Chandra Sekhar Azad

Chandra Sekhar Azad Biography

Chandrasekhar Azad was a revolutionary leader and freedom fighter of India. He re-organized the Hindustan Republican Association under the new name of Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) and was the mentor of Bhagat Singh. Azad was also a close associate of Bhagwati Charan Vohra who along with Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru, helped him to transform the HRA into the HSRA in 1928. He firmly believed in socialist principles and the way to achieve freedom by implementing those principles.

Chandra Shekhar Azad was born on 23 July 1906 in Bhawra village of Madhya Pradesh. His birth name is Chandra Shekar Tiwari. He spent his childhood in Bhawra and learned archery from the tribal Bhils. His mother wanted her son to be a great Sanskrit scholar. But young Azad at the age of 15 got inspired by Gandhiji and joined Non-co operative movement in 1921. He was arrested and sentenced to fifteen days' imprisonment with hard punishments. After this incident he changed his name to Chandrasekhar Azad.

Azad became more aggressive in independence movements after that. He committed himself to achieve complete independence by any means. He was one among those earliest leaders who believed that India's future lay in socialism. He met a young revolutionary, Pranvesh Chatterji, who introduced him to Ram Prasad Bismil, the founder of Hindustan Republican Association. Impressed by its aims and principles, he joined it. He wanted to build a new India based on socialist principles and planned with his followers to execute many British officials. His activities were planned and executed from Shahjahanpur. His team was involved in the shooting of J.P. Saunders at Lahore in 1928 to avenge the killing of Lala Lajpat Rai. He was behind Kakori Train Robbery of 1925 and in the attempt to blow up the Viceroy's train in 1926 as well. Despite being a member of Congress, Motilal Nehru regularly gave money to support their activities.

In the last week of February 1931, Azad went to Allahabad. On 27 February 1931 he went to Alfred Park to meet a revolutionary Sukhdev Raj. But the information was given to British by an informer. British attacked him and he was wounded in the firing as well. According to his pledge to never be captured alive, he shot himself dead with his last bullet. After his death, Alfred Park was renamed as Chandrashekhar Azad Park and the colt pistol is displayed at the Allahabad Museum now.

Published: N/A

Updated: October 18, 2013