The post starts with a sad pre-note – ‘how badly we have missed out knowing the real martyrs who gave their lives in earning freedom’.Recently, when I circulated one of my posts on Indian freedom struggle, a respected senior surveyor wrote back stating ‘I feel proud of my family on true contribution to freedom struggle – my maternal uncle, a revolutionary of North West Province (Inder Muni Bhatia) was shot dead by British at young age of 21 and my uncle remained in prison with Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and awarded Tamrapatra …
Indian history has denied them any place ~ not at all surprising
as we read history as dictated by the British, further refined by commies – and
in fact have not given the right place for those great martyrs who have
immortalised in history and whose deeds are still recorded and available –
natural that many remain unsung, unknown martyrs.Most
of us do not even know that lion Lala Rajpat Rai actually succumbed to
murderous attack made by British Police !!~Indian freedom struggle is much much more than Gandhi, Nehru, and
Congress.
Almost 90 years ago, on 8th Nov 1927 – Viceroy of
Indiaannounced that a high level
Commission had been appointed by Stanley Baldwin, the British Prime Minister.
The members would tour India and submit a report to the Government, including
suggestions on the administrative reforms. The seven member Commission was
headed by Sir Elsbrook John Simon, a famous London Barrister. One of the
members of the Commission, Clement Attlee later became the Prime Minister of
Britain at the time of independence of India. The Commission was opposed all over
India, including Congress as it did not have any Indian as its member. Barring
only a few moderates, everyone in India was shouting, “Simon, go back.”
There
were protests everywhere they went ..at
Lahore on 30.10.1928, there was total strike, a crowd of 5000 odd persons
hadgathered at Lahore Railway Station,
though the administration had enforced Section 144, Criminal Procedure Code,
banning such gathering of protestors.J.A. Scott, Superintendent of Police,
Lahore, along with Saunders, his Additional S.P. and other officers was present
at the station. He ordered the lathi charge but there was hardly any impact. An
infuriated Scottlet his force loose on
unarmed people. Saunders, directly attacked Lalaji – the aged lion fell down in great pain, bleeding
heavily from the wounds. The wounded lion Lalaji undaunted by this, addressed
the protest meeting held the same evening at Mori Gate roaring “I declare that the blows struck at me
will be the last nails in the coffin of the British rule in India.”
Lalaji
was hospitalized for the treatment of his injuries. He, after 18 days,
succumbed to the injuries on 17th Nov, 1928. There was deep anger inside
everyone’s heart as death was directly attributed to the injuries inflicted.
Moving
away to the sad day on Mar 23, 1931 at Lahore Central Jail. When the day broke out, the Sun’s radiance
too was dull. The ever present
frightening silence inside the perimeter seemed to make the prisoners even more
desperate. All inmates had anxiety and despair written over their ashen faces,
as if some big storm was coming. It was
most melancholic moment as inbarrack number fourteen housed Sardar Bhagat
Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev. They all emanated an aura ofpeaceful calm and good
health. They were quiet, yet cheerful, free from all worries and unaffected by
what was happening around them. This was an astonishing sight for jail authorities
as everybody knew that their hanging had been scheduled and they were hanged at 7.33 pm. Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev took their
last bath and put on black clothes provided by the jail officials. The doctor
recorded their weight and was surprised to note that all three had gained
weight since last recording. The lions moved out of their cages, had a good
look at each other and then leaped to have a warm embrace.
That is tragic story of hanging on 23.3.1931 of - Bhagat Singh,
Sukhdev Thapar, and Shivaram Rajguru.. .. .. (pictured here real gallows at Andamans Cellular jail)
Flashback:
.. when LalaLajpat Rai died, a group of
youngsters decided to avenge the insult
to the nation by killing Scott. Many came forward, Sukhdev was chosen by the
group as the coordinator for this mission. Sukhdev,named Azad, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Jai
Gopal as his accomplices to accomplish the task. Sukhdev Thapar (15 May 1907 –
23 Mar 1931) the revolutionary, was a
senior member of Hindustan Socialist Republican Association.
Sukhdev
should ever be remembered for his patriotic zeal and for his involvement in the Lahore Conspiracy Case
of 18 Dec 1928 and its aftermath.The
strategists were on alert - the man given the task had never seen Scott himself
so he took the European for Scott, in reality, he was Saunders, Assistant SP,
clad in almost identical uniform. Scott had not come as he was on leave that
day. Upon getting the signal, Rajguru came in the path and fired. The shot was
accurate. The bullet pierced the chest and Saunders collapsed on the ground,
with one leg under the running motorcycle.
Sukhdev
was the prime accused in the Lahore Conspiracy Case of 1930, whose title reads
"Crown versus Sukhdev and others". The first information report (FIR)
of the Lahore Conspiracy Case, filed by Hamilton Harding, senior superintendent
of police, in the court of R.S. Pandit, special magistrate in April 1929,
mentions Sukhdev as accused number 1. In
the long list of 25 accused, Bhagat Singh was 12th while Rajguru was
20th. After the Central
Assembly Hall bombings in New Delhi (8 April 1929), Sukhdev and his accomplices
were arrested and convicted of their crime, going through the loss of life
sentence as the verdict.
On
23 March 1931, the 3 revolutionaries, Bhagat Singh, SukhdevThapar and
Shivaram Rajguru hanged in Lahore jail. Their bodies were secretly cremated at
the banks of the River Sutlej.Though
the plan perhaps was to kill JA Scott, karma had thatSaunders who was directly responsible for the
killing of Lalaji got killed.
Nation should remember the great martyr Sukhdev who was born this
day 112 years ago !.Long live the
Nation ~ glory to all martyrs.
With heavy heart- S. Sampathkumar 15th May 2019. the house pictured at the start - Sukhdev home at Ludhiana pic credit : connectedtoindia.com
