Hindustan Republican Association and the Kakori Train Action

• 23 Dec 2023

Source: IE

Why in News?

Ninety-six years ago, in December, 1927, four revolutionaries of the Indian independence movement were hanged 2 years after the Kakori Train Action, in which members of the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) had looted a train transporting money to the British treasury.

• It serves as a poignant reminder of their sacrifice and bravery, reigniting reflections on their pivotal roles in shaping the course of India's fight for freedom.

What are the Key Points Related to Hindustan Republican Association?

• Background: Mahatma Gandhi initiated the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920, advocating non-violence and urging Indians to withdraw support from British activities in India.
  • However, the movement's trajectory shifted after the Chauri Chaura Incident in 1922, where police firing led to protesters' deaths and a subsequent mob attack resulted in the death of policemen.
  • Gandhi, despite internal dissent within the INC, abruptly halted the movement.
• Foundation: The decision to halt Non-Cooperation Movement disillusioned a group of young men who founded the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA).
  • Ram Prasad Bismil and Ashfaqulla Khan, both of whom had a flair for poetry, were among the group’s founders. Others included Sachindra Nath Bakshi and trade unionist Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee.
  • Figures such as Chandra Shekhar Azad and Bhagat Singh also joined the HRA.
• Manifesto: Their manifesto released on 1st January, 1925, was titled Krantikari (Revolutionary). It proclaimed the revolutionary party's aim: to establish a federal Republic of the United States of India through an organized, armed revolution.
  • It characterized the revolutionaries as neither terrorists nor anarchists, rejecting terrorism for its own sake while considering it as a potent retaliatory measure when necessary.
• HRA's Vision: They envisioned a republic grounded in universal suffrage and socialist principles, prioritizing the abolition of systems enabling human exploitation.
• Evolution of HRA: HRA transformed into the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) in 1928 due to a shift toward socialist ideologies, broadening its focus from political independence to encompass socio-economic equality.
  • Led by figures like Bhagat Singh, the HSRA merged nationalist aspirations with socialist principles, altering the trajectory of India's freedom struggle.

What was the Kakori Train Action Incident?

• The train robbery at Kakori was the HRA’s first major action, in August 1925. The Number 8 Down Train ran between Shahjahanpur and Lucknow.
• As the train approached Kakori, a revolutionary (Rajendranath Lahiri) pulled the emergency chain to stop the train and overpowered the guard. The train was carrying treasury bags containing government funds that were to be deposited in the British treasury in Lucknow.
  • The revolutionaries planned to rob this money, which they believed legitimately belonged to Indians anyway.
  • Their objective was both to fund the HRA and garner public attention for their work and mission.
• The British authorities launched a harsh crackdown, leading to the arrest of numerous HRA members.
  • Among the forty arrested individuals, four received death sentences ( Rajendranath Lahiri on 17^th December and Ashfaqullah Khan, Ram Prasad Bismil, Thakur Roshan Singh on 19^th December) and others faced lengthy imprisonments.
  • Chandrashekhar Azad was the only prominent HRA leader who managed to evade capture.