Ashfaqulla Khan - Freedom Fighter of India

This talks about Ashfaqulla Khan who was an Indian freedom fighter .

1. MY INDIA, MY PRIDE ~ INDIAN FREEDOM FIGHTERS ~ Ashfaqulla Khan 'The martyr of Kakori'

2. WHO WAS HE? He was involved in the Kakori train dacoity of 1925 where money was being taken from India to the British Treasury. He is remembered as a revolutionary man who became a martyr and a legend among his people due to his love for the motherland, his clear thinking, unshakeable courage, firmness and loyalty. His life was depicted in the movie, Rang de Basanti.

3. EARLY LIFE Ashfaqulla Khan was born in the Shahjahanpur district, United Provinces of British India. He was born to Shafiq Ullah Khan and Mazharunissa who were Muslim Pathans of the Khyber tribe (of the landlord class). He was the youngest among five siblings, born in 1900. Shahjahanpur District

4. INTEREST IN ACTIVISM In 1918, the police raided and arrested a student of his school (when he was in 7th standard) for involvement in the Mainpuri Conspiracy. This incident spurred his interest in the revolution. He met Ram Prasad Bismil who was closely connected to the Mainpuri Conspiracy; and got involved in non-cooperation, Swaraj Movement, and Hindustan Republican Association.

5. HRA was a radical left-wing Indian Revolutionary organization founded by Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Sachindra Nath Bakshi, Sachindranath Sanyal, and Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee. Like many others, Khan was inspired by Lenin and the Bolshevik Revolution of Russia. He wished for the liberation of the poor and the rejection of capitalist interest. He, also, spoke widely against religious communalism. HINDUSTAN REPUBLICAN ASSOCIATION (HRA)

6. हम भारतमाता के रंगमंच पर अपना पार्ट अदा कर चुके हैं. हमने गलत अथवा सही जो कुछ भी किया, वह स्वतंत्रता प्राप्ति की भावना से किया. कुछ लोग हमारे इस काम की प्रशंसा भी करेंगे और कुछ लोग निंदा. किन्तु हमारे साहस और वीरता की प्रशंसा हमारे दुश्मनों तक को करनी पड़ेगी. Ashfaqulla Khan UNITED PROVINCES, BRITISH INDIA

7. KAKORI CONSPIRACY Kakori Conspiracy took place on August 9, 1925 in a small town called Kakori, near Lucknow. They looted that specific train (Number 8 Down Train) because it was carrying the money bags (taxes) which belonged to the Indians and was being transferred to the British government treasury. They looted Rs. 4600 in cash and used it to fund the HRA. This conspiracy instilled a sense of revolution in the public eye and was a huge protest against the Britishers.

8. KAKORI CONSPIRACY Khan eventually returned to Delhi, but was arrested when one of his friends reported his location to the police. 7 Dec 1926 Meeting of HRA to discuss funding for arms & ammunition 8 Aug 1925 Khan and other revolutionaries attacked and robbed the train passing through Kakori. Bismil was arrested and Khan fled to Nepal. He worked as a clerk in Kanpur & Daltonganj, under disguise. 26 Oct 1925 9 Aug 1925

9. KAKORI CONSPIRACY 40 people were arrested in the Kakori Conspiracy and labelled as 'terrorists'. Many were charged with multiple offences like, robbery and murder. 14 were released due to insufficient evidence. The court assigned Jagat Narayan Mulla as the prosecutor, knowing that he had a grudge against Bismil. The final verdict came on 11 August 1927. Kakori Trial

10. KAKORI CONSPIRACY Ram Prasad Bismil, Roshan Singh, Rajendra Nath Lahiri and Ashfaqullah Khan were sentenced to death. Sachindranath Sanyal, Sachindranath Bakshi, Govind Charan Kar, Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee and Mukundi Lal were deported to Kala Pani (Port Blair Cellular Jail) for life imprisonment. Others got jail time ranging from 3 years upto 14 years. Final Judgement

11. DEATH Ashfaqulla Khan was sentenced to death and was executed on 19 December 1927 (aged 27) at the Faizabad Jail. When Ashfaqullah was in jail, the British police tried to persuade him to testify against his fellow revolutionaries. They lured him with many promises and even evoked his Muslim identity to persuade him. Ashfaqullah Khan, the true nationalist and patriot that he was, refused to budge from his stance and embraced the gallows happily.

12. BEFORE HE WAS TAKEN TO THE GALLOWS, ASHFAQ PENNED THIS POEM: “Tang aa kar hum unke zulm se bedad se Chal diye suye-adam zindane Faizabad se”

13. FUN FACT Ashfaqulla Khan was a great writer. He would write diaries and patriotic poems regularly. He wrote under the pseudonym, 'Warsi' and 'Hasrat' when he wrote poems and ghazals in Urdu.

14. LEGACY The Indian Postal Service released a stamp bearing the names and photos of Ashfaqulla Khan and Ram Prasad Bismil on 19 December 1997 with a denomination of Rs. 2. Shaheed Ashfaq Ullah Khan Zoological Park or Gorakhpur Zoological Garden was constructed by the Uttar Pradesh Government in 2020. The zoo is home to more than 226 animals including lions, tigers, rhinos, and a beautiful aquarium; alongwith a veterinary hospital.

15. POPULAR CULTURE Khan and his companions were depicted in the 2006 feature film 'Rang De Basanti' . Khan's character was depicted by Kunal Kapoor and Bismil's by Atul Kulkarni. Chetanya Adib depicted Khan in the TV series, ' Chandrashekhar' . ' Mujahid-E-Azadi – Ashfaqullah Khan' was a show aired on DD Urdu in 2014. Rang De Basanti Movie

16. REFERENCES https://thelogicalindian.com/history/remembering-ashfaqulla-khan-the-kakori-revolutionary-who-was-hanged-by-britishers-31402 https://indianculture.gov.in/node/2806443 https://amritmahotsav.nic.in/unsung-heroes-detail.htm?186 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashfaqulla_Khan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindustan_Socialist_Republican_Association https://starsunfolded.com/ashfaqulla-khan/