Union Home Minister paid tribute to Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, and Roshan Singh on their Balidaan Diwas (19th December), honoring their sacrifice in the Kakori Train Action that shook the foundations of British rule.
Kakori Train Action (1925)
What was it?
The Kakori Train Action was a revolutionary act carried out on 9 August 1925 by members of the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) to obtain funds for the freedom struggle by looting government money.
Historical Context:
Took place after the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (1919) and the withdrawal of the Non-Cooperation Movement (1922), which disillusioned many young nationalists.
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- This disillusionment led to the formation of the HRA in 1924 to pursue revolutionary methods.
Objective
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To fund revolutionary activities
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To demonstrate that armed resistance was possible against British rule
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To inspire youth towards revolutionary nationalism
Leaders & Participants
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Ram Prasad Bismil (leader)
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Ashfaqulla Khan
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Chandrashekhar Azad
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Rajendra Lahiri
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Sachindra Nath Bakshi
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Thakur Roshan Singh
British British Response & Trial:
A massive crackdown led to the Kakori Conspiracy Case 1925. After an 18-month trial, four revolutionaries—Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqullah Khan, and Thakur Roshan Singh—were hanged on 19th December 1927, while others received life imprisonment.
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Punishments:
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Hanged: Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Rajendra Lahiri
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Executed later: Thakur Roshan Singh
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Imprisonment: Sachindra Nath Bakshi (life imprisonment)
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Chandrashekhar Azad escaped
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Historical Significance:
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Exposed the limitations of revolutionary methods in mass mobilisation
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Led to rethinking among revolutionaries
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Resulted in the reorganisation of HRA into Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) in 1928 with socialist ideology
