In December 1927, four dedicated activists of the Indian independence movement were executed – a full two years after their involvement in the Kakori Train Action. During this monumental event, members of the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) successfully looted a train transporting money intended for the British treasury. These brave individuals sacrificed their lives in an effort to shape India’s struggle for freedom and are remembered fondly for their courage.
The Genesis of the Hindustan Republican Association
The Non-Cooperation Movement, initiated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920, advocated for peaceful resistance and called upon Indians to refrain from supporting British-related activities within India. However, after the Chauri Chaura Incident in 1922, during which police gunfire led to the deaths of several protestors, followed by a retaliatory mob attack resulting in death of several policemen, the trajectory of the movement changed. Despite opposing views from within the Indian National Congress (INC), Gandhi made the decision to abruptly end the movement.
This decision disillusioned a group of young men, leading to the establishment of the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA). Founders included Ram Prasad Bismil and Ashfaqulla Khan, both famed poets, as well as Sachindra Nath Bakshi and trade unionist Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee. Other noteworthy figures such as Chandra Shekhar Azad and Bhagat Singh later joined the HRA.
The HRA Ideological Foundation
Officially launched on January 1st, 1925, the HRA’s manifesto, aptly titled Krantikari (Revolutionary), outlined the party’s primary objective: to establish the Republic of the United States of India through organized, armed revolution. Contrary to common beliefs, the revolutionaries stated that they were neither terrorists nor anarchists, and only regarded terrorism as a necessary countermeasure under certain circumstances.
The HRA’s vision was to establish a republic rooted in universal voting rights and socialist principles, with a major focus on abolishing systems that enabled human exploitation. By 1928, the organization transitioned into the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) due to their growing affiliation with socialist ideologies. Under the leadership of visionary figures such as Bhagat Singh, the HSRA managed to merge nationalist aspirations with socialist principles, significantly altering the course of India’s fight for independence.
The Significant Kakori Train Action Incident
In August 1925, the HRA orchestrated their first significant operation, known as the Kakori Train Action. The targeted train, the Number 8 Down Train, traveled between Shahjahanpur and Lucknow. As the train neared Kakori, revolutionary Rajendranath Lahiri halted the train by pulling the emergency chain and wrestled control from the guard.
The train was carrying treasury bags filled with government funds destined for the British treasury in Lucknow. The revolutionaries, believing this money rightfully belonged to the Indian people, planned to seize these funds both to support the HRA and draw public attention to their mission.
In response to this daring raid, British authorities reacted with a forceful crackdown, leading to the arrest of several HRA members. Out of forty arrested individuals, four – Rajendranath Lahiri, Ashfaqullah Khan, Ram Prasad Bismil, Thakur Roshan Singh – faced execution, while others were subjected to lengthy prison sentences. Of all the prominent HRA leaders, Chandrashekhar Azad was the only one who successfully avoided capture.