Batukeshwar Dutt
- Context: The Government paid tribute to Batukeshwar Dutt, a revolutionary freedom fighter, on his death anniversary.
About Batukeshwar Dutt
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- Batukeshwar Dutt was an Indian revolutionary who actively participated in the freedom struggle.
- He was born on 18 November 1910 in Burdwan district, Bengal.
- He was a member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA).
- He was convicted in the Delhi Assembly Bomb Case on 12 June 1929 and spent nine years in different prisons across India.
- While in jail, he went on several hunger strikes, including two fasts lasting more than a month, to demand better treatment for political prisoners.
- After his release, he joined Mahatma Gandhi’s Quit India Movement and was again imprisoned for four years.
- He passed away on 20 July 1965 at AIIMS, New Delhi, after a prolonged illness.
- He was cremated at Hussainiwala near Firozepur, Punjab, the same place where Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev were cremated.
Hindustan Republican Association (HRA)
- Established: 1924 in Kanpur.
- Founders: Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqullah Khan, Sachindra Nath Bakshi, Sachindranath Sanyal, and Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee.
- Main Objective: To establish a Federal Republic of India through armed revolution with the support of the people.
Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA)
- Formed: 1928 at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi.
- Key Leaders: Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Shiv Verma, Chandrashekhar Azad, and Vijay Kumar Sinha.
- Main Objective: To create a Socialist Republic of India by achieving political freedom along with social and economic equality.
Bal Gangadhar Tilak
- Context: On 23 July, Prime Minister paid tribute to Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak on their birth anniversaries.
About Bal Gangadhar Tilak
- Bal Gangadhar Tilak, popularly known as Lokmanya Tilak, was a nationalist leader, journalist, scholar, and freedom fighter.
- The British referred to him as the “Father of Indian Unrest” because of his strong opposition to colonial rule.
Background
- Born: 23 July 1856 in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra.
- Education: Studied at Deccan College, Pune, and earned B.A. and LL.B. degrees.
- He co-founded the Deccan Education Society and Fergusson College to encourage education managed by Indians.
Contributions to the Freedom Movement
- Swaraj: He popularized the famous slogan, “Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it.”
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- Journalism: Started the newspapers Kesari (Marathi) and The Mahratta (English) to spread nationalist ideas and create public awareness.
- Cultural Nationalism: Began public celebrations of Ganesh Utsav (1893) and Shivaji Jayanti to unite people and strengthen the national movement.
- Extremist Leader: He was one of the Lal-Bal-Pal leaders, along with Lala Lajpat Rai and Bipin Chandra Pal, who supported a more active struggle against British rule.
- Books: Wrote Gita Rahasya, The Arctic Home in the Vedas, and Orion, reflecting his knowledge of religion, history, and astronomy.
- Home Rule Movement (1916): Along with Annie Besant, he started the Home Rule League to demand self-government for India within the British Empire.
- Contribution to Education
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- Played a pivotal role in establishing the Deccan Education Society.
- Strove for the development of national education for Indians.
Imprisonment and Controversies
- Sedition Cases: He was arrested several times for writings that encouraged people to oppose British rule.
- He was especially imprisoned in 1897 and 1908 on charges of sedition related to his newspaper articles.
- Difference with Moderates: During the 1907 Surat Session of the Indian National Congress, he supported direct action and rejected the moderate policy of petitions and appeals.
Death
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- Died: 1 August 1920 in Mumbai.
- Although his death marked the end of an important phase of the freedom struggle, his ideas continued to inspire later movements such as the Non-Cooperation Movement and the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Chandrashekhar Azad (1906–1931)
Introduction
- Date of Birth: 23 July 1906
- Place of Birth: Bhavra (present-day Madhya Pradesh
- Full Name: Chandrashekhar Tiwari
- Name adopted later: Chandrashekhar Azad
- Having participated in the freedom struggle from a young age, Azad emerged as one of India’s most renowned revolutionaries.
Key Contributions
- Leadership of the armed revolution
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- He joined the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA).
- He reorganized it into the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA)
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- Mentor to revolutionaries
- His associates included: Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev, Ram Prasad Bismil
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- He served as a mentor to these young revolutionaries.
- Kakori Conspiracy (1925)
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- He played a pivotal role in the Kakori operation, which was carried out with the aim of seizing British government funds to finance the revolutionary movement.
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- Avenging the death of Lala Lajpat Rai
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- He played a key role in the planning and security arrangements for the operation to assassinate police officer Saunders in Lahore. Ultimate Sacrifice
- On February 27, 1931, while being cornered by the British police at Alfred Park (now Chandrashekhar Azad Park), he made the ultimate sacrifice by shooting himself with his last bullet, upholding his vow never to be captured alive.
- Contributions to the Nation
- Instilled a spirit of valor among the youth
- Strengthened the revolutionary movement.
- Inspired many young people, including Bhagat Singh.
- Rose as a symbol of sacrifice in the Indian freedom struggle.
