He is one of our innumerable forgotten heroes who sacrificed their lives for the sake of freedom for our motherland. All of them were young, they too had a dream. They were aware of the risk they were taking, fully knowing the consequence that their taking up arms against the might British Empire didn't have a great chance to succeed or remove the well entrenched British from their country. Yet they chose to fight their battle, leaving their indelible mark to inspire generations to come.
Khudiram Bose was one of them. Born in the state of Bengal this month of December 3, 1889, he was inspired by Sri Aurobindo who before taking the path of spiritualism was an active participant in the struggle for freedom against the British. Sri Aurobindo used to give a series of public lectures and private session with the existing revolutionary groups fighting for independence.As a teenager Khudiram heard his speech and started plotting against British. He along with his revolutionary accomplice Prafulla Chaki threw bombs at a British judge, Magistrate Douglas Kingsford. The Magistrate however was seated in a different carriage, hence escaped. The bombs killed two British women. Prafulla Chaki shot himself fatally before the arrest. Khudiram was arrested and tried for the murder of the two women, ultimately being sentenced to death. He was one of the first Indian revolutionaries in Bengal to be executed by the British, just short of his 19th Birthday. It is said that he happily walked to the gallows singing "Vande Mataram" - Hail to the motherland.
Khudiram Bose brings to my mind couple more revolutionaries who gave their life for their country at a tender age - Saheed Bhagat Singh and Chandrasekhar Azad. Bhagat Singh along with his revolutionary friend Shivaram Rajguru were hanged for the killing a British police officer in Punjab. Both of them said to have proudly walked to the gallows.
But another revolutionary Chandrasekhar Azad was of different breed. He changed his last name to Azad (independent), who rather than surrendering preferred to kill himself with the last bullet left in his revolver when he was cornered by British police in a park in the city of Allahabad.
Born in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, Chandrasekhar was a born AZAD (free) revolutionary who destested living under the British rule. Once when asked his name, his impromptu answer was Chandrasekhar, followed by Azad. Azad was not his last name. He coined it to emphasize his penchant for remaining independent as a free man, as free as a bird.
As a young man Chandrasekhar had little patience to succumb to British rule. He, along with his small band of merry men were perennial thorn in the flesh, fly on ointment of the local administration. Led by him, his gang surreptitiously launched some spectacular guerilla attacks on various British interests. But eventually he was betrayed by one of his close associates and was cornered by the police in a park in Allahabad. He fought tooth and nail until he realized that he was wounded and surrounded with a single bullet left in his repertoire. He shot himself with that bullet, preferring to die free (AZAD) rather than in hands of the British. He was only 24 years old.
We see numerous Gandhi Jayanti, Nehru Jayanti, again Gandhi Jayanti of another kind of Gandhi family - Indira, Rajeev et all. Many stadiums, airports and what not are named after them. But rarely we see the forgotten heroes a la Khudiram Bose, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Chandrasekhar Azad given their due credit they earned by their indepth patriotism and fierce sense of independence. Their revolutionary acts though unorganized and isolated in nature left their patriotic mark. My thousands of salute to our unsung heroes.
Khudiram Bose brings to my mind couple more revolutionaries who gave their life for their country at a tender age - Saheed Bhagat Singh and Chandrasekhar Azad. Bhagat Singh along with his revolutionary friend Shivaram Rajguru were hanged for the killing a British police officer in Punjab. Both of them said to have proudly walked to the gallows.
But another revolutionary Chandrasekhar Azad was of different breed. He changed his last name to Azad (independent), who rather than surrendering preferred to kill himself with the last bullet left in his revolver when he was cornered by British police in a park in the city of Allahabad.
Born in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, Chandrasekhar was a born AZAD (free) revolutionary who destested living under the British rule. Once when asked his name, his impromptu answer was Chandrasekhar, followed by Azad. Azad was not his last name. He coined it to emphasize his penchant for remaining independent as a free man, as free as a bird.
As a young man Chandrasekhar had little patience to succumb to British rule. He, along with his small band of merry men were perennial thorn in the flesh, fly on ointment of the local administration. Led by him, his gang surreptitiously launched some spectacular guerilla attacks on various British interests. But eventually he was betrayed by one of his close associates and was cornered by the police in a park in Allahabad. He fought tooth and nail until he realized that he was wounded and surrounded with a single bullet left in his repertoire. He shot himself with that bullet, preferring to die free (AZAD) rather than in hands of the British. He was only 24 years old.
We see numerous Gandhi Jayanti, Nehru Jayanti, again Gandhi Jayanti of another kind of Gandhi family - Indira, Rajeev et all. Many stadiums, airports and what not are named after them. But rarely we see the forgotten heroes a la Khudiram Bose, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Chandrasekhar Azad given their due credit they earned by their indepth patriotism and fierce sense of independence. Their revolutionary acts though unorganized and isolated in nature left their patriotic mark. My thousands of salute to our unsung heroes.
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