Chandra Shekhar Azad: Difference between revisions

{{Use Indian English|date=January 2015}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}}

| caption            = A photo of Azad, circa 1928

| birth_name        = Chandra Shekhar Tiwari

| birth_date        = {{Birth date|1906|07|23|df=yes}}

| birth_place        = [[Bhavra|Bhabra]], [[Alirajpur State]]<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090619090326/http://www.rrtd.nic.in/chandrashekharazad.htm Chandra shekar Azad (1906–1931)]. rrtd.nic.in</ref><ref name="BhawanRana2005">{{cite book | author=Bhawan Singh Rana | title=Chandra Shekhar Azad (An Immortal Revolutionary Of India) | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sudu7qABntcC&pg=PA10 | access-date=11 September 2012 | date=1 January 2005 | publisher=Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd. | isbn=978-81-288-0816-6 | page=10}}</ref>

| death_date        = {{Death date and age|1931|02|27|1906|07|23|df=yes}}

| death_place        = [[Allahabad]], [[United Provinces of British India|United Provinces]]

| occupation        = [[Freedom Fighter]]

| organization      = {{hlist|[[Hindustan Republican Association]]|[[Hindustan Socialist Republican Association]]}}

| other_names        = Azad, Balraj, Panditji

'''Chandra Shekhar Tiwari''' ({{pronunciation|Chadra shekar Azad.ogg}}<ref>{{Britannica|1913067|Chandrasekhar Azad}})</ref> (23 July 1906 — 27 February 1931), popularly known as '''Chandra Shekhar Azad''', was an Indian [[Indian independence movement|revolutionary]] who reorganised the [[Hindustan Republican Association]] (HRA) under its new name of [[Hindustan Socialist Republican Association]] (HSRA) after the death of its founder, [[Ram Prasad Bismil]], and three other prominent party leaders, [[Roshan Singh]], [[Rajendra Nath Lahiri]] and [[Ashfaqulla Khan]]. He hailed from [[Bhavra]] in [[Alirajpur State]] and his parents were Sitaram Tiwari and Jagrani Devi. He often used the pseudonym "Balraj" when signing pamphlets issued as the commander in chief of the HSRA.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mahatma Gandhi tried his best to save Bhagat Singh |url=https://www.thequint.com/voices/opinion/mahatma-gandhi-tried-his-best-to-save-bhagat-singhs-life |access-date=4 September 2018 |publisher=me Quint}}</ref>

Chandrashekhar Azad was born on 23 July 1906 in [[Bhavra|Bhabhra village]] as Chandra Shekhar Tiwari, in the princely-state of [[Alirajpur State|Alirajpur]]. His forefathers were from [[Badarka|Badarka village]] of [[Unnao district|Unao district]]. His mother, Jagrani Devi, was the third wife of Sitaram Tiwari, whose previous wives had died young. After the birth of their first son, Sukhdev, in Badarka, the family moved to [[Alirajpur State]].<ref name="CalcuttaEnglish1958">{{cite book | publisher = University of Calcutta. Dept. of English | title=The Calcutta review | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4BAxAQAAMAAJ | access-date=11 September 2012 | year=1958 | page=44}}</ref><ref name="CatherineAsher1994">{{cite book | editor=Catherine B. Asher | title=India 2001: reference encyclopedia | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F_BtAAAAMAAJ | access-date=11 September 2012 | date=June 1994 | publisher=South Asia Publications | isbn=978-0-945921-42-4 | page = 131 }}</ref>

His mother wanted her son to be a great [[Sanskrit]] scholar and persuaded his father to send him to Kashi Vidyapeeth, [[Banaras]], to study. In 1921, when the [[Non-Cooperation Movement]] was at its height, Chandra Shekhar, then a 15-year-old student, joined. As a result, he was arrested on 20 December. On being presented before the Parsi district magistrate Justice M. P. Khareghat a week later, he gave his name as "Azad" (''The Free''), his father's name as "Swatantrata" (''Independence'') and his residence as "Jail". The angered magistrate ordered him to be detained in jail for 23 weeks and ordered him to be punished with 15 lashes a day.<ref>{{cite book |title=Chandra Shekhar Azad (An Immortal Revolutionary of India) |first=Bhawan Singh |last=Rana |publisher=Diamond Pocket Books |year=2005 |isbn=9788128808166 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sudu7qABntcC |pages=22–24}}</ref>

After the suspension of the [[non-cooperation movement]] in 1922 by [[Mahatma Gandhi]], Azad was disappointed. He met a young revolutionary, [[Manmath Nath Gupta]], who introduced him to [[Ram Prasad Bismil]] who had formed the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA), a revolutionary organization. He then became an active member of the HRA and started to collect funds for HRA. Most of the fund collection was through robberies of government property. He was involved in the [[Kakori Train Robbery]] of 1925, the shooting of J. P. Saunders at [[Lahore]] in 1928 to avenge the killing of [[Lala Lajpat Rai]], and at last, in the attempt to blow up the [[Viceroy of India]]'s train in 1929.

Despite being a member of Congress, [[Motilal Nehru]] regularly gave money in support of Azad.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The Congress and the Revolutionaries in the 1920s |first1=S. K. |last1=Mittal |first2=Irfan |last2=Habib |journal=Social Scientist |volume=10 |issue=6 |date=June 1982 |pages=20–37 |doi=10.2307/3517065 |jstor=3517065}}</ref>

      Azad made [[Jhansi]] his organization's hub for some time. He used the forest of [[Orchha]], situated {{convert|15|km|mi}} from Jhansi, as a site for shooting practice and, being an expert marksman, he trained other members of his group. He built a hut near to a [[Hanuman temple]] on the banks of the [[Betwa River|Satar River]] and lived there under the alias of Pandit Harishankar Bramhachari for a long period. He taught children from the nearby village of [[Tikamgarh|Dhimarpura]] and thus managed to establish a good rapport with the local residents

      One of his main supporters was Bundelkhand Kesri Dewan Shatrughan Singh, the founder of the freedom movement in Bundelkhand, he gave Azad financial as well as assistance with weapons and fighters. Azad visited his fort multiple times in [[Orai|Mangrauth]].

[[File: Pamphlet by HSRA after Saunders murder.jpg|thumb|HSRA pamphlet after Saunders' murder, signed by Balraj, a pseudonym of Chandrashekhar Azad]]

The Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) was formed by Bismil, Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee, [[Sachindra Nath Sanyal]] and Shachindra Nath Bakshi in 1923. Prasad, [[Ashfaqulla Khan]], [[Thakur Roshan Singh]] and [[Rajendra Nath Lahiri]] were sentenced to death for their participation. Azad, [[Keshab Chakravarthy]] and [[Murari Sharma|Murari Lal Gupta]] evaded capture. Chandra Shekhar Azad later reorganized the HRA with the help of revolutionaries like [[Shiv Verma]] and Mahavir Singh.

In 1928, along with [[Bhagat Singh]] and other revolutionaries he secretly reorganised the H (HRA), renaming it as (HSRA) on 8—9 September,<ref>{{cite journal |title=Civil Disobedience 1930–31 |first=Irfan |last=Habib |author-link=Irfan Habib |journal=Social Scientist |volume=25 |issue=9/10 |date=September 1997 |pages=43–66 |doi=10.2307/3517680 |jstor=3517680 }}</ref> so as to achieve their primary aim of an independent India based on socialist principle. The insight of his revolutionary activities is described by [[Manmath Nath Gupta]], a fellow member of HSRA in his numerous writings. Gupta has also written his biography titled "Chandrashekhar Azad" in his book ''History of the Indian Revolutionary Movement'' (English version of above: 1972) he gave a deep insight into Azad's activities, his ideologies and the HSRA.

[[File: The tree at whose platform Azad shot himself.jpg|thumb|left|The tree at [[Alfred Park]] in Allahabad where Azad died]]

[[File: Chandrashekar azad.jpg|thumb|Statue of Azad at [[Alfred Park]] in Allahabad]]

 

On 27 February 1931, the CID head of the police at [[Allahabad]], [[John Nott-Bower|Sir J. R. H. Nott-Bower]] was tipped off by someone that Azad was at [[Alfred Park]] and was having a talk with his companion Sukhdev Raj. On receiving it, Bower called on the Allahabad police to accompany him to the park to arrest him. Azad's old comrades Veerbhadra Tiwari and Yashpal were also held responsible for tipping off two of the police constables. The police arrived at the park and surrounded it from all four sides. Some constables along with DSP Thakur Vishweshwar Singh entered the park armed with rifles and the shootout began. Sukhdev Raj escaped uninjured. Azad hid behind a tree to save himself and began to fire from behind it. The police fired back.   After a long shootout, holding true to his pledge to always remain ''Azad'' (Free) and never be captured alive, he shot himself on the head with his last bullet. In the shootout, Bower and DSP Singh were injured in the right palm and jaws respectively. The police recovered Azad's body after the other officers arrived at the site.  

The body was sent to Rasulabad Ghat for cremation without informing the general public. As it came to light, people surrounded the park where the incident had taken place. They chanted slogans against British rule and praised Azad.<ref name="Khatri 1983 138–139">{{Cite book|title=Shaheedon Ki Chhaya Mein|last=Khatri|first=Ram Krishna|year=1983|publisher=Vishwabharati Prakashan|location=Nagpur|pages=138–139}}</ref>

Several schools, colleges, roads, and other public institutions across India are also named after him. Starting from Jagdish Gautam's 1963 film ''Chandrasekhar Azad'' and [[Manoj Kumar]]'s 1965 film ''[[Shaheed (1965 film)|Shaheed]]'', many films have featured the character of Azad. [[Manmohan (actor)|Manmohan]] played Azad in the 1965 film, [[Sunny Deol]] portrayed Azad in the movie ''[[23rd March 1931: Shaheed]]'', Azad was portrayed by [[Akhilendra Mishra]] in [[The Legend of Bhagat Singh]] and [[Raj Zutshi]] portrayed Azad in ''[[Shaheed-E-Azam]]''. In the 2006 film, ''[[Rang De Basanti]]'', produced and directed by [[Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra]], Azad was portrayed by [[Aamir Khan]].

[[Jawaharlal Nehru]] however in his [[An Autobiography (Nehru)|autobiography]] writes that Azad met him a few weeks before his death, inquiring about the possibility of not being considered an outlaw as a result of [[Gandhi-Irwin pact]]. He also saw the 'futility' of his methods and so did many of his associates, though not completely convinced of the 'peaceful methods'.<ref>{{Cite book|title=An Autobiography|publisher=Nehru, Jawaharlal|year=1936|isbn=9780143031048|pages=262}}</ref>

The lives of Azad, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Bismil, and Ashfaq were depicted in the 2006 film ''[[Rang De Basanti]]'', with [[Aamir Khan]] portraying Azad. The movie, which draws parallels between the lives of young revolutionaries such as Azad and Bhagat Singh, and today's youth, also dwells upon the lack of appreciation among today's Indian youth for the sacrifices made by these men.<ref>{{Cite AV media|website=YouTube|publisher=Film Writers Association|title=Is The Indian Script Unique|date=13 April 2012|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BFSpBoX9uM&t=23m34s |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/8BFSpBoX9uM |archive-date=2021-12-13 |url-status=live|time=23:34|access-date=1 August 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

The 2018 television series ''[[Chandrashekhar (TV series)|Chandrashekhar]]'' chronicles the life of Chandra Shekhar Azad from his childhood to the legendary revolutionary leader. In the series young Chandrashekar Azad was portrayed by Ayaan Zubair, Azad in his teens by [[Dev Joshi]] and Adult Azad by Karan Sharma.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/hindi/this-peace-is-the-result-of-the-sacrifice-of-freedom-fighters-like-azad-ayaan-zubair/articleshow/63545605.cms|title=This peace is the result of the sacrifice of freedom fighters like Azad: Ayaan Zubair |work=[[The Times of India]]|date=31 March 2018 }}</ref>

* [[Ashfaqulla Khan]]

[[Category: Revolutionary movement for Indian independence]]

[[Category: Suicides by firearm in India]]