Chandra Shekhar Azad

Table of contents

Context (IE): Recently, the death anniversary of Chandra Shekhar Azad was observed.

About Chandra Shekhar Azad

Born in 1906 in the princely state of Alirajpur (present-day Madhya Pradesh). His original Name was ‘Chandra Shekhar Sitaram Tiwari’.
At age 15 while participating in non-cooperation movement (1920–21) at Banares. He was arrested and put under trial in the court of Khareghat.
Chandrashekhar’s attitude in the court was defiant. He was reported to have announced his name as ‘Azad’, his father’s name as ‘Swatantrata’, and his residence as ‘prison’.

Militant Path: Azad was very upset when Gandhi called off the Non Cooperation Movement in February 1922. Like many of his contemporaries, his frustration pushed him down a more militant path.
Hindustan Republican Army (HRA): Joined HRA of Ram Prasad Bismil and Sachindranath Sanyal.
Kakori Mail Robbery (1925): Involved in Kakori Robbery under the leadership of Ram Prasad Bismil.
Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA): In 1928, Azad and his comrades transformed the HRA into HSRA.
Saunders Assassination (1928): Avenging Lala Lajpat Rai’s death, Bhagat Singh and Rajguru killed British officer John Saunders, while Azad shot a pursuing constable.
Legislative Assembly Bombing (1929): It was at his instance that Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt exploded bombs in the Central Legislative Assembly on 8 April 1929.
He was also indirectly involved in the attempt to blow up the Viceroy’s train in December 1929.

Meeting at Feroz Shah Kotla (1928): Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) reorganised into Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA).
Key Members Present: Bhagat Singh, Bejoy Kumar Sinha, Shiv Varma, Jaidev Kapur, Bhagwati Charan Vohra, and Sukhdev (Chandrashekhar Azad did not attend the meeting).
Objective: Bhagat Singh and his comrades advocated for socialism as a core objective.
- They believed India’s freedom was not just political independence but also economic liberation.
Leadership: Focused on collective leadership and mass movements rather than individual actions.
- Azad was Commander of the Military Division responsible for leading organised armed resistance against British rule.

Chandrashekhar Azad was betrayed by an associate to police on 27 February 1931 in Alfred Park, Allahabad (now Prayagraj).
Fighting bravely, he used his last bullet to shoot himself, ensuring that he was never captured alive.