History and Art and Culture
In News: Using soil from Alirajpur, the birthplace of Chandrashekar Azad, Madhya Pradesh government will install the freedom-fighter’s statue in Bhopal.
Chandrashekar Azad
- Azad was born on 23rd July 1906 in the Alirajpur district of Madhya Pradesh.
- Chandrashekhar Azad was a great Indian freedom fighter.
- His fierce patriotism and courage inspired others of his generation to enter the freedom struggle.
- He was the mentor of Bhagat Singh, another great freedom fighter, and along with Bhagat Singh, he is considered one of the greatest revolutionaries that India has produced.
As a revolutionary
‘Azad’:
- In December 1921, when Gandhiji launched the Non-Cooperation Movement, Chandra Shekhar, then a 15-year-old student, joined.
- As a result, he was arrested.
- On being presented before a magistrate, he gave his name as “Azad” (The Free), his father’s name as “Swatantrata” (Independence) and his residence as “Jail”.
- From that day he came to be known as Chandra Shekhar Azad among the people.
Became famous for:
- Involved in the Kakori Train Robbery of 1925, in the attempt to blow up the Viceroy of India’s train in 1926, and at last the shooting of J. P. Saunders at Lahore in 1928 to avenge the killing of Lala Lajpat Rai.
What inspired him:
- The Jallianwala Bagh tragedy which took place in 1919 was when he decided to join the Non-Cooperation movement led by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920.
Formed:
- He was the chief strategist of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA).
A terror for British police:
- He was on their hit list and the British police badly wanted to capture him dead or alive.
- On February 27, 1931 Azad met two of his comrades at the Alfred Park Allahabad.
- He was betrayed by an informer who had informed the British police.
- The police surrounded the park and ordered Azad to surrender.
- Azad fought alone valiantly and killed three policemen.
- But finding himself surrounded and seeing no route for escape, he shot himself. Thus, he kept his pledge of not being caught alive.
Source: The Indian Express
Previous Year Question
Q.1) Who among the following were the founders of the “Hind Mazdoor Sabha” established in 1948? (2018)
- Krishna Pillai, E.M.S. Namboodiripad and K.C. George
- Jayaprakash Narayan, Deen Dayal Upadhyay and M.N. Roy
- P. Ramaswamy Iyer, K. Kamaraj and Veeresalingam Pantulu
- Ashok Mehta, T.S. Ramanujam and G.G. Mehta
