functions. After the death of Swami Dayananda, Lalaji with his
associates toiled to develop the Anglo-Vedic College. He came in contact with all the
important Arya Samajis there.
In Hissar Lalaji started attending the meetings of the Congress Party and became an active
worker in the Hissar-Rohtak region. When the Lieutenant Governor visited Hissar, Lalaji
pleaded that the Welcome Address to be presented to him should be in Urdu. To satisfy the
British officer a speech had already been prepared in English. Lalaji's suggestion made
everyone nervous. But without a trace of fear, he presented the Address in Urdu and there by
invited the wrath of the British.
Lala Lajpat Rai shifted to Lahore in 1892. Lalaji provided immense service toward the
famine relief efforts during the famines of 1897 and 1899. He mobilized D A V college
students and went to Bikaner and other areas of Rajasthan to rescue destitute children and
bring them to Lahore. He believed that "a nation that does not protect its own orphan children
cannot command respect at the hands of other people." When people fleeing the famine
reached Lahore, they spent their first night at Lalaji's house. In 1898, Lalaji curtailed his legal
practice and vowed to devote all his energy for the nation. The Kangra district of Panjab
suffered destruction in the earthquake of 1905. Lalaji was there once again, organizing relief
for extricating people from the debris.
His activities were multifarious. He was an ardent social reformer. He founded the Indian
Home Rule League of America in October 1917, in New York and, a year later, he also set
up, with himself as Director, the "Indian Information Bureau" in New York to serve as a
Publicity Organization for India. Lala Lajpat Rai returned to India on Feb.20, 1920 as a great
hero.

He plunged into Gandhi's non-cooperation movement, which in Panjab, under Lajpat Rai's
leadership spread like wildfire in the province, and he soon came to be known as "The Lion
of Panjab" or "Panjab Kesri". He traveled far and wide in India and his eloquence brought
hundreds to the Congress fold. Lalaji injected new life in his countrymen. His writings and
speeches were both hard hitting and effective. They swayed those they aimed to reach. He
was a crusader, who knew no fear and championed every worthy cause with all the passion of
his soul.
His love for service was insatiable. He founded educational institutions. He befriended the
suppressed classes. In the political field he was indispensable. Lala Lajpat Rai's supreme
sacrifice came when he led a procession in Lahore on Oct.30, 1928 to boycott the Simon
Commission. The procession was sought to be broken up by the police and Lajpat Rai
received lathi blows. While Lalaji tried his level best to keep the demonstration peaceful, the
police targeted him and wounded him on his chest. The people were enraged at this insult and
held a meeting the same evening. Lalaji, though in intense pain, gave a speech and declared
"...every blow aimed at me is a nail in the coffin of British Imperialism....".
He recovered from the wounds left by the British but he remained emotionally scarred at the
brutality of the "civilized" British. Why had he been specifically targeted by the British? Why
had they lathi- charged against a peaceful gathering. These thoughts racked his spirit till the
very end. Lalaji died on November 17, 1928 of heart failure.

Ramprasad Bismil
Ramprasad Bismil was a brave revolutionary who gave up his life smilingly for the sake of
the Motherland. He was persecuted by an enraged foreign government, hunted by the police
and betrayed by follow workers. And yet he lit the fire of revolution to burn down the
slavery. He was the brave leader of the Kakori Rail Dacoity episode. His poetry is also a
lamp lighted at the altar of the Mother land. Kakori is a village near Lucknow. It became
famous, because the attack on the train took place near by.
It was the evening of the 9th of August 1925; the number eight down train was passing near
Kakori. Ramaprasad and his nine revolutionary followers pulled the chain and stopped it.
They looted the money belonging to the government, deposited in the Guard's carriage.
Excepting that one passenger was killed by an accidental shot, there was no bloodshed. This
extremely well planned dacoity jolted the government. 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 Hindusthan Republican Association. With the lone exception of Chandrashekhar Azad,
all participants were caught.

The case went on for over a year and a half, Ramaprasad, Ashfaqullah Roshan Singh and
Rajendra Lahiri all four were sentenced to death, 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. It was the 18th of December 1927. A middle-aged lady was
waiting at the main gates of the Gorakhpur Central Jail. Her face was radiant but anxiety was
writ large on it. She was eagerly waiting to be called into the prison. By that time her husband
also arrived there. He was surprised that his wife was there before him. He also sat down to
wait for the call.
Another young man came there. He was not related to them. He knew that the couple would
be permitted to enter the prison.But how could he manage to enter? This was his problem.
The officials of the prison called in the husband and the wife. The young man followed them.
The guard stopped him and rudely asked, "Who are you?"
"Permit him also, brother. He is my sister's son", the lady said in an entreating voice.
The guard relented.
All the three entered the prison to visit a freedom fighter that was to face his death on the
morrow. The freedom fighter was brought there in chains. They were like ornaments on him.
This was the last time that he could see his mother, the last time he could address her as
'Mother'. At this thought grief welled up in him. He stood speechless and tears rolled down
his cheeks.
In a firm voice the mother said, 'What is this, my son? I had thought of my son as a great
hero. I was thinking that the British Government would shiver at the very mention of his
name. I never thought that my son would be afraid of death. If you can die only in this way,
weeping, why did you take up such activities?"
The officials were astounded at the firmness of the mother. The freedom fighter replied,
"Mother dear, these are not tears of fear - the fear of death. These are tears of joy - joy at
beholding so brave as mother!"
The brave son of that brave mother was Ramaprasad Bismil. He was the leader of the famous
Kakori Rail Dacoity case. The last meeting ended.Next morning Ramaprasad got up earlier
than usual, bathed and said his morning prayers. He wrote his last letter to his mother. Then
he sat down with a calm mind awaiting his death.
The officials came and removed his chains. They took him from the prison cell-towards his
death.He was completely untroubled and walked like a hero. 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.
As he was being executed, there was a strong guard around the prison. When he was dead the
officials brought out the dead body. Not only his parents but also hundreds of his countrymen
were waiting in tears.The people of Gorakhpur deco rated the body of the brave son of
Bharath as befitted a hero and carried it in a procession. Flowers were showered on the body,
and the last rites were performed.
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' 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 fervor.
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.'