The death sentence to the dear comrades broke the heart of Azad. The organisation was in shambles. Where would he get comrades like Bhagat Singh again?
From the onset Azad was not in favour of Bhagat Singh getting arrested voluntarily. He knew that of Bhagat Singh fell in the police hands, he would most certainly be hanged in ‘Sanders Murder’ case. But Bhagat Singh insisted on getting arrested. He had decided to become a martyr to arouse the conscience of the youth and to inspire them to do a do-or-die battle against the foreign rulers.
Azad again went through a period of extreme depression. Even the thought of final reparation with Bhagat Singh was painful. Sometimes he wondered over the fate of the two types of freedom fighters. One was like his where arrest by the police led to hangman’s noose. There was no mercy or any consideration for militants. On the other hand there were Congressman who didn’t face any such danger. Its leaders and workers got arrested. They got nice treatment in jails. The jail staff treated them like guests. After a few days the government would release them on some pretext or the other. And they got garlanded outside jails, cheering crowds greeted them and they would return home heroes. For them there was little difference between going to jail or a holiday.
There harsh truths were very painful and disturbing. But then the he would remember the scenes he had witnessed many times when Congress workers used to be getting beaten with sticks by the police. The workers got beaten but they would not retaliate. Gandhiji’s non-violence was also a test of character, those occasions proved. Many of the workers had great self control, he had to admit. May be, militant youth were too volatile to control their anger.
During this period when Azad was evading police he was in the southside of the country. The north was to hot for the revolutionaries due to the police vigil.
Azad met Damodar Vinayak Savarkar to seek his guidance in the difficult period. Savarkar had served terms in Andeman (Kala Pani) several times and had become a thorn in the flesh of the British. He was a revolutionary of different type.
Azad was in a very depressive mood. Savarkar consoled him, “Don’t grieve for your martyr comrades. Don’t lose heart. You still have battles to fight.”
“How can I fill the void left by brave people like Bhagat, Rajguru and Sukhdev I can’t understand,” Azad’s voice was mournful.
“In the battle for the country many sacrifices have to be made. Comrades and friends come and go. But one has to pick up threads again and rebuild the organisation after every setback. Revolutionaries have to face testing times, friend. This is your test. Don’t give up,” Savarkar advised.
Gandhi-Irvin pact
In 1930, Non-Cooperation movement launched by the Congress was coming to conclusion. A kind of compromise pact was being cobbled out between Gandhiji and the Viceroy, Lord Irvin. The talks were in progress. Many Congress leaders arrested during the movement were set free.
Jawahar Lal Nehru was busy in consultations with other leaders working out the future plans of the party. On that day he was sitting in his lawn with his wife Kamla Nehru when a youngman walked into the premises of Anand Bhavan at Allahabad. The youngman was in tahmad and wore a thick sacred thread around his neck and torso.
The youngman stood before the Nehru couple. They couldn’t place the visitor. He had an attractive face embellished by warrior like moustache. The couple stared at him in surprise. The youngman bent down and touched the feet of the couple.
“Do you know who I am, sir?” Azad asked to Nehru.
“No. Please introduce yourself,” Nehru replied.
“They call me Azad.”
The name startled them. There eyes twinkled and a benign smile came on their faces. Nehru caught Azad by his hand and got him seated beside him. He spoke, “Welcome to Anand Bhavan, Azad. We admire your courage and deeds. Well, what brings you here?”
“I respect leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Lokmanya Tilak and you, all the Congress leaders. Tilak had told us that the freedom was our birth right. Then Gandhiji kindled the spirit of freedom among the masses. But you are the one who demanded full independence from the British. So, I have great respect for you,” Azad politely spoke.
Nehru heard him very carefully some what mystified. Azad added, “Tilakji is no more among us. That leaves Gandhiji. But he has only the sermons of truth and the non-violence for us. What else. You are the third great one who is considered to be the future leader and the favourite of everyone. I will ask a few questions if you permit me.”
“Certainly. What do you want to ask?” Nehru said.
“Everyone knows that Gandhi-Irvin pact is being worked out. Please tell me what will be the role of the revolutionaries in it?”
“What do you mean by role?”
“What will Gandhiji talk to Irvin for the benefit of the revolutionaries?”
“Your question is very strange, Azad. I can not give you any definite reply. Please don’t force me But it is certain that Gandhiji won’t plead the case of the militant revolutionaries involved in violence.”
“That is very wrong, sir,” Azad commented and added, “For the freedom of the country God knows how many revolutionaries sacrificed their lives and how many more will still become martyrs. How can our, sacrifices be ignored? Sir, what haven’t we done for the country? We carried on our activities on hungry stomachs. We suffered untold hardships. We staked out lives. We let ourselves be tortured in jails. We endured all this. If we had no love for the country why would we have gone through all the troubles. Do our sacrifices count to nothing? Please do some thing and prevent such injustice done to us.”
“I understand your feelings, Azad. Your patriotism and sacrifices are true without doubt. But we have also done sacrifices. Only thing is that we are working on different principles.”
“But the aim of your party and our party is the same. Agreed that we do not support your non-violence. But that does not mean that we should be so blantantly discriminated and subjected to injustice. There are a lot of things mentioned for the benefit of Congress satyagrahis. We are not jealous of it. But it is very painful that shortly our three comrades are going to be hanged. They are being ignored. No one is concerned about their fate. You get arrested, then are freed in a few days and garlands and cheering crowds greet you. Why aren’t we given the same treatment? Why after arrests the hangman’s noose is dangled before our faces?”
Azad’s voice choked with emotion and he sobbed. He shook Nehru’s shoulders and beseeched, “I request you with folded hands to answer my question honestly.” Kamla Nehru looked moved. Her eyes were moist and she couldn’t help sobbing. Nehru was also emotionally shaken.
He revealed in choked voice, “I fell sorry for you, youngman. My sympathies are with you. But I can not answer your question. It’s too complex to explain. Forgive me if possible, Azad.”
“Don’t say such things, sir. You are embarrassing me by seeking my forgiveness. I will always be grateful to you for allowing me in your house like a family member.”
Azad folded his hands and took leave of the Nehrus.
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