Ram Prasad Bismil

Writer: Keshav Jajoo

Ram Prasad (11 June 1897 -19 December 1927) was born in a small village in Uttar Pradesh’s Shahjahanpur to Murlidhar and Moolmati. He developed a liking for the Arya Samaj at an early age and started writing patriotic verses in Urdu and Hindi using pen names such as Bismil, Ram, and Agyat.

The ideals of a revolution first took root in his mind when he read about the death sentence which was given to Bhai Parmanand, an Arya Samaj missionary who was then just 18 years old. Ram Prasad came to be regarded as a freedom fighter after he actively participated in the Mainpuri conspiracy in 1918.

He strongly believed that freedom cannot be achieved without violence, bloodshed, which meant his views were in stark contrast to Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals of ‘Ahimsa’. He formed the Hindustan Republic Association; legendary freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad joined it.

Freedom Fighter: Ram Prasad Bismil
Freedom Fighter: Ram Prasad Bismil

In 1925, Bismil and his companion Ashfaqulla Khan decided to loot a train in Kakori near Lucknow. They were successful in their attempt however, they were arrested and were sentenced to death.

He was hanged in Gorakhpur at the age of 30, wherein his last words were “Jai Hind”

he penned his autobiography ‘Kakori Ke Shaheed‘ and the cult song ‘Mera Rang de Basanti Chola’, which continues to instill patriotic fervor in our hearts till date.

Jai Hind! 🇮🇳