The Kakori conspiracy (or Kakori
train robbery or Kakori case)
was a train robbery that took place between Kakori
and, near Lucknow,
on 9 august 1925. This 'Robbery' was organised by the Hindustan
Republican Association
(later was named as Hindustan
Socialist Republican Association).
It was executed by Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqullah Khan, Rrajendra
Lahiri, Roshan Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad,
Sachindra
Bakshi, Keshab Chakravarty,
Manmathnath
Gupta, Murari Lal Gupta, Mukundi Lal and Banwari Lal.
The British rulers secured the death
penalty for Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqullah Khan, Rrajendra
Lahiri, Roshan Singh courtesy a kangaroo
court trial on July 18, 1927. Three of them, Roshan Singh (hanged at Naini Jail, Allahabad), Ashfaqullah Khan
(hanged at Faizabad Jail) and Ram Prasad Bismil (Hanged at
Gorakhpur Jail) on the same day on 19 December 1927. Rajendra Lahiri was hanged at Gonda Jail
on December 17, 1927, two days before
the scheduled date.
The British government and its
Indian lackeys propagated that these martyrs and their comrades who took
possession of the British Government treasury being transported in Kakori Mail,
near Kakori on August 9, 1925 were simply romantic, hot-headed, adventure
loving young men who loved guns and fire-arms. They were referred to as
terrorists. It is far from truth. On the contrary, these revolutionaries were
highly politicized and aware of the fact that the goal of overthrowing the
British imperialist rule in India could not be achieved till the people of
India discarding their religious bickering did not unite. They were led by a
genuine urge to liberate India from the repressive colonial rule but with mass
involvement. Unfortunately, generations after Independence, we remain ignorant
of their writings and ideological stands.
Let's know what the contemporary
documents tell us about these young men who laid down their lives for the
liberation of India.
(1) British treasury robbed not for buying arms but establishing a printing
press for literature
This revolutionary group waylaid the
British Government treasury at Kakori and captured the same not for
purchasing/manufacturing arms and ammunition but for publishing Socialist
literature to be circulated among youth, peasantry and workers so that they are
politicized and rise in revolt. It shows this group had passed the stage of
terrorism and matured into a revolutionary political group which believed in
involving larger masses in the struggle to overthrow British rule.
(2) For a Socialist India
They knew that to overthrow the
British rule was a serious task and needed ideological clarity. With this aim
they worked tirelessly and formed Hindustan Republican Association/Army [HRA]
whose manifesto 'Revolutionary' was produced as a proof by the prosecution in
the Kakori Case. Even after the martyrdom of these revolutionaries in 1927,
other revolutionary leaders like Bhagat Singh and Chandershekhar Azad continued
with this effort. The conversion of HRA into ‘Hindustan Socialist Republican
Army’ in a secret meeting at Ferozshah Kotla on September 8-9, 1928 gave a
clear-cut Communist direction to the revolutionary movement.
In fact this direction was quite
notable in Ashfaqullah Khan's ‘Message to Countrymen’ which he smuggled out of
Faizabad Jail few days prior to his martyrdom on December 19, 1927. He made his
socialist commitment very clear when addressing to the Communists of India he
wrote:
“I am greatly in agreement with you and want to tell you
that my heart always weeps for the poor peasants and helpless workers. While on
the run I stayed with them and after seeing their condition I often wept…This
is absolutely true that whatever they grow or produce, they
have no share, they always remain sad and in bad shape. I do agree that for all
these things our white Masters and their agents are responsible…I have deep
regards for you in my heart and while dying, I fully agree with your political
aims. I want that kind of freedom for Hindustan where poor should live happily
and with ease. I pray to God that after my death, that day should come at the
earliest when Abdullah mechanic of loco workshop, Dhaniya cobbler and common
peasants are seen sitting on chairs in front of Mr. Khaliq-uz-Zaman, Jagat
Narain Mulla and Raja Saheb Mehmoodabad in Lucknow’s Chhaatter Manzil. My
comrades, my revolutionary brothers—what I can tell you and what I can write to
you, it will be a matter of great pride to you when you will hear that one of
your brothers went to the gallows smiling and was happy while dying. I know
very well about the spirit which your group has and I was proud of it, and now
I am more proud that I am dying as a true revolutionary.”
(3) Anti-people rule survives by dividing people on religious lines
The Kakori martyrs were highly
concerned about the damage communal polarization was going to cause to the
anti-British struggle. It was their firm opinion that communal divide will only
help the British rulers. Ashfaqullah Khan's ‘Message to Countrymen’, in fact,
expressed their collective opinion regarding the game communal forces were
playing in league with the British masters, he wrote:
“Oh! How can we appreciate the present day life when our
political leadership is going through internal strife? If one is fond of Tableegh [the propagation of Islam] the
other believes that dying for Shuddhi
only will lead to emancipation. Government secret service agents finance the
spread of religious propaganda. Their aim is not to defend religion or help it
to flourish but to create obstacles in the path of the moving train [of the
freedom struggle].”
While pouring out his heart for his
countrymen both Hindus and Muslims he went on to warn them:
“Brothers! Your civil war, your internal bickering will not
be useful for any of you. This is impossible that 7 crores Muslims can be
converted to Hinduism [through Shuddhi]
and likewise it is futile to believe that 22 crores Hindus
can be turned into Muslims. However, [if they continue fighting with each
other] it is easy and very easy that all of them together will continue to be
in chains.”
The Kakori martyrs belonging to
different religions and regions expressed these words of wisdom when foreign
rulers had India under their Iron Heel. They could rule India by putting one
religious community against the other; institutionalized as Divide and Rule.
Sadly, almost seven decades after the birth of a democratic-secular India, the
polity has been taken over by RSS/BJP rulers who are using every evil tool in
the armoury of the Hindutva fascism to divide India on religious lines. The new
Citizen Amendment Act 2019 and war cries for introducing National Register of
Citizens will put to shame even the British masters who ruled India once. All
those who want to save India from the Hindutva juggernaut must come out on
streets, holding photographs of these martyrs in hands and their words of
caution and unity on the lips.
Shamsul
Islam
December
19, 2019
Link
for some of S. Islam's writings in English, Hindi, Urdu, Marathi, Malayalam,
Kannada, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati and video interviews/debates:
Facebook:
shamsul
Twitter:
@shamsforjustice
http://shamsforpeace.blogspot.com/
Email:
notoinjustice@gmail.com
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