पंडित राम प्रसाद बिस्मिल Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil– The Man with a Pen & Pistol

My Dear Young and Little Indians, 

Today is the 124th birthday of Shaheed Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil पंडित राम प्रसाद बिस्मिल, the revolutionary who fought and died for the freedom that WE enjoy.

 

 

• 1897- He was born on 11 June 1897 in Shahjahanpur city which is in present day Uttar Pradesh.
• He was a follower of Arya Samaj आर्य समाज
• He was good at writing Hindi and Urdu poetry.
• 1915- Bhai Parmanand भाई परमानन्द, a member of Arya Samaj आर्य समाज and a leader of Hindu Mahasabha हिन्दू महासभा, was sentenced to death by the British. This angered Ram Prasad Bismil Ji. He wrote patriotic poems to express himself. He was 18 years old then.
• 1916- When Bal Gangadhar Tilak बालगंगाधर तिलक the leader of Garam Dal गरम दल faction of Indian National Congress reached Lucknow, the Naram Dal नरम दल faction of Indian National Congress did not allow a grand welcome to Bal Gangadhar Tilak at Charbagh चारबाग़ (Lucknow) Railway station. This is when Ram Prasad Bismil Ji organized a grand welcome for Bal Gangadhar Tilak. 
• In 1907 the Indian National Congress had split into two factions- Naram Dal नरम दल and Garam Dal गरम दल. Naram Dal was led by Gopal Krishna Gokhle  गोपाल कृष्ण गोखले  and Garm Dal गरम दल was led by Bal Gangadhar Tilak.) Please remember that Mahatma Gandhi had not joined the Congress Party yet. He joined and took up the leadership of the party in 1920 on the invitation of Gopal Krishna Gokhle
• Ram Prasad Bismil Ji along with his group of youth published the Hindi translation of the book ‘American Independence’ ‘अमेरिका की आज़ादी का इतिहास’. The motive was to inspire the youth of India to fight for Indian independence like the Americans did for their country. The British Govt quickly banned the book in Uttar Pradesh (then known as United Province).
• Ram Prasad Bismil Ji formed revolutionary organization named Matrivedi मातृवेदी
• He contacted Genda Lal Dixit गेंदालाल दीक्षित, a school teacher in औरैया (Auraiya is a city in Uttar Pradesh around 200 kms from Lucknow).
• Genda Lal Dixit गेंदालाल दीक्षित also had an armed organization of youth called Shivaji Samiti शिवजी समिति (named after Shivaji Maharaj)
• Ram Prasad Bismil Ji and Genda Lal Dixit together motivated the youth in various cities of Uttar Pradesh- Mainpuri, Etawah, Agra and Shahjahanpur.
• 1918- Ram Prasad Bismil Ji wrote a poem Mainpuri ki Pratigya मैनपुरी की प्रतिज्ञा
• Money was required for revolutionary activities hence British establishments had to be attacked and looted. During one such activity Police arrived and Ram Prasad Bismil Ji had jump into Yamuna river to escape. Everyone thought that he was dead. The British named this incident as ‘Mainpuri conspiracy’.
• I personally do not approve the word ‘conspiracy’ here
  For the British this may have been a conspiracy but for me as an INDIAN this was a Kranti क्रांति (a revolution).
  I proudly remember this incident as Mainpuri Kranti मैनपुरी क्रांति
• Ram Prasad Bismil Ji remained elusive (in hiding) but continued to express himself with his poems that he wrote and published under pseudo (fictitious) names also known as ‘pen names’.
• 1920- In the month of February all Indians involved in Mainpuri Kranti were released from prison. This is when Ram Prasad Bismil Ji also returned to his home in Shahjahanpur.
• 1921- Ram Prasad Bismil Ji attended the Ahmedabad session of Congress Party. He got the proposal of Poorna Swaraj पूर्ण स्वराज passed in the General Body meeting of the party inspite of opposition from Mahatma Gandhi.
• 1922- In the month of February during the non co-operation movement at Chauri Chaura चौरी चौरा (in present day Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh) the British fired and killed some Indian farmers.
• The enraged public attacked the police station and set it on fire. Some British Police officers were killed. Mahatma Gandhi ended the non co-operation movement to show his displeasure over killing of British officers.
• Disillusioned with Mahatma Gandhi’ decision Deshbandhu Chitranjan Das देशबंधु चितरंजन दास of the Congress Party formed a new party – Swaraj Party स्वराज पार्टी.
• The young men of Congress formed their own organization under Ram Prasad Bismil Ji- Hindustan Republican Association
• Ram Prasad Bismil’s history would be incomplete without Ashfaqullah Khan अशफ़ाक़ उल्ला ख़ाँ -They were friends and companions in life and death. Both were poets/ writers par excellence.
• 1925- To financially support the Indian Independence Movement and to challenge the British rulers, Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqullah Khan, Chandrashekhar Azad, Rajendra Nath Lahiri and fifteen other revolutionaries  planned to loot money that belonged to India but was being transferred to British Govt treasury by a train on 9 August 1925.
• The plan was executed in the evening of 9 Aug 1925 when Saharanpur Express had crossed Kakori काकोरी Railway Station (near Lucknow)
• The British termed this as Kakori conspiracy.
  I remember this as Kakori Kranti काकोरी क्रांति
• Indians who had participated in Kakori Kranti काकोरी क्रांति were later arrested by the British Police.
• The reason why they got caught was Treason, betrayal गद्दारी . One of the participants switched sides and turned informer of the British.
  एक साथी ने गद्दारी कर दी
• 1927- After months of legal process (which was just a show-off) Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil was hanged to death by the British on 19 December 1927 in Gorakhpur jail.
• On the same day his companion of life and death Ashfaqullah Khan was hanged in Faizabad jail.

 खींच कर लाई है सब को क़त्ल होने की उम्मीद
सरफ़रोशी की तमन्ना अब हमारे दिल में है
देखना है ज़ोर कितना बाजुए कातिल में है

 

My Dear Young and Little Indians,

What I learn from Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil and other revolutionaries is – 

Take responsibility of your society and country

Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil had a sense of responsibility towards his society and country and that is why he fought and died for India’s freedom. Ironically, he himself could not enjoy the freedom that he fought for!

Please push yourself to take responsibility in public life….START with your school life. Your school, Your society and your country is YOUR responsibility.

These are the words of our revolutionary freedom fighters-

 हम भी आराम उठा सकते थे घर पर रह कर, 

हम को भी पाला था माँ बाप ने दुःख सह सह कर

नौजवान यही  मौका है , उठो खुल खेलो

खिदमत-ए-मुल्क में जो बला आये सब झेलो

 

Jai Hind !

Gaurav Negi