Shivaram Hari Rajguru (August 24, 1908—March 23, 1931) was an Indian revolutionist from Maharashtra. Rajguru was born at Khed near Pune now known as Rajgurunagar, India. He was a colleague of Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev, and took part in the murder of a British police officer, J.P. Saunders, at Lahore in 1928. The reason behind the murder was to take revenge of the death of veteran leader Lala Lajpat Rai who died due to injuries sustained during excessive police beating. All three were convicted of the crime and hanged on March 23, 1931. They were cremated at Hussainiwala at the banks of the Sutlej river in Ferozepur district of Punjab.
He was a member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Army, who wanted India to be freed from British rule by any means necessary. He believed that ferocity against oppression was far more effective against British rule than the gentle ways of Mahatma Gandhi.
Rajguru was a brave revolutionary leader from Maharashtra. He was involved in several underground activities aimed at overthrowing the British. Angered at the death of Lala Lajpat Rai due to lathi charge of police during an anti-Simon procession, Rajguru (along with his associates-Bhagat Singh and Chandra Shekhar Azad) assassinated inspector Saunders on December 17, 1928 in Lahore. (Saunders was responsible for the lathi charge). Rajguru was arrested in September, 1929 and was tried as one of the main accused in the Lahore Conspiracy Case. He was sentenced to death and died on the gallows in the Lahore Central Jail on March 23, 1931.
Vocabulary
Revenge—avenge
Ferocity—violence
