Two names are most evocative names among the Indian revolutionaries of freedom struggle. Both were comrade-in-arms.
C-in-C of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Army
Chandershekhar Azad was the Commander-in-chief of Hindustan Socialist Republican Army (HSRA), who was named as Balraj in posters handwritten by Bhagat Singh. The posters were on the assassination of J P Saunders, ASP of Lahore.
Philosophy of the Bomb
Another significant document – Philosophy of the Bomb. The document was authored mainly by Bhagwati Charan Vohra, but improvised with Azad’s suggestions, (some referred to Bhagat Singh also having been shown its draft in jail and Yashpal claiming to be its co-author), which was distributed on 26th of January 1930 as Manifesto of HSRA. In some references, it 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 of September 1928 at Ferozeshah Kotla grounds of Delhi. Azad himself was not present in the meeting, 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.
Socialism
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.
The Common People
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 the 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, Jatindranath Das, and others, who were also part of the 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: 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 an in-service IPS officer Pratap Gopender, who has his earlier academic training in the discipline of History and is registered for his research degree at Lucknow University.
A book dispelling myths
This book – Chandrashekhar Azad: Myth Banam Yatharth (Myth vs Reality) – was first published by Lokbharti Prakashan, Allahabad in end-2023, and has run into second edition within three months, despite being a large sized book – 510 pages of text and 16 pages of multiple photographs. The author has presumed that many books written on Azad, are 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, 40 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 revolutionaries, though it has also led to repetition at some pages of both sections of the book.
As a background, the 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 in UP (then-United Provinces) 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 revolutionary 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 identifies 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 of August 1925, which almost destroyed the group. Manmathnath Gupta, who also was a student at Banaras, along with Azad at that time took his brother Manmohan Gupta, Pranvesh Chatterjee and Azad to the newly formed revolutionary HRA. Both Azad and Manmath were part of the 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
Chauri Chaura
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’s decision of withdrawal of non-cooperation movement of 1921 in February 2022, due to Chauri Chaura incident on 5th of February 1922, when a police post was burnt by protesting Satyagrahis becomes somewhat disputed in Azad story.
Flogging
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 during Satyagrah of 1921-22.
The first punishment
His first arrest was on 24th of December 1921 under IPC 143 with age given on police report as 15-year one month, and his punishment was one day simple jail, till the rising of the court for participating in Mahatma Gandhi’s non cooperation movement.
Arrest for second time and 12 lashes
His second arrest came on 12th of February 2022 under the same section of IPC 143, the day Mahatma Gandhi had formally withdrawn non-cooperation movement. On 25th of February Azad was sentenced to 12 lashes on his back. The story goes that he shouted at every lash – Mahatma Gandhi ki Jai, (Victory for the Mahatma Gandhi). 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 (Victory for Mother Bharat) after each lash! In fact, in social media the no.s of lashes are mentioned 15 or 30, but real fact is 12!
The third punishment
The third punishment in continuation of Satyagraha was a notice on 30th of 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 was referred as 15 years 11 months.
Azad
Azad was honoured publicly by Banaras Congress committee on 1st of 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 on the report on lashing. But later Bhavishya from Allahabad carried his name as Azad, father’s name as Swadhin, and address of residence as Jail in some of the newspaper’s issues!
Names in cloud
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 different noting. His place of birth place is certain: Bhabra of Alirajpur district of present day Madhya Pradesh, perhaps in earlier days-Central Province (CP), his father’s name is confirmed as Sitaram Tewari and mother’s 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 later shifted to Badraka, his in-laws place. So, the two names one finds as Bhabra as birthplace 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.
Feeding
Reference is found of an elderly Muslim woman feeding kid Chandrashekhar. Azad’s father seems to had three marriages, but only two boys survived from his last wife – Azad’s 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 until 1951; last two or more years she was living with Azad’s 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.
A labourer
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 schoolteacher, who took care of Azad’s education, and even, got him a job also. He was a reliable shelter for Azad during underground life. Sometime in early 1920, Azad ran away from home and job and reached Bombay (now, Mumbai), 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 in Mumbai, most workers used to drink milk, lifting from the ships. Azad had Brahminical way of life, but that 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 used to visit cinema houses to watch films.
Underground revolutionary life
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, Azad spent initial fourteen years of his life; Azad’s 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 the non-cooperation movement in 1921. It was here when Shivvinayak Mishra, who had some connection with Azad’s ancestral place Unnao, took care of Chandershekhar. There he worked with Congress leaders like Dr. Sampurananand (later CM of UP) and Dr. Abdul Bari. Even Lal Bahadur Shastri was also student in Banaras during Azad’s time.
Hero of the Satyagraha
Shivvinayak Mishra actually organised civic reception for 16-year-old child Azad as hero of the Satyagraha. Later after the martyrdom of Azad on 27th of February 1931, Mrs Kamala 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 of 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 the Congress leaders in the initial phase of his political life!
Four letters
During his participation in Satyagrah, Azad wrote a letter to Hindi daily Aaj, whose editor Shiv Prasad Sitare Hind was 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 that is hand written in Devnagri script and is quite viral in social media; and other three are printed ones, from which one looks doubtful to the author. But another letter, a bit long, which was dictated perhaps 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. He was well versed in Hindi, Sanskrit and Urdu, all three.
Books, and not just a military man
There are references of Azad reading and understanding these languages. Though he was not fascinated by books as was 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.
Features of personality
There are many other narrations and clearance of clouds over stories relating to Azad, but some of the features of his personality very clearly underlined in the book are:
1. He was a very simple looking and in essence simple- and good-hearted person.
Total commitment to revolution
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 would used to take food last, after all his comrades had taken food and sometimes even skipped food himself to take care of his comrades.
Good shooter
4. He was a very good shooter and could shoot the target perfectly.
Non-communal
5. He was completely non-communal, despite his Brahminical background. He worked as motor mechanic in a workshop of 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, (all are food of this land), but he could eat anything cooked with meat and eat keeping meet out. Impressed by Bhagat Singh’s arguments, he started eating even uncooked eggs!
Harsh and soft
6. He looked very harsh from outside but was very soft and emotional, could not see anyone crying!
Betrayal and Azad assassinated
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, later, a Hindi writer, Sadguru Sharan Awasthy, Veer Bhadar Tewari, Sukhdev Raj, Ranrakh Singh Sehgal, Vishav Nath Vaishmpayan and one unknown traitor!
The culprit
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 of 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 expresses 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 in an earlier book by another police officer Dharmendera Gaur – Azad ke Gaddar Saathi. In the book, 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 the town on that day and Kamala Nehru had made arrangements for Azad cremation along with other Congressmen 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 requests!
Authentic
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; and the book is useful for both activists and scholars/researchers.
Chaman Lal, retired Professor from JNU, New Delhi, is Honorary Advisor, Bhagat Singh Archives and Resource Centre, Delhi Archives, New Delhi, India.
The article was first posted in Bhagat Singh Study (https://bhagatsinghstudy.blogspot.com/2024/07/on-chandrashekhar-azad-birth.html) on July 23, 2024 On Chandrashekhar Azad birth anniversary-23rd July-a new biography in Hindi
Bhagat Singh Study is a blog to know about great Indian martyr Bhagat Singh and other revolutionaries of the world, who played historic role in shaping the destiny of Indian nation and the world. Revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh and Che Guevara are the icons of youth, who fought to change the world. In this blog, there are photographs, documents and research material about Bhagat Singh and other revolutionaries of the world.
