Chandra Shekhar now was like a bomb whose fuse was lit by the barbaric acts of the British in Punjab.
In 1921, the whole of India was rising as one person in protest against the tyranny of the British rule. ‘Swadeshi’ movement launched by Gandhiji swept through towns and villages of India. The people participated in any activity that could hit the British. Indians boycotted ‘Made in England’ goods. It could hurt British badly because their main aim in colonising India was to create a market for their goods. The volunteers picketed the shops selling British goods. The foreign made clothes were collected and burnt. The government decided to put a stop to it and ordered the action against picketers. The police cracked down with lathi charge. Many were hurt and the great many numbers went jail. But the movement continued. The processions kept up their marches and demonstrations went on. The strikes couldn’t be outlawed. Now the countrymen were demanding self-rule. The militancy spirit was getting fired up. Most of the Indians were involved in one way or the other.
Nationalist fervour was catching on. New schools and colleges were coming up to fan the spirit of freedom and nationalism. These institutions were also breading revolutionaries besides producing political workers. Chandra Shekhar was now 14-15 year old youth, every cell of his body pulsating to challenge foreign rulers. He was more inclined towards armed revolution. Compared to political movements the acts of outlawed revolutionaries excited him more. He wished to fight a do-or-die battle for his country in a bid to win freedom.
When the people talked about the freedom struggle he used to listen with rapt attention. He felt enthusiasm surging in him. He took part in ‘Satyagraha’ movement. He would join wherever there was some agitation. He studies the acts of agitators and their leaders closely. When the agitators raised anti-British slogans Chandra Shekhar’s voice would echo them impulsively. One day, at a place agitators were being caned by the police. The hot blooded Chandra Shekhar was seized by an uncontrollable anger. He picked up a stone and threw it at the police officer who was ordering the lathi charge. The stone hit that officer on his forehead cracking it. The blood spurted out drenching his uniform. Chandra Shekhar slipped away before the police could grab him.
There was a great hue and cry when the policemen found their officer badly hurt and bloodied. They ran around to look for the culprit. There was a sepoy who had noticed the stone thrower. He remembered the handsome young face with Tilak on his forehead. The sepoy was sure that if he saw that face again he would easily recognise it. The sepoy went through the city with other sepoys looking for the youngman. At last they reached the house where Chandra Shekhar lived in a room. The room was a give away. There were pictures of freedom movement leaders and revolutionaries on the walls. The pictures were garlanded. The occupant perhaps worshipped those enemies of the British. The police party entered the room and the sepoy spotted Chandra Shekhar. He raised his eyebrow. He examined Chandra Shekhar from foot to head and his gaze fixed on the black Tilak on his forehead. Then the sepoy confidently announced, “That’s him!”
Chandra Shekhar was handcuffed and taken to the Police Station. He was not frightened at all. He looked as cheerful as before. He was put in a lock-up room.
It was a cold wintry night. Chandra Shekhar was only in Dhoti and Kurta. The policemen didn’t provide him any blanket. It was done on purpose to break the spirit of the young Chandra Shekhar who remained cocky and belligerent even in the hands of the police. The lock-up incharge went to his warm bed being sure that the youngman would shiver in cold and beg for his mercy.
At 2 a.m. he woke up and went to see the misery of the boy who looked a frown up youngman due to his muscular body. The stone slabs of the floor felt like ice slabs. A thought struck him that the boy might be dead of cold because he didn’t cry for help or mercy.
But what he saw in the lock-up room was incredible. Chandra Shekhar was sweating heavily. He was doing push ups and had taken off his kurta even. For some time the police officer watched the scene silently and then retreated to his bed muttering something.
There was a new magistrate named Mr. Kherphat in Benaras court. He was well known for his harshness and his special dislike for the revolutionary minded youth whom he handed merciless punishment.
The next day, Chandra Shekhar was produced before the same magistrate. He stood in the dock. The magistrate threw a curious glance at him.
“What is your name?” The magistrate questioned.
“Azad,” was Chandra Shekhar’s reply which literally meant ‘Independent’ in Hindi.
“Father’s name?”
“Freedom.”
“Occupation?”
“Liberation of the country.”
“Where do you live?”
“In prisons.”
The challenging mocking replies of Chandra Shekhar infuriated the magistrate. His face became dark in anger and his eyes flashed. He ordered, “Fifteen lashings with baton.”
There was stunned silence in the court. The people had learnt about the case of the young boy and there was a sizable crowd outside the court to learn of his fate. Chandra Shekhar had become known in his locality for taking part in agitations and for inspiring youth to join the freedom efforts. The sentence dismayed the crowd. They feared that a half dead body of the boy crying in death throes would come out.
But the Chandra Shekhar was not awed by the harshness of the sentence. Infact, before being taken out he threw a haughty glance at the magistrate.
He was taken to the courtyard outside for the execution of the sentence. The Jailer Sardar Ganda Singh was a cruel sadistic fellow who drew great pleasure in torturing the prisoners. The cries of the prisoners in pain was music to his ears. The sight of the boy, Chandra Shekhar delighted him because he was going to hear the cries in agony like that of a fat lamb being torn to pieces by a wolf. But the boy didn’t look scared. The hands of Chandra Shekhar were tied to the whipping posts. He was only on a langot (Indian brief or underwear). The hangman came who also did the tasks of whip lashing and baton lashing. He had a oiled baton in his hand.
Ganda Singh began the count, “One!”
The baton came down on the back of Chandra Shekhar with a zapping sound. Instead of a painful cry a full throated “Bharatmata ki Jai” (victory to Mother India) came out of defiant Chandra Shekhar. No sign of pain showed up of his face.
Ganda Singh yelled “Two!”
The hangman’s baton again lashed the boy. He let out another defiant slogan hailing the motherland.
Blood oozed out of his back. He waited for the next blow. Ganda Singh grinded his teeth in disappointment. He hopefully egged on the hangman, “There!”
The baton came down with greater force. Chandra Shekhar let out a louder victory cry to Mother India.
“Some tough nut!” Ganda Singh had to admit. He yelled in anger “Four! Five! Six…Fifteen!”
Chandra Shekhar went on raising slogans with every baton hit till the fifteenth time. His back was bleeding, the skin was ripped off at some places exposing the raw flesh, it was bruised and blue-black swellings were criss-crossing on his back. It was horrible sight. But his front was intact. His face glowed with pride and wore an undefeated smile.
After receiving the punishment he came out of the court compound cockily having morally defeated the inside. They were already jubilantly raising slogans ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Inquilab Zindabad.’ Chandra Shekhar, the young hero of the people was buried under a mountain of the garlands. His bleeding body had become a symbol of the defiant mood of Indian youth against the British. His back had become like the chest of a military commander replete with medal and decorations.
In the evening, in Gianwapi colony a meeting was organised to honour the hero, Chandra Shekhar Azad. The people turned up to attend the meeting from all over Benaras. All were eager to have glimpse of the young hero who had made all of them proud by his defiant act.
The stage was thickly carpeted with flowers of various hues to welcome him. The youngman addressed the crowd, “Friends! I see that I received the punishment but the pain is being born by you. It was this solidarity of the people that made my body solid enough to bear the brunt of the baton lashes. For the sake of the freedom of the motherland this body of mine can go through any torture. The toughness of my body should make the white men realise that how seriously the sons of India are striving for the liberation of Mother India. You will see and the world will also see that we shall succeed in breaking the shackles of the slavery of the colonial British.”
His speech was heard by the people with rapt attention. His spirit and indomitable courage had stunned the people. Children looked at him admiringly. The women and men who didn’t know ‘Azad’ whistled unbelievingly when they were told that the youngman was only a boy of 14 years. In sheer enthusiasm the crowd began to raise slogans of the victory of Mother India and anti-British battle cries. Every one wanted to have a close look at the injuries suffered by Azad on his back as if it were medals of his bravery.
Since that day in the court, ‘Azad’ became Chandra Shekhar’s epithet and stuck to his name for ever. Later on ‘Azad’ name became so correct mirror of his character and thinking that first name became superfluous. The people and associates just called him ‘Azad’.
The very next day, a magazine “Maryada” published an article which castigated the British government and exposed its tyrannical policies. It also carried the photograph of Azad with details of trial and the incident of the punishment. The defiant act of Azad got good publicity and more people knew about him. His courage and bravery earned every reader’s admiration. Azad had become an inspiration for people to rise against the colonial rulers and work towards the liberation of the motherland. The magazine ‘Maryada’ was published by Shiv Prasad Gupta and was edited by Sh. Sampurnananda who later became the governor of Rajasthan in independent India.
The baton punishment made ‘Azad’ more resolved to wage a battle against the foreign rulers. The fifteen lashes dealt out to Azad were meant for breaking his spirit which miserably failed. The revolutionary youth were becoming thorns in the flesh of the British who were trying to crush them ruthlessly. But the youth were equally determined to carry on the battle. As a result they spent most of their lives in prisons. For them the jails had become their real homes. That is why young Azad had stated to the magistrate that the jail was his home. He was hinting at the tyranny of the British the freedom loving youth of the country were being subjected to. That was the time when the colonial rulers were resorting to more and more barbarism.
Meanwhile, Azad had become hero leader of the people. The people were calling him Valiant Chandra Shekhar Azad and he had become a figure of great respect and admiration. At the time of release the Jailor Ganda Singh had handed Azad the due compensation money as the law demanded and true to his character Azad had thrown the money at his face with contempt.
The news of the punishment was reprinted in the dailies of the country shortly later. Azad’s father also read it. He rushed to Benaras gravely worried. He urged Azad to return home and act cautiously. Discretion was the better part of the valour, he argued. But ‘Azad’ was now more determined than ever to dedicate his life to the freedom struggle of the country. No advice or pleadings were going to wean him away from his chosen path. He turned down his father’s request point blank. Sitaram Tiwari returned to his village disappointed.
For Azad, the country had become his home and the countryman his family. India was his mother and the father was liberation war. Patriotism was his religion and the revolution had become his side occupation. Now do-or-die was his motto.
Now the life changed for Azad. He was not more interested in studies. The revolutionary activities appeared more meaningful to him. He appealed to his fellow students to join him in the struggle against the colonial rulers. Azad could not just sit idle and watch the country suffer the slavery of the British. Gandhiji’s ‘Non-cooperation Movement’ was on. It had become the focal point of the attention of the nation. The movement was on the principle of the non-violence. Azad took part in it enthusiastically. Then a tragedy struck. Some agitators lost cool at Chauri-Chaura and burnt down a police station with 21 police personnel inside on 12th February, 1922. Gandhiji was strictly against any kind of violence. The Chauri-Chaura incident so pained him that he withdrew the Non-Cooperation Movement against the advice of the other leaders. The movement was just building up when the sudden brakes were applied to kill it. The people were dismayed.
The very next day, Gandhiji was arrested and Sardar Patel took charge of the Congress party. He supported Gandhiji is move. Azad too was very disappointed at this sudden jolt to the freedom struggle. He had quit his studies to be a part of the movement. Now he will have to look at other kinds of freedom efforts.
