Chandrashekhar Azad- latest biography of an iconic revolutionary
Chaman Lal*
Two names are
most evocative names among Indian revolutionaries of freedom struggle. Both
were comrade in arms. Chandershekhar Azad was the Commander-in-chief of
Hindustan Socialist Republican Army (HSRA), who was named as Balraj in Bhagat
Singh handwritten posters on the assassination of Lahore ASP, J P Saunders.
Another significant document-Philosophy of the Bomb. Authored mainly by
Bhagwati Charan Vohra but improvised with Azad suggestions, (some referring to
Bhagat Singh also having been shown its draft in jail and Yashpal claiming to
be its co-author), which was distributed on 26th January 1930 as
Manifesto of HSRA in some references also went in the name of Commander in
Chief of HSRA with different name of Kartar Singh. Interestingly when HRA-Hindustan
Republican Army/Association (HRA), was renamed as HSRA, adding Socialist word
to it in a meeting held on 8&9th September 1928 at Ferozeshah
Kotla grounds of Delhi, Azad himself was not present, but he was elected
Commander-in-chief of its armed wing. It is understood that Bhagat Singh had
spoken to Azad, prior to the meeting and had his consent about the change.
Though Bhagat Singh’s formal designation was different, he was considered the
ideological head of the renamed organisation with emphatically declaring Socialism
as the goal of the organisation.
It is true that Bhagat Singh has got
more focussed and centralised attention of writers and more than 600 hundred
books have been authored on him in nearly 20 Indian and foreign languages, the
maximum being in Hindi-more than 250, but Chandrashekhar Azad was as popular
among common people as Bhagat Singh was especially in North and Central India.
Books written on Chandrashekhar Azad also are substantial, especially in Hindi,
more than no of books written on Sukhdev, Rajguru, Mahavir Singh, Bhagwati
Charan Vohra, Mahavir Singh, Jatindranath Das etc, who were also part of HSRA
and were martyred inside jails or outside. Bhagat Singh has now drawn the
attention of renowned academician’s world over, so many such research-based
books are being published and are in the process of publication. Azad also has
drawn at least one academician’s attention and Ashoka University’s historian
Aparna Vaidik has based her book-Waiting for Swaraj- published in last
few years. The latest book on Chandrashekhar Azad has been penned and published
by a in service IPS officer Pratap Gopender, who has his academic training
earlier in the discipline of History and
is registered for his research degree at Lucknow University.
This book named as Chandrashekhar Azad:
Mythk Banam Yatharth(Myth vs Reality) published by Lokbharti Prakashan
Allahabad in 2023 end , has run into second edition within three months,
despite being a large sized book-510 pages of text and 16 pages of multiple
photographs. Author has presumed that many books written on Azad, ae full of
mythical stories about him (as many on Bhagat Singh as well) and his task is to
analyse the books with the help of historic records, mostly from police or
archival records and present his own assessment of the claims made in these
books. He has based his findings on the base of 125 books-114 in Hindi and 11
in English, 14 special issues on Azad or revolutionaries, all in Hindi, forty
primary sources, books and reports etc, the list of which he has provided in
bibliography. In nearly 380 pages in twelve chapters, the author has recreated
the life story of Azad, but in nine appendices, including bibliography he has
devoted another 125 pages, some of which are as important``` as earlier
chapters of the book like personality, ideology and memoirs of Azad by his
fellow revolutionizes, though it has also led to repetition at some pages of
both sections of the book.
As a background author gives a lion’s eye
view of the revolutionary movements during freedom struggle. Though he refers
to other revolutionary movements like Ghadar party also, but that was not
required as sometimes giving a sketchy reference is not close to real facts.
His reference to background of HRA and HSRA are more useful, as he refers to
two centres of revolutionary movements n UP (United Province) of that
time-Banaras and Kanpur, later Jhansi, Agra and Saharanpur played their part.
But basic fact about formation of HRA is that it was joining of Anushilan
Samiti and Sachindernath Sanyal’s evolutionary groups with the mediation of Trailokya
Nath Chakravarti, whose book Thirty years in Jail is known. The new organisation
was given name Hindustan Republican Association, its exact date and venue are
not yet identified, some say it as in 1923, but Gopender Pratap identify it as
at a village in near Dacca in May 1924. Jogesh Chatterjee was its leader in the
beginning, after his arrest, as per author Ram Prasad Bismil led it, who led
the major action of Kakori Rail dacoity on 9th August 1925, which
almost destroyed the group. Manmathnath Gupt, who also was a student at
Banaras, along with Azad at that time took his brother Manmohan Gut, Pranvesh
Chatterjee and Azad to the newly formed revolutionary HRA. Both Azad and
Manmath were part of Kakori dacoity, in which Manmath got life sentence, but
Azad remained absconder till the end of his life. Bhagat Singh had joined the
group at Kanpur when he left home in 1923 from Lahore with letter of Jai
Chandra Vidyalankar, his teacher and Sachindernath Sanyal friend and comrade
Actually, the general impression
created in political history of revolutionary movement is that the youth of
that time like Bhagat Singh and Azad disillusioned by Mahatma Gandhi withdrawal
of non-cooperation movement of 1921 in February 2022, due to Chauri Chaura
incident of 5th February 1922, when a police post was burnt by
protesting Satyagrahis becomes somewhat disputed in Azad story. Moving to Azad
story in chapters like Ancestors, Birth, Childhood, Sanskrit, Satyagrah and
Azad, Pratap Gopender perhaps first time gets record of Azad’s association with
Congress party from very young age of 15 years. The only incident vial in
social media is that of Azad’s punishment of flogging with different no of
lashes. Pratap Gopender brings on record, not just one but three punishments of
Azad in Satyagrah of 1921-22. His first
arrest was on 24th December 1921 under IPC 143 with age given on
police report as 15-year one month and punishment was one day simple jail, till
the rising of the court for participating in Mahatma Gandhis non cooperation movement.
Second arrest comes on 12th February 2022 under same section of IPC 143, the
day Mahatma Gandhi had formally withdrawn non cooperation movement. On 25th
February Azad was sentenced to 12 lashes on his back, the story goes that he
shouted at every lash-Mahatma Gandhi ki Jai, even Jawaharlal Nehru has referred
to it in his autobiography, but Gopender with news clippings of Aaj Hindi daily
of Banaras has put on record that Azad shouted Bharat Mata ki Jai after each
lash! In fact in social media the no’s of lashes are mentioned 15 or 30, but
real fact is 12!Third punishment in continuation of Satyagraha was a notice on
30th May 1922 under section 17(2) of CLA act for giving a lecture,
he was sentenced 20 rupees or three months simple imprisonment in that case, he
paid the fine and his age is referred as 15 years 11 months.
Azad was honoured publicly by Banaras
Congress committee on 1st September 1922 for his brave acts. The
story of name Azad also begins here. His name is printed as first name among 16
non adults in Daily Aaj during December 1921, as Azad in bracket
(Chandrashekhar) During his lashing sentence, there was no story in Aaj at the
time of lashes news, but later Bhavishya from Allahabad carried as name
Azad, Fathers name Swadhin, residence Jail in some issue!
Coming back to Azad birth and family
background. Azad was not born into an already illustrious family like of Bhagat
Singh, whose genealogy of many generations is available. Police records and
family records have got different noting’s. His birth place is certain that is
Bhabra of Alirajpur district of present day Madhya Pradesh, perhaps in earlier
days-Central Province (CP), his fathers name is confirmed as Sitaram Tewari and
mothers name as Jagrani Devi. Sitaram came over to Bhabra for a job in 1899 and
Azad mother followed in1901-2. The ancestral village of Tewari’s seems of Bhauti in Unnao district of UP, but Sitaram
has shifted to Badraka, his in laws place. So the two names one finds as Bhabra
as birth place and Badraka as ancestral place in reference to Azad. Ironically
even the grandfather’s name is in clouds, not to talk of genealogy. At the time
of birth of Azad Bhabra was a small village of 31 houses with population less
than one thousand, but with substantial number of Muslims population. Reference
is found of an elderly Muslim woman feeding kid Chandrashekhar. Azad father
seems to had three marriages, but only two boys survived from his last wife and
Azad mother Jagrani Devi. In fact, Azad’s elder brother Sukhdev lived to do
even a job, but died due to some ailment. Azad’s father died in 1938, seven
years after Azad martyrdom and his mother Jagrani devi survived till 1951, last
two or more years living with Azad friends in Jhansi Sadashiv Malkapurkar, who
took her to Tirth Yatra also. Banarasi Das Chaturved has mentioned that
Jawaharlal Nehru as Prime Minister sent 250/ rupees for Jagrani Devi. But there
was no scheme before Indira Gandhi to help old living freedom fighters or their
families.
Despite being a small village, Bhabra
had a school, post office and hospital. So, Chandrashekhar had his primary
education in village. Manohar Lal Trivedi, who had connection with Badraka,
joined as school teacher, who took care of Azad education and even got him a
job also, he was a reliable shelter for Azad during underground life. Some time in early 1920 Azad
ran away from home and job and reached Bombay, where he spent about six months.
Only Vishwanath Vaishampayan, the close friend and follower of Azad in his three-part
biography, now put into single volume has mentioned Azad’s Bombay life, where
he worked as a labourer in downloading the client’s materials from ships. There
most workers used to drink milk, lifting from the ships. Azad had Brahminical
way of life, but which was shattered in Bombay life style. Initially he cooked
for himself, later he dropped it and started eating at hotels/restaurants. He
used to take bath once a week on holiday and will go to cinema houses to watch
films.
Chandrashekhar was told that in
Banaras, one can study Sanskrit without fee and can get even free food, so some
time in later part of 1920, he reached Banaras and joined a Sanskrit school.
His active social life began to take shape here. As per Gopender Pratap, apart
from Bhabra, where Azad spent initial fourteen years of his life, the second
longest stay was in Banaras from 1920 to 1925, when he went underground in
revolutionary life. Here under the influence of Mahatma Gandhi, he joined non
cooperation movement in 1921. It was here when Shivvinayak Mishra , who had
some connection with Azad ancestral place Unnao, took care of Chandershekhar,
here he worked with Dr. Sampurananand (later CM of UP) and Dr. Abdul Bari like
Congress leaders. Even Lal Bahadur Shastri was also student in Banaras during
Azad’s time. Shivvinayak Mishra actually organised civic reception for
16-year-old child Azad as hero of Satyagraha. Later after the martyrdom of Azad
on 27th February 1931, Mrs Kamla Nehru had sent for Shivvinayak
Mishra, who was out of Banaras at that time to return and take care of last
rites of Azad, which he reached just in time on 28th February at
Rasulabad crematorium. So as Bhagat Singh had close relations with Congress
leaders, as his own family was part of Congress, the second Commander in chief
of HSRA had equally strong relations with Congress leaders in the initial phase
of his political life!
During his participation in Satyagrah,
Azad wrote a letter to Hindi daily Aaj, whose editor Shiv Prasad Sitare Hind as
a fiery nationalist and it was published signed by four satyagrihs, including
Azad. In a chapter in appendix-Letters of Azad, Gopender Pratap has produced four
letters, one which is hand written in Devnagri script and is quite viral in
social media, other three are printed ones, from which one looks doubtful to
the author. But another letter, a bit long, which was perhaps dictated by Azad
to his friend and biographer Vishavnath Vaishampayan, reflects the maturity of
Azad and also breaks the myth of his being illiterate or having little
knowledge. Azad like Bhagat Singh was a polyglot, he could well understand
Punjabi, Rajasthani, Bengali etc, but he was well versed in Hindi, Sanskrit and
Urdu, all three, there are references of Azad reading and understanding these
languages. Though he was not fascinated by books like Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev,
Bhagwati Charan Vohra or some other revolutionaries, especially Bhagat Singh,
about whom his comrades have mentioned as he not only read books, rather he
devoured these! But to project Azad as just a military man without ideological
understanding is unfair to him. He understood the term socialism, very well
from his comrades. One of his comrades have mentioned reading Manifesto of The
Communist Party many times, as Azad wished to understand socialism and he was
convinced by Bhagat Singh.
There are many other narrations and
clearance of clouds over stories relating to Azad, but some of features of his
personality very clearly underlined in the book are-
1.
He was a very simple looking and in essence also
simple- and good-hearted person. 2.He was totally committed to revolutionary
movement and never accepted any favour for his parents or himself. In fact, he
was very secretive about his personal life and observed very strict discipline
of underground life. 3. He was very caring of his comrades and will eat last
after all his comrades had taken food and sometimes even skip food himself to
take care of his comrades. 4. He was a very good shooter and could shoot the
target perfectly. 5, He was completely non communal, despite his Brahminical
background. He worked as motor mechanic in a Muslim owner Sirajudin in Jhansi
and even brought two tins of Ghee walking 14 miles for his daughter’s marriage.
5. He was fond of Khichdi, Kadi-Chaval and Barfi, but he could eat anything
cooked with meat and eat keeping meet out. Impressed by Bhagat Singh arguments,
he started eating even raw eggs! He looked very harsh from outside but was very
soft and emotional, could not see anyone crying!
Gopender Pratap has discussed
the assassination of Azad by British police quite at length, as to pinpoint,
who had betrayed Azad to British police. There had been a huge controversy and
all living revolutionaries participated in prolonged discussions in Dharamyug
Hindi weekly from Bombay and Dinman Hindi weekly from Delhi in 1960 and 70.
Charges of betraying Azad flew at each other. Those who were mentioned as
possible betrayers were- Yashpal, a Hindi writer later, Sadguru Sharan Awasthy,
Veer Bhadar Tewari, Sukhdev Raj, Ranrakh Singh Sehgal, Vishav Nath Vaishmpayan
and one unknown traitor! Like a trained police officer Gopender Pratap has
tried to analyse the possible motives and circumstantial evidences to pinpoint
the real culprit. According to the author there was a third person also with
Azad on 27th February 1931, apart from Sukhdev Raj, to whom Azad had
told to run away and he did. Gopender Pratap identifies that person as Hazari
Lal from Bihar, who also was part of revolutionary movement, he does not
exactly blame him, but suspects his role and also express surprise that why any
of Azad comrades ever mentioned him in their memoirs of the incident! As far as
the real informer he pinpoints Shivcharn Mechanic, who was detained by
Shambhunath DSP at his home to check the information to be correct. Veer Bhadar
Tewari was sent to cross check, it has been mentioned that Azad had seen
Veerbhadar passing from park side. Tewari has always been a suspect, due to his
closeness with DSP Shambhunath, who had once bailed him out. So as per Gopender
Pratap these two-Shivcharn Mechanic and Veerbhadar Tewari were the real
culprits in informing British police, which encircled Alfred Park and Azad went
down fighting, injuring Knot Waber and Bishbeshwar Singh-two police officers.
Gopendr Pratap has bunked earlier book of another police officer Dharmendera
Gaur-Azad ke Gaddar Saathi, in which he has blamed Yashpal for betraying
Azad and also dragged Nehru’s name that they had come from Nehru’s place,
whereas Nehru was not in town that day and Kamla Nehru had made arrangements
for Azad cremation along with other Congress men like Purshotam Das Tandon.
Veer Bhadar Tewari had joined Congress party
later and contested elections on Congress ticket, but Jawaharlal Nehru never
agreed to campaign for him despite rrequests!
There are many more things in the book of
interest to know the real life of Chandrashekhar Azad, it is bit lengthy book,
could have been compacted in shorter version, but it is authentic and sixteen
pages of many historic photographs enriches it more. Those interested in
authentic history of revolutionaries and can read Hindi, they can go for it. It
will not disappoint them, it is useful for both activists and
scholars/researchers.
*Chaman
Lal is a retired Professor from JNU, New Delhi and Honorary Advisor, Bhagat
Singh Archives and Resource Centre, Delhi Archives, New Delhi
.JPEG)
.JPEG)
.JPEG)
.JPEG)
.JPEG)
.JPEG)
.JPEG)
