Gaya Prasad Katiyar

2021-02-07T06:02:44Z

2401:4900:51F0:C6E1:66C:AD28:BFF4:FC53: /* Revolutionary activities */

{{Infobox person
| name =
| birth_date = 20 June 1900
| birth_place = Jagadishpur, [[United Provinces of Agra and Oudh|United Provinces]], [[British India]]
| death_date = 10 February 1993 (aged 92)
}}
'''Gaya Prasad Katiyar''' ([[Hindi]]: गया प्रसाद कटियार) (20 June 1900 – 10 February 1993) was an Indian revolutionary and member of [[Hindustan Socialist Republican Association]].

== Early life ==
Gaya Prasad was born on 20 June 1900 in the village of Jagadishpur, [[Bilhaur]] tehsil, [[Kanpur]] to Nandarani and Mauji Ram. After completing the high school studies, he enrolled himself for the medicinal practice course in Kanpur. He joined the [[Arya Samaj]], Kanpur branch where he got acquainted with [[Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi]].

== Revolutionary activities ==
Alike most of the revolutionaries of HSRA, Gaya Prasad participated in the [[Non-cooperation movement|Non-cooperation Movement]] in 1921. He formed a strong bond with Bhagat Singh and [[Shivaram Rajguru|Rajguru]]. These two visited Dr. Gaya Prasad in Jagadishpur to celebrate Holi on  March 20, 1926.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.patrika.com/kanpur-news/when-bhagat-singh-played-holi-in-kanpur-1250059/|title=भगत सिंह, राजगुरु ने कानपुर के जगदीशपुर गांव में खेली थी होली|work=www.patrika.com|access-date=2018-08-23|language=hi-IN}}</ref>

Dr. Gaya Prasad's main responsibility was to provide a cover for the bomb manufacturing factories of HSRA. The modus operandi was simple - Dr. Gaya Prasad would start a dispensary under a proxy name<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.jagran.com/bihar/siwan-15514875.html|title=पुण्यतिथि पर नमन किया गया क्रांतिकारी डॉ. गया प्रसाद कटियार को|work=Dainik Jagran|access-date=2018-08-23|language=hi}}</ref> and the other revolutionaries used to work as staff e.g.: compounders, housekeeping etc. This dispensary had hidden places where the bombs were manufactured. The odor of the chemicals could be easily be justified to the locals and neighbours as arising during the preparation of medicines.

Example of such a bomb factory:

A bomb factory in Turi Bazaar, [[Firozpur|Ferozpur]] was started by Dr. Gaya Prasad under the name Dr. B S Nigam. This factory was operational from August 10, 1928 to February 9, 1929. The other revolutionaries had following aliases:<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://m.dailyhunt.in/news/india/hindi/ujjwal+prabhat-epaper-ujjwalp/panjab+ki+is+imarat+me+daphan+hai+aajadi+ke+matavalae+ke+raj-newsid-94532156|title=पंजाब की इस इमारत में दफन है आजादी के मतवालाें के राज - Ujjwal Prabhat {{!}} DailyHunt|work=DailyHunt|access-date=2018-08-23|language=en}}</ref>

* Shiv Verma : Ram Narayan Kapoor
* Vijay Kumar Sinha : Bacchu
* [[Mahavir Singh (revolutionary)|Mahavir Singh]] : Pratap Singh
* [[Chandra Shekhar Azad|Chandrashekhar Azad]] : Pandit ji
* [[Sukhdev Thapar|Sukhdev]] : Balejar
* Jaigopal : Gopal

The bomb factory was shifted to [[Saharanpur|Sahranpur]] after the arrests mounted and police actions became intensive. They were soon out of funds and couldn't convert the rented place into a dispensary. Kashiram, an HSRA associate was supposed to arrive from Delhi with money but he hadn't reached, hence it was decided that Dr. Gaya Prasad would travel to Kanpur and return with some money. Meanwhile (after 1–1.5 months of moving the factory), a Ferozpur-based barber named Kalu Ram visited Sahranpur for some personal work and he spotted Dr. Nigam (Dr. Gaya Prasad) and immediately reported this to the local police.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.ajitsamachar.com/news/26019.cms|title=अजीत समाचार {{!}} फिरोजपुर शहर के कालू राम की सूचना पर पकड़े गए थे क्रांतिकारी|last=Samachar|first=Ajit|website=news.ajitsamachar.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-08-23}}</ref> It was later revealed that Kalu Ram had been keeping a close eye on HSRA movements, on the behest of the police. On May 13, 1929, the police raided this factory located in the Chaube parish locality and arrested Shiv Verma and Jaidev Kapoor.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dainiksaveratimes.com/news/kalu-ram-was-caught-on-the-information-revolutionary-hindi-news-81700|title=कालू राम की सूचना पर पकड़े गए थे क्रांतिकारी|work=Dainik Savera Times|access-date=2018-08-23|language=hi}}</ref>

Dr. Gaya Prasad couldn't arrange any funds and returned empty-handed on May 15, 1929. He evaded the police at the Sahranpur station and reached the base in the early hours while it was still dark. He knocked the door, expecting Shiv or Jaidev. Instead, he was embraced by a policeman. Dr. Gaya Prasad couldn't recognize the policeman as it was dark and the friendly affection made him believe that it was Kashiram who had arrived with funds. The policeman then shouted for backup and within minutes, several more policeman rushed inside, overpowered Dr. Gaya Prasad and handcuffed him. On the way towards the police station, the doctor realized that in his pocket, there was a paper which had names of two famous lawyers based in Lucknow - Chandra Bhanu Gupt and Mohanlal Saxena, both of them had pleaded the [[Kakori conspiracy|Kakori conspiracy case]] from the side of the revolutionaries. Doctor thought that this paper must be destroyed to avoid unnecessary implication of the lawyers. He asked the constable to stop and allow him to take a leak. After some argument, his one hand was freed and the constables stood with their backs to him. He immediately put the paper in his mouth and tried to swallow it but started to cough uncontrollably. He demanded water from the constable and gulped it down his throat, swallowing the paper,<ref>{{Cite book|title=Indian revolutionaries : a comprehensive study, 1757-1961. Vol. 3|last=1919-|first=Sarala, Śrīkr̥shṇa|date=1999|publisher=Ocean Books|isbn=978-8187100157|location=New Delhi|oclc=47354233}}</ref>

Dr. Gaya Prasad was sent to [[Lahore]]. Here, along with the other HSRA revolutionaries, he participated in the [[Jatindra Nath Das#Hunger strike|hunger strike]]. He was tried under the [[Lahore Conspiracy Case (disambiguation)|Lahore Conspiracy Case]], sentenced for life imprisonment and deported to the Andaman [[Cellular Jail|cellular jail]]. Even in Andaman, he conducted a 46-day long hunger strike to protest against the unfair and inhuman treatment of the prisoners.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Andaman and Nicobar islands: a saga of freedom struggle|last=1968-|first=Murthy, R. V. R.|date=2011|publisher=Kalpaz Publications|isbn=9788178359038|location=Delhi|oclc=747944694}}</ref> His HSRA compatriot, [[Mahavir Singh (revolutionary)|Mahavir Singh]] died in this same strike as a result of forced feeding, He was expatriated in 1937 but again sent to the cellular jail, finally, released in 1946.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=155856|title=Centre releases special stamp on freedom fighter "Shri Gaya Prasad Katiyar" and a set of eight Commemorative Postage Stamps on "Personalities Series: Bihar" & a stamp on "Hardayal Municipal Heritage Public Library"|website=pib.nic.in|access-date=2018-08-23}}</ref>

== Later life ==
In accordance with his socialist ideals cemented during the HSRA era, he struggled for the rights of workers and farmers. During this juncture, he was sent to jail a couple of times – for 6 months in 1958 and for 1.5 years between 1966 and 1968).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.buddhadarshan.com/revolutionary-gaya-prasad-katiyar-created-a-bomb-for-bhagat-singh/|title=बाहर दवाखाना-अंदर बम बनाने की फैक्ट्री चलाते थें क्रांतिकारी डॉ.गया प्रसाद कटियार, खजूरी खुर्द|website=www.buddhadarshan.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-08-23}}</ref>

== Death ==
He passed away on 10 February 1993. He is survived by a son, Kranti Kumar Katiyar,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/community/bhagat-singh-s-hideout-now-a-protected-monument/181173.html|title=Revolutionary's son speaks about his father}}</ref> and daughter, Dr. Sumanbala Katiyar.

== Legacy ==
On December 26, 2016, Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Ms. [[Anupriya Patel]] headed a program to introduce an Indian Postal stamp in the name of Dr. Gaya Prasad Katiyar<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/government-press-release/centre-releases-special-stamp-on-freedom-fighter-shri-gaya-prasad-katiyar-116122600925_1.html|title=Centre releases special stamp on freedom fighter Shri Gaya Prasad Katiyar" and a set of eight Commemorative Postage Stamps on Personalities Series: Bihar" & a stamp on Hardayal Municipal Heritage Public Library"|last=Delhi|date=2016-12-26|work=Business Standard India|access-date=2018-08-23}}</ref>

== In popular culture ==
In the movie ''[[The Legend of Bhagat Singh]]'', Niraj Shah<ref>{{Citation|title=The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002)|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0319736/fullcredits|access-date=2018-08-23}}</ref> portrayed Dr. Gaya Prasad.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Hindustan Socialist Republican Association]]
[[Category:Revolutionary movement for Indian independence]]
[[Category:Indian revolutionaries]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Katiyar}}
[[Category:1900 births]]
[[Category:1993 deaths]]

Bharatpedia - User contributions [en]

Gaya Prasad Katiyar