Writer: Shivam Lahoti
Ashfaqulla Khan, the Krantikari leader!!
“There is no Dream, and if there is, there is only one to see you my children struggling for the same and for which I am expected to be finished.”
Ashfaqulla Khan
This famous quote was given by one of the greatest freedom fighters we had, Ashfaqulla Khan who was also known for Kakori train robbery or the Kakori conspiracy.
On the day of October 22, 1900 khan was born in the town of Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh. He belonged to a Pathan family. He was the youngest among the six siblings. His father Shafiqulla Khan was famous for militancy. Khan also did poetry under the pen name Varsi.
The year 1920, it was the time when Mahatma Gandhi started the Non-Cooperation movement and about 1.5 years later Chauri Chaura incident took place where protestors attacked the police and set a police station on fire. Seeing this violence Mahatma Gandhi called off the movement. After the movement was called off many youths were disappointed by this and Ashfaqulla Khan was one of them. Many youths including Khan joined an organization named Hindustan Republican Association which was founded in 1924 with the aim to organize armed revolution to free India. And this was the place where he met Ram Prasad Bismil.
To boost their movement and to buy arms and ammunition they decided to loot the government treasury. On 8 August 1925, a meeting was held and it was decided to loot the government treasury carried in trains. On 9 August 1925 Khan with other revolutionaries namely Ram Prasad Bismil, Chandrasekhar Azad and many more looted the train carrying British government money in Kakori near Lucknow. About a month later from robbery Bismil was arrested and Khan was still on the run. He then decided to move abroad and studied engineering so that he can help in the fight for freedom.
To move out of the country he went to Delhi and took the help of one of his Pathan friends who later betrayed him and turned him to the police. He was detained in Faizabad jail. For Kakori train robbery he has sentenced death along with Ram Prasad Bismil, Thakur Roshan Singh, and Rajendra Lahiri.
On 19 December 1927 Khan was hanged till death along with Ram Prasad Bismil, Thakur Roshan Singh, and Rajendra Lihari in Faizabad jail. He died at a young age of 27 with only one regret that he was not able to fight more for the freedom of his country. He became a legend and a martyr among his people for the love of his motherland, bravery, unshakeable courage, and loyalty.
Jai Hind 🇮🇳
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