It was
modelled
on the
same line as the secret societies of Italy and Russia.
same line as the secret societies of Italy and Russia.
Cambridge History of India - v4 - Indian Empire
Be not idle; be not a lifeless burden
on the country. Be up and doing; be a hero in the strife. Is it
not shameful that we call our country Hindustan (the land of
## p. 748 (#788) ############################################
748
THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT IN INDIA
the Hindus) but let it be ruled over by the Englishmen? ” When
Mr. Rand the Plague Commissioner of Poona and Mr. Ayerst
were coming back from the Government House, they were shot
dead by Damodar Chapekar. The result was that he and a few
others were hanged by the Government.
It appears that Mr. Shyamji Krishna Varma was connected
with the murder of Rand but he managed to escape to London.
He was a Sanskrit scholar and he had been the Dewan of Udai-
pur and Junagarh States. He delivered a few lectures at the
Oxford University and he impressed every one by his learning. He
took to business and earned a lot of money. He started a monthly
journal entitled “The Indian Sociologist. ” With the help of Rana,
six lecturerships of Rs. 1,000 each and three travelling scholar-
ships for Rs. 2,000 each were offered to Indian students to go
abroad for training themselves as national missionaries. One of
the students who went to London was V. D. Savarkar.
He was a
youngman when Chapekar was hanged. It is said that on that
occasion, he took the following vow before his family deity: “I
will raise the banner of an armed revolution to achieve the free-
dom of my motherland till I die fighting the enemy. I will spare
no breath in performing this sacred pledge. ” In 1900, he started
an association known as Mitra Mela. Its members were young-
men who were prepared to lay down their lives for the sake
of their country. The name of this association was changed
to Abhinava Bharat in 1904. Every member was required to
take the following pledge: “In the sacred name of Chatrapati
Shivaji, in the name of my sacred religion, for the sake of my
beloved country, invoking my fore-fathers, I swear that my nation
will be prosperous only after freedom, full freedom is achieved.
Convinced of this, I dedicate all my health, wealth and talents
for the freedom of my country and for her total uplift. I will
work hard to my utmost capacity till my breath. I will not
spare myself or slacken in this mission. I will never disclose any-
thing about the organisation. "
Savarkar was very much loved by Shyamji Krishna Varma.
A new life was put into the residents of India House by him. By
the end of 1906, he completed his book entitled “Joseph Mazzini-
Biography and Politics'. He also wrote a book on the rising of
1857 in India and gave it the name of Indian War of Indepen-
dence.
Savarkar sent a parcel containing 20 Browning Automatic Pis-
tols with ammunition to Bombay concealed in the false bottom of
a box forming part of the luggage of one Chaturbhuj Amin who
was working as a cook in the India House. The pistols were to
## p. 749 (#789) ############################################
TERRORIST AND REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENTS 749
men.
be used by the members of Abinava Bharat which was working
under the direction of Ganesh Savarkar, the brother of V. D. Savar-
kar. Before the parcel reached India, Ganesh Savarkar had already
been arrested on the charge of waging war against the Government
and sentenced to transportation for life. The members of Abhinava
Bharat decided to murder Jackson, District Magistrate of Nasik,
as he had convicted Ganesh Savarkar. Jackson actually was shot
dead on December 21, 1909. Anant Laxman Kanhere was arrest-
ed and put up for trial. In his statement, Kanhere declared: “I
have performed my part.
Ganesh Damodar Savarkar is being
sentenced to transportation for life in your administration whereas
your Executive Engineer Mr. Williams who caused the death of
an Indian cartman, is being rewarded with life. It is for this that
I have killed Jackson. I have no desire to run away. " The details
of the Nasik Conspiracy were divulged by one Ganu Vaidya who
was a member of the Nasik branch of Abhinava Bharat. Acting on
the information supplied by him, the Police rounded up 37 young-
Three of them were hanged and the others were sentenced
to varying terms of imprisonment.
It is stated that Mr. Jackson arrested Ganesh Savarkar on the
instigation of Sir Curzon Willie who had laid a ring of spies around
the India House to watch the activities of the Indian students. He
also dictated the British policies concerning India. At the instiga-
tion of V. D. Savarkar, Sir Curzon Willie was shot dead on July 1,
1909, by one Madan Lal Dhingra. When he was arrested, a chit
was recovered from his pocket and it read as follows: "I attempted
to shed English blood intentionally and with purpose as a humble
protest against the inhuman transportation and hanging of Indian
youth. ” At the time of his trial, he made the following statement:
“I admit the other day I attempted to shed English blood as an
humble revenge for the inhuman happenings and deportations of
the Indian patriotic youths. And in this I have consulted with
none but my own conscience. I have conspired with none but with
my own duty. I believe that a nation held in bondage with the
help of bayonets, is in a state of perpetual war and since the guns
are denied to me, I drew forth my pistol and attacked by surprise.
What could a son poor in wealth and intellect like me offer to the
Mother except my own blood! My only prayer to God is that I
may again return to the same Mother and die in the same cause
till the Mother is freed for the service of humanity ard glory of
God. Vande Mataram. ” Madan Lal was sentenced to death and
hanged on August 16, 1909. On November 9, 1909, an attempt
was made to blow up the carriage in which Lord and Lady Minto
were driving through the city of Ahmedabad. Two cocoanut
## p. 750 (#790) ############################################
750
THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT IN INDIA
bombs were thrown but they did not explode in time.
When all this was happening, V. D. Savarkar was in Paris and
he decided to go back to London to resume his work. Shyamji
Krishna Varma and Lala Hardayal and Madame Cama tried to
dissuade him from taking the risk but he refused to accept their
advice and went to London. As soon as he reached London, he
was arrested on March 13, 1910. Apprehending his death to be
near, Savarkar wrote the following letter to his brother's wife:
“We had taken a solemn pledge to free our country from political
slavery. We are proud to lay down our lives one by one to attain
our goal. It is a great day from the day of the fruition of all
my aspirations. I am extremely glad that I have done my bit to
free my mother from the shackles of bondage. Oh my Mother-
land! I have already offered at your feet my youth, my pleasures,
my sweet home, my purse and my brother and sister. Here am I
ready to offer my body. Thanked be they who have dedicated
their lives to the service of the nation. Dear sister-in-law, enter-
tain such thoughts and hold on to your pledge and add lustre to
the fair name of the family. ” The view of the Government of
India was that V. D. Savarkar had a hand in the Nasik Conspiracy
and consequently orders were passed for his removal to India.
He tried to escape when his ship was near the Port of Marseilles.
He jumped into the sea and successfully reached the shore but
was illegally caught by British officers on the French soil. On
reaching India, he was put up for trial. He was convicted and
sentenced to 50 years' imprisonment and transportation on March
22, 1911. He was sent to the Andamans at the age of 28 It is
stated that when the Jailor came to know that he was put in Jail
for 50 years, he exclaimed: "Oh God! Fifty years. ” The reply of
Savarkar was “why worry! fifty years. Is the British ruie going to
survive these fifty years? " In 1924, Savarkar was brought to India
along with his brother Ganesh. He was released in 1937 when the
Congress Ministry came to power.
Sardar Singh Rana was closely associated with the editing of
the papers like the Vande Mataram, Indian Freedom and Talwar.
He gave money when Hem Chandra was sent to Russia by the
revolutionaries to learn the technique of making the bomb. He
was responsible for the smuggling of twenty automatic shining pis-
tols and bullets into India and one of those bullets was used for
killing Jackson. During the First World War, he was sent to a
remote Island from where he was released after the end of the war.
Madame Cama also made her contribution towards the cause of
India's freedom. She attended the International Socialist Confer-
ence held in Germany in 1907 along with Sardar Singh Rana and
## p. 751 (#791) ############################################
TERRORIST AND REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENTS 751
there unfurled the National flag of India. She urged all the free-
dom-loving nations of the world to help the cause of India's free-
dom. In December 1908, she moved a resolution for the boycott
of foreign goods. In 1914, she was arrested and deported. She
came to India in 1934 but died in 1936.
Revolutionary propaganda was carried on in Bengal by Barindra
Kumar Ghosh, the younger brother of Aurobindo, and Bhupendra
Nath Dutt, the brother of Swami Vivekanand. To begin with,
Barindra Kumar tried to preach “the cause of Independence as a
political missionary. ” However, later on he was convinced that
purely political propaganda was not enough. He started the
Yugantar and through its columns carried on the work of educat-
ing the masses. In an article, he expounded his revolutionary gos-
pel in these words: “Shri Krishna had said in Gita that whenever
there is a decline of righteousness and a rise in unrighteousness,
there shall be a reincarnation of God to rescue the good, to destroy
the wrongdoer and to establish righteousness. ” Again, “At the
present time, righteousness is declining and unrighteousness is
springing up in India. A handful of alien robbers are ruining the
crores of the people of India by robbing the wealth of India.
Through the hard grinding of their servitude, the ribs of the count-
less people are being broken to pieces. Fear not, Oh Indians, God
will not remain inactive. He will keep His word. Placing firm
reliance on the promises of God, invoke His power. When the
lightning of Heaven flashes in their hearts, men perform impossible
deeds. "
A programme was chalked out and it consisted of six items.
Hatred was to be created in the minds of the educated people of
India against servitude by vigorous propaganda in the press. The
fear of unemployment and starvation was to be removed from the
minds of the Indians and love of freedom and of the Motherland
was to be inculcated in them. That was to be done by "soul-
stirring music and theatrical performances glorifying the lives of
heroes and their great deeds in the cause of freedom and by patrio-
The Government was to be kept busy by means of
Bande Mataram processions, Swadeshi conferences and boycott
meetings. Youngmen were to be recruited, organized in small
bands and trained in physical exercises and use of weapons and
were to be taught absolute obedience to rules and the leaders.
Weapons were to be manufactured, purchased from foreign coun-
tries and smuggled into the country or manufactured in the coun-
try itself. Money was to be raised for the Terrorist Movement by
means of raids and dacoities. The belief was that “the law of the
English is established on brute force and if to liberate ourselves we
tic songs.
## p. 751 (#792) ############################################
750
THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT IN INDIA
bombs were thrown but they did not explode in time.
When all this was happening, V. D. Savarkar was in Paris and
he decided to go back to London to resume his work. Shyamji
Krishna Varma and Lala Hardayal and Madame Cama tried to
dissuade him from taking the risk but he refused to accept their
advice and went to London. As soon as he reached London, he
was arrested on March 13, 1910. Apprehending his death to be
near, Savarkar wrote the following letter to his brother's wife:
"We had taken a solemn pledge to free our country from political
slavery. We are proud to lay down our lives one by one to attain
our goal. It is a great day from the day of the fruition of all
my aspirations. I am extremely glad that I have done my bit to
free my mother from the shackles of bondage. Oh my Mother-
land! I have already offered at your feet my youth, my pleasures,
my sweet home, my purse and my brother and sister. Here am I
ready to offer my body. Thanked be they who have dedicated
their lives to the service of the nation. Dear sister-in-law, enter-
tain such thoughts and hold on to your pledge and add lustre to
the fair name of the family. " The view of the Government of
India was that V. D. Savarkar had a hand in the Nasik Conspiracy
and consequently orders were passed for his removal to India.
He tried to escape when his ship was near the Port of Marseilles.
He jumped into the sea and successfully reached the shore but
was illegally caught by British officers on the French soil. On
reaching India, he was put up for trial. He was convicted and
sentenced to 50 years' imprisonment and transportation on March
22, 1911. He was sent to the Andamans at the age of 28. It is
stated that when the Jailor came to know that he was put in Jail
for 50 years, he exclaimed: “Oh God! Fifty years. ” The reply of
Savarkar was “why worry! fifty years. Is the British ruie going to
survive these fifty years? " In 1924, Savarkar was brought to India
along with his brother Ganesh. He was released in 1937 when the
Congress Ministry came to power.
Sardar Singh Rana was closely associated with the editing of
the papers like the Vande Mataram, Indian Freedom and Talwar.
He gave money when Hem Chandra was sent to Russia by the
revolutionaries to learn the technique of making the bomb. He
was responsible for the smuggling of twenty automatic shining pis-
tols and bullets into India and one of those bullets was used for
killing Jackson. During the First World War, he was sent to a
remote Island from where he was released after the end of the war.
Madame Cama also made her contribution towards the cause of
India's freedom. She attended the International Socialist Confer-
ence held in Germany in 1907 along with Sardar Singh Rana and
>
## p. 751 (#793) ############################################
TERRORIST AND REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENTS 751
there unfurled the National flag of India. She urged all the free-
dom-loving nations of the world to help the cause of India's free-
dom. In December 1908, she moved a resolution for the boycott
of foreign goods. In 1914, she was arrested and deported. She
came to India in 1934 but died in 1936.
Revolutionary propaganda was carried on in Bengal by Barindra
Kumar Ghosh, the younger brother of Aurobindo, and Bhupendra
Nath Dutt, the brother of Swami Vivekanand. To begin with,
Barindra Kumar tried to preach “the cause of Independence as a
political missionary. ” However, later on he was convinced that
purely political propaganda was not enough. He started the
Yugantar and through its columns carried on the work of educat-
ing the masses. In an article, he expounded his revolutionary gos-
pel in these words: "Shri Krishna had said in Gita that whenever
there is a decline of righteousness and a rise in unrighteousness,
there shall be a reincarnation of God to rescue the good, to destroy
the wrongdoer and to establish righteousness. ” Again, “At the
present time, righteousness is declining and unrighteousness is
springing up in India. A handful of alien robbers are ruining the
crores of the people of India by robbing the wealth of India.
Through the hard grinding of their servitude, the ribs of the count-
less people are being broken to pieces. Fear not, Oh Indians, God
will not remain inactive. He will keep His word. Placing firm
reliance on the promises of God, invoke His power. When the
lightning of Heaven flashes in their hearts, men perform impossible
deeds. "
A programme was chalked out and it consisted of six items.
Hatred was to be created in the minds of the educated people of
India against servitude by vigorous propaganda in the press. The
fear of unemployment and starvation was to be removed from the
minds of the Indians and love of freedom and of the Motherland
was to be inculcated in them. That was to be done by “soul-
stirring music and theatrical performances glorifying the lives of
heroes and their great deeds in the cause of freedom and by patrio-
The Government was to be kept busy by means of
Bande Mataram processions, Swadeshi conferences and boycott
meetings. Youngmen were to be recruited, organized in small
bands and trained in physical exercises and use of weapons and
were to be taught absolute obedience to rules and the leaders.
Weapons were to be manufactured, purchased from foreign coun-
tries and smuggled into the country or manufactured in the coun-
try itself. Money was to be raised for the Terrorist Movement by
means of raids and dacoities. The belief was that "the law of the
English is established on brute force and if to liberate ourselves we
>
tic songs.
## p. 752 (#794) ############################################
752
THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT IN INDIA
too must use brute force, it is right that we should do sc. ” An
appeal was made to the youngmen of Bengal in these words: "Will
the Bengali worshipper of Shakti shrink from the shedding of blood ?
The number of Englishmen in this country is not above one lac
and a half, and what is the number of English officials in each
district? If you are firm in your resolution, you can in a single
day bring British rule to an end. Lay down your life, but first
take a life. The worship of the goddess will not be consummated
if you sacrifice your lives at the shrine of Independence without
shedding blood. ”
As a result of the efforts made by Barindra Kumar Ghosh and
Bhupendra Nath Dutt and their associates, a number of revolutio-
nary societies were set up and one of them was the Anusilan Samiti
or Society for the Promotion of Culture and Training. The Society
had its branches in Calcutta and Dacca.
It was modelled on the
same line as the secret societies of Italy and Russia. It embarked
upon a programme of wholesale terrorism. On December 6, 1907,
an attempt was made to blow up the train in which the Lieutenant-
Governor was travelling. On December 23, 1907, Mr. Allen who
was formerly the District Magistrate of Dacca, was shot in the
back but the injury did not prove to be fatal. On April 30, 1908,
Mrs. and Miss Kennedy were murdered. The facts were that Mr.
Kingsford was hated by the terrorists on account of the heavy
punishments inflicted by him on the Swadeshi workers. What was
resented particularly was the infliction of corporal punishment on
respectable youngmen. Susil Sen, a boy of fifteen, was flogged in
public for the offence that he was mixed up in a Police fracas. The
terrorists decided to murder him and a clever device was prepared
to achieve the objective. What was done was that the middle
portions of the leaves of a book borrowed from Mr. Kingsford were
cut out and a bomb was put into the hollow thus created. It was
thought that when Mr. Kingsford would open the book, the bomb
would burst and kill him. The scheme was not successful as Mr.
Kingsford did not require the book immediately and thc same was
never opened. Another device was thought of to murder Kings-
ford. Khudi Ram Bose and Profulla Chakie were deputed for that
purpose. When both of them were going to the Bungalow of Mr.
Kingsford, they saw a carriage coming from that direction. They
thought that the occupant of the carriage was Mr. Kingsford and
they threw the bomb into the carriage. What happened was that
Mrs. and Miss Kennedy were killed by the bomb. Profulla Chakie
shot himself but Khudi Ram Bose was arrested, tried and hanged.
Khudi Ram became a martyr and a hero. Students and many
others put on mourning for him. Schools were closed for two or
## p. 753 (#795) ############################################
TERRORIST AND REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENTS 753
three days as a tribute to his memory. His photographs had an
immense sale. By and by, the youngmen began to wear Dhoties
with Khudi Ram Bose's name woven into the borders of garments.
The Government was able to unearth a conspiracy in Calcutta
and also captured some bombs, dynamite, cartridges and the corres-
pondence which led to the arrest and trial of about 39 persons in-
cluding Aurobindo Ghosh, Bhupendra Nath Dutt, Hem Chandra
Das and Narinder Gosain. Kanai Lal Dutt and S. N. Bose were
separately tried and executed. Heavy punishments were inflicted
.
on the remaining 36 accused. Narinder Gosain became an appro-
ver, but he was shot dead by his companions in the jail. Nand
Lal, the Sub-Inspector who had arrested Khudi Ram Bose, was
murdered. Ashutosh Biswas who had acted as Public Prosecutor
in the Gosain Murder case and the Alipore case was shot dead.
Shams-ul-Alam, Deputy Superintendent of Police, who was con-
nected with the Alipore case, was also shot dead. On November
7, 1908, an attempt was made to shoot Sir Andrew Frazer, the
Lieutenant Governor of Bengal, but the attempt failed. The ter-
rorists of Bengal did not spare the Police officers, Magistrates,
Prosecuting Lawyers, hostile witnesses, traitors, betrayers and ap-
provers. One and all, they were all shot. The consequences were
absolutely immaterial to the revolutionaries.
In 1907, B. C. Pal toured the Madras Presidency and preached
the gospel of Swaraj. He was imprisoned for six months for his
refusal to give evidence against Shri Aurobindo. When he was
released, two of his admirers from Madras celebrated his release
by holding a public meeting, hoisting the flag of Swaraj and pledg-
ing to boycott everything foreign. Both of them were arrested by
the Government and that led to a riot at Tinnevelly. The Sedition
Committee Report says: “It was marked by wholesale and delibe-
rate destruction of Governmnet property in open defiance of the
constituted authority. ” Every public building in Tinnevelly, except
the Sub-Registrar's Office, was attacked. The furniture and re-
cords of these buildings set on fire as well as portions of the build-
ings themselves; the municipal office was gutted. Twenty-seven
were convicted and sentenced for participation in the riot.
Pondicherry was also the centre of revolutionary work. M. P.
Tiruhal Acharya and V. V. S. Aiyer were the guiding spirits. Aiyer
prepared the youngmen at Pondicherry by giving them training in
the use of revolvers. One of the trainees was Vanchi Aiyer who
shot Mr. Ashe, the District Magistrate of Tinnevelley, on June 17,
1911. He was arrested, tried and executed. His companions were
also arrested, tried and executed in the Tinnevelly Conspiracy case.
Lord Hardinge decided to shift the capital of India from Cal-
## p. 754 (#796) ############################################
754
THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT IN INDIA
cutta to Delhi. When he was entering in the city of Delhi in a
procession, a bomb exploded. It injured the Viceroy and killed his
A. D. C. The bomb was thrown by Ras Bihari Bose. There was
a lot of confusion and Ras Bihari managed to escape. The Govern-
ment did its level best to find out the culprit. A reward of
Rs. 7,500 was announced for the arrest of Ras Bihari Bose. He
was chased from place to place but every time he managed to escape.
He went away to Japan under a fictitious name.
He played an
important role in organising the Indian National Army in Japan.
He died in 1945.
DELHI CONSPIRACY CASE
The action taken by the Government in connection with the
bomb thrown on Lord Hardinge is known as the Delhi Conspiracy
Case. Thirteen persons had been arrested in that connection. The
names of some of them were Miaster Amir Chand, his adopted son
Sultan Chand, Dina Nath, Bhai Balmukund, Bal Raj Bhalla, Basant
Kumar and Avadh Bihari. Two of them were sentenced to seven
years' imprisonment and four of them were hanged. Dina Nath
became an approver. During the trial in 1914, the Police produced
in the Court a letter written by Master Amir Chand and that let-
ter contained the following passage: "Constitutional struggles and
agitations have borne no fruit. The only effective and unfailing
means to liberate our country is that of armed revolution. History
testifies to the fact that the rulers never offer independence on a
silver platter. They surrender it to the threat of sword. ” It is
stated that when Avadh Behari was going to be hanged, an English-
man asked him as to what was his last wish. His reply was: “The
end of the British Rule. ” When the Englishman advised him to
die peacefully, Avadh Behari replied: "Peace? I wish that a confia-
gration may break out in the country gutting the British rule. Let
my country emerge out of this tire like pure gold. ”
February 21, 1915 was fixed for an all-India revolt and vigorous
preparations were made for that purpose. Ras Bihari Bose,
Suchindra Sanyal, Ganesh Pingale and Bagi Kartar Singh prepar-
ed a master plan for that purpose. Bomb factories were set up at
Ludhiana, Amritsar, etc. Indian troops were contacted and persuad-
ed to revolt on that date. Some revolutionaries raided the Moga
Treasury in the Punjab. Two revolutionaries were killed and
several were arrested. They were also hanged. The all-India re-
volt failed because one Kirpal Singh passed on all the secret plans
to the Government. Many places were raided and bombs were
recovered. Secret papers were also captured by the Government.
## p. 755 (#797) ############################################
DELHI CONSPIRACY CASE
755
Most of the ring leaders of the Punjab fell into the hands of the
Police. Luckily, Ras Bihari Bose, Ganesh Pingale and Bagi Kartar
Singh escaped. Ganesh Pingale got down at Meerut and was
handed over to the government by a Muslim Inspector with whom
he stayed. He was hanged on November 16, 1915. His last words
were: “Oh God! May the task left incomplete by me be executed
by you. My only wish is that my country may be free. ” Kartar
Singh was also caught later on and sentenced to death along with
Jagat Singh, Bhai Parmanand, Man Singh and Udham Singh.
Many others were transportated for life. The death sentence of
Bhai Parmanand was later on commuted to life imprisonment. It
is stated that Chief Justice was inclined to commute the death sen-
tence of Kartar Singh also, but the latter said: “I prefer gallows to
life sentence. I wish I were born again to unfetter my mother-
land. I shall be glad to be hanged every time I am reborn till my
country achieves independence. ”
Lala Hardayal was a great philosopher and a powerful orator.
In 1913, he called a rally of revolutionary workers in a town of
California. He started an independent press and brought out a
paper known as “The Gadar. ” It was published in English, Hindi,
Urdu, Bengali, Marathi and Gurmukhi. The copies of this news-
paper were sent to all those countries where Indians lived. There
was a great demand for this paper in Japan, China, Singapore,
Germany and Canada. The newspaper condemned the mis-deeds
of the British Government in India and also explained the objects
of the Gadar Movement.
In 1913, a few thousand Indians lived in Canada and most of
them were Sikhs. They were subjected to all kinds of indignities.
The Canadian Government did not like their presence in their coun-
try and was anxious to stop their flow. With that object in view,
a law was passed by which only those Indians were allowed to land
in Canada who were direct passengers from Calcutta. The Cana-
dian Government knew full well that there were no direct services
from India to Canada and hence indirectly the immigration of
Indians into Canada would stop. Baba Gurdit Singh who was a
very rich Indian in Canada, came forward to help the Indians. He
floated a shipping company known as the Guru Nanak Navigation
Company and hired a Japanese ship called Komagata Maru. The
ship reached Calcutta and was able to accommodate 500 Indian
passengers. When the ship reached the Port of Vancouver on May
22, 1914, the Canadian authorities did not allow her to enter the
harbour. The passengers were not allowed to land even on the
shore. The ship was not allowed even to unload the goods. The
Canadian authorities acted in a very cruel manner. Although the
## p. 756 (#798) ############################################
756
THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT IN INDIA
passengers were suffering terribly, the Canadian Government was
not moved by their plight. An effort was made by the Canadian
authorities to throw boiling water on the passengers. Finally, the
Canadian Government sent two warships to sink the Komagata
Maru. After about two months of stay in the Canadian waters,
the Komagata Maru started on her return voyage on July 23, 1914.
The passengers had to suffer even on the return journey as the
British Government did not allow the ship to enter the harbours of
Hongkong and Singapore. On September 26, 1914, the ship reach-
ed the Budge Budge harbour near Calcutta. The Government of
India ordered the passengers of the ship to enter the special train
which was kept ready to take them away. As the passengers refus-
ed to get into the train, they were forcibly dragged and put in the
train. Some of the passengers resisted and while doing so used
American revolvers. 18 Sikhs were killed and many more were
wounded. Although Baba Gurdit Singh was injured, he managed
to escape. The occurrences connected with the Komagata Maru
created a lot of bitterness among the Indians in general and the
Sikhs in particular. Bhai Bhag Singh and Bhai Vatan Singh led
an agitation against the Canadian authorities for the repeal of the
law against the immigration of the Indians. Mr. Hopkins who
was the chief of the Immigration Section of Canada, became the
target and he was killed by one Mewa Singh. The Gadar Party also
intensified its propaganda against the Government of India. In
the issue of August 18, 1914, the Gadar Party gave the following
instructions: "Spread the literature of revolution; help and encour-
age all resistance, armed and passive; destroy the railway lines,
withdraw all your funds from British Banks and inspire the Indian
army to strike on every point against the Firangis. ”
Lala Hardayal went to Gerinany to negotiate with William II,
the German Emperor. He sent thousands of recruits and a lot of
explosive materials to India. Raja Mahendra Pratap set up a
provisional government at Kabul. It was agreed that thc Muslims
of Iran, Arabia, Iraq and Afghanistan would take up arms against
the British Government after getting help from Germany and
Turkey. The Sikhs of the Punjab were also to revolt Unfortu-
nately, the whole plan for the revolt of 1915 leaked out and nothing
came out.
THE KAKORI CASE
The revolutionaries were in great need of money for the manu-
facture of bombs and consequently a few revolutionaries boarded
the train on August 9, 1915, on the Lucknow-Saharanpur line. The
## p. 757 (#799) ############################################
THE KAKORI CASE
757
revolutionaries had with them revolvers and cartridges. After the
departure of the train from Kakori Railway station, one of the revo-
lutionaries pulled the alarm chain of the train. When the train
stopped, the revolutionaries tried to take away the money from the
Iron Box in the train which was broken open with great effort with
hammer-blows by Ashfaq. Unfortunately, the revolutionaries were
-
able to get Rs. 5,000 only. The Government took action and
arrested about 40 persons and sent them for trial. That case is
known as the Kakori case. The trial concluded on April 7, 1927.
It was a mere farce. Pt. Ram Parsad Bismil, Roshan Singh and
Rajindra Lahri were given death sentence. Manmath Nath Gupta
got 14 years and many others got death sentences. Ashfaq and
Suchendra Nath Bakshi were caught later on and were given death
sentence and transportation for life respectively. Ram Parsad Bis-
mil was hanged on December 19, 1927. His mother is said to
have observed thus about her son: “I am greatly proud to have
given birth to a soldier of freedom who laid down his life at the
feet of his motherland. Your country has greater claim on you
than I have. You have fallen for a noble cause and I see no reason
to feel sorry. ” A little before his death, Ashfaq Ullah gave the fol-
lowing message to his countrymen: "We have played our role on
the political stage of our country. Right or wrong all our actions
were motivated by the lofty object of securing independence. I
know my actions will elicit praise from some quarters and criticism
from the other, but as a true revolutionary I am indifferent to such
remarks. One thing I beg to clarify before I die. It never had
been our object to create terror in the country. Our trial has
lasted for such a long time but tell me if ever we tried to shoot down
an approver or a prosecution witness. That is not in our line. My
only wish is that my country-men may, irrespectiv of their
religion or creed, unite like a solid bloc to smash the citadel of
British rule. The British are the common enemies of all the
religious sections of our country. It is the moral duty of every
Indian to dig the grave of the British bureaucracy. I am far from
being a murderer as has been established by the prosecution. I am
rather proud of being the first Musalman to lay down my life at
the altar of India's freedom. ”
The people of India had boycotted the Simon Commission but
in spite of that the Commission visited Lahore on October 20, 1928.
The Hindustan Socialist Republican Party took out a huge proces-
sion against the Simon Commission. The processionists were shout-
ing: “Simon, go back. ” Lala Lajpat Rai was leading the proces-
sion. One Mr. I.
on the country. Be up and doing; be a hero in the strife. Is it
not shameful that we call our country Hindustan (the land of
## p. 748 (#788) ############################################
748
THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT IN INDIA
the Hindus) but let it be ruled over by the Englishmen? ” When
Mr. Rand the Plague Commissioner of Poona and Mr. Ayerst
were coming back from the Government House, they were shot
dead by Damodar Chapekar. The result was that he and a few
others were hanged by the Government.
It appears that Mr. Shyamji Krishna Varma was connected
with the murder of Rand but he managed to escape to London.
He was a Sanskrit scholar and he had been the Dewan of Udai-
pur and Junagarh States. He delivered a few lectures at the
Oxford University and he impressed every one by his learning. He
took to business and earned a lot of money. He started a monthly
journal entitled “The Indian Sociologist. ” With the help of Rana,
six lecturerships of Rs. 1,000 each and three travelling scholar-
ships for Rs. 2,000 each were offered to Indian students to go
abroad for training themselves as national missionaries. One of
the students who went to London was V. D. Savarkar.
He was a
youngman when Chapekar was hanged. It is said that on that
occasion, he took the following vow before his family deity: “I
will raise the banner of an armed revolution to achieve the free-
dom of my motherland till I die fighting the enemy. I will spare
no breath in performing this sacred pledge. ” In 1900, he started
an association known as Mitra Mela. Its members were young-
men who were prepared to lay down their lives for the sake
of their country. The name of this association was changed
to Abhinava Bharat in 1904. Every member was required to
take the following pledge: “In the sacred name of Chatrapati
Shivaji, in the name of my sacred religion, for the sake of my
beloved country, invoking my fore-fathers, I swear that my nation
will be prosperous only after freedom, full freedom is achieved.
Convinced of this, I dedicate all my health, wealth and talents
for the freedom of my country and for her total uplift. I will
work hard to my utmost capacity till my breath. I will not
spare myself or slacken in this mission. I will never disclose any-
thing about the organisation. "
Savarkar was very much loved by Shyamji Krishna Varma.
A new life was put into the residents of India House by him. By
the end of 1906, he completed his book entitled “Joseph Mazzini-
Biography and Politics'. He also wrote a book on the rising of
1857 in India and gave it the name of Indian War of Indepen-
dence.
Savarkar sent a parcel containing 20 Browning Automatic Pis-
tols with ammunition to Bombay concealed in the false bottom of
a box forming part of the luggage of one Chaturbhuj Amin who
was working as a cook in the India House. The pistols were to
## p. 749 (#789) ############################################
TERRORIST AND REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENTS 749
men.
be used by the members of Abinava Bharat which was working
under the direction of Ganesh Savarkar, the brother of V. D. Savar-
kar. Before the parcel reached India, Ganesh Savarkar had already
been arrested on the charge of waging war against the Government
and sentenced to transportation for life. The members of Abhinava
Bharat decided to murder Jackson, District Magistrate of Nasik,
as he had convicted Ganesh Savarkar. Jackson actually was shot
dead on December 21, 1909. Anant Laxman Kanhere was arrest-
ed and put up for trial. In his statement, Kanhere declared: “I
have performed my part.
Ganesh Damodar Savarkar is being
sentenced to transportation for life in your administration whereas
your Executive Engineer Mr. Williams who caused the death of
an Indian cartman, is being rewarded with life. It is for this that
I have killed Jackson. I have no desire to run away. " The details
of the Nasik Conspiracy were divulged by one Ganu Vaidya who
was a member of the Nasik branch of Abhinava Bharat. Acting on
the information supplied by him, the Police rounded up 37 young-
Three of them were hanged and the others were sentenced
to varying terms of imprisonment.
It is stated that Mr. Jackson arrested Ganesh Savarkar on the
instigation of Sir Curzon Willie who had laid a ring of spies around
the India House to watch the activities of the Indian students. He
also dictated the British policies concerning India. At the instiga-
tion of V. D. Savarkar, Sir Curzon Willie was shot dead on July 1,
1909, by one Madan Lal Dhingra. When he was arrested, a chit
was recovered from his pocket and it read as follows: "I attempted
to shed English blood intentionally and with purpose as a humble
protest against the inhuman transportation and hanging of Indian
youth. ” At the time of his trial, he made the following statement:
“I admit the other day I attempted to shed English blood as an
humble revenge for the inhuman happenings and deportations of
the Indian patriotic youths. And in this I have consulted with
none but my own conscience. I have conspired with none but with
my own duty. I believe that a nation held in bondage with the
help of bayonets, is in a state of perpetual war and since the guns
are denied to me, I drew forth my pistol and attacked by surprise.
What could a son poor in wealth and intellect like me offer to the
Mother except my own blood! My only prayer to God is that I
may again return to the same Mother and die in the same cause
till the Mother is freed for the service of humanity ard glory of
God. Vande Mataram. ” Madan Lal was sentenced to death and
hanged on August 16, 1909. On November 9, 1909, an attempt
was made to blow up the carriage in which Lord and Lady Minto
were driving through the city of Ahmedabad. Two cocoanut
## p. 750 (#790) ############################################
750
THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT IN INDIA
bombs were thrown but they did not explode in time.
When all this was happening, V. D. Savarkar was in Paris and
he decided to go back to London to resume his work. Shyamji
Krishna Varma and Lala Hardayal and Madame Cama tried to
dissuade him from taking the risk but he refused to accept their
advice and went to London. As soon as he reached London, he
was arrested on March 13, 1910. Apprehending his death to be
near, Savarkar wrote the following letter to his brother's wife:
“We had taken a solemn pledge to free our country from political
slavery. We are proud to lay down our lives one by one to attain
our goal. It is a great day from the day of the fruition of all
my aspirations. I am extremely glad that I have done my bit to
free my mother from the shackles of bondage. Oh my Mother-
land! I have already offered at your feet my youth, my pleasures,
my sweet home, my purse and my brother and sister. Here am I
ready to offer my body. Thanked be they who have dedicated
their lives to the service of the nation. Dear sister-in-law, enter-
tain such thoughts and hold on to your pledge and add lustre to
the fair name of the family. ” The view of the Government of
India was that V. D. Savarkar had a hand in the Nasik Conspiracy
and consequently orders were passed for his removal to India.
He tried to escape when his ship was near the Port of Marseilles.
He jumped into the sea and successfully reached the shore but
was illegally caught by British officers on the French soil. On
reaching India, he was put up for trial. He was convicted and
sentenced to 50 years' imprisonment and transportation on March
22, 1911. He was sent to the Andamans at the age of 28 It is
stated that when the Jailor came to know that he was put in Jail
for 50 years, he exclaimed: "Oh God! Fifty years. ” The reply of
Savarkar was “why worry! fifty years. Is the British ruie going to
survive these fifty years? " In 1924, Savarkar was brought to India
along with his brother Ganesh. He was released in 1937 when the
Congress Ministry came to power.
Sardar Singh Rana was closely associated with the editing of
the papers like the Vande Mataram, Indian Freedom and Talwar.
He gave money when Hem Chandra was sent to Russia by the
revolutionaries to learn the technique of making the bomb. He
was responsible for the smuggling of twenty automatic shining pis-
tols and bullets into India and one of those bullets was used for
killing Jackson. During the First World War, he was sent to a
remote Island from where he was released after the end of the war.
Madame Cama also made her contribution towards the cause of
India's freedom. She attended the International Socialist Confer-
ence held in Germany in 1907 along with Sardar Singh Rana and
## p. 751 (#791) ############################################
TERRORIST AND REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENTS 751
there unfurled the National flag of India. She urged all the free-
dom-loving nations of the world to help the cause of India's free-
dom. In December 1908, she moved a resolution for the boycott
of foreign goods. In 1914, she was arrested and deported. She
came to India in 1934 but died in 1936.
Revolutionary propaganda was carried on in Bengal by Barindra
Kumar Ghosh, the younger brother of Aurobindo, and Bhupendra
Nath Dutt, the brother of Swami Vivekanand. To begin with,
Barindra Kumar tried to preach “the cause of Independence as a
political missionary. ” However, later on he was convinced that
purely political propaganda was not enough. He started the
Yugantar and through its columns carried on the work of educat-
ing the masses. In an article, he expounded his revolutionary gos-
pel in these words: “Shri Krishna had said in Gita that whenever
there is a decline of righteousness and a rise in unrighteousness,
there shall be a reincarnation of God to rescue the good, to destroy
the wrongdoer and to establish righteousness. ” Again, “At the
present time, righteousness is declining and unrighteousness is
springing up in India. A handful of alien robbers are ruining the
crores of the people of India by robbing the wealth of India.
Through the hard grinding of their servitude, the ribs of the count-
less people are being broken to pieces. Fear not, Oh Indians, God
will not remain inactive. He will keep His word. Placing firm
reliance on the promises of God, invoke His power. When the
lightning of Heaven flashes in their hearts, men perform impossible
deeds. "
A programme was chalked out and it consisted of six items.
Hatred was to be created in the minds of the educated people of
India against servitude by vigorous propaganda in the press. The
fear of unemployment and starvation was to be removed from the
minds of the Indians and love of freedom and of the Motherland
was to be inculcated in them. That was to be done by "soul-
stirring music and theatrical performances glorifying the lives of
heroes and their great deeds in the cause of freedom and by patrio-
The Government was to be kept busy by means of
Bande Mataram processions, Swadeshi conferences and boycott
meetings. Youngmen were to be recruited, organized in small
bands and trained in physical exercises and use of weapons and
were to be taught absolute obedience to rules and the leaders.
Weapons were to be manufactured, purchased from foreign coun-
tries and smuggled into the country or manufactured in the coun-
try itself. Money was to be raised for the Terrorist Movement by
means of raids and dacoities. The belief was that “the law of the
English is established on brute force and if to liberate ourselves we
tic songs.
## p. 751 (#792) ############################################
750
THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT IN INDIA
bombs were thrown but they did not explode in time.
When all this was happening, V. D. Savarkar was in Paris and
he decided to go back to London to resume his work. Shyamji
Krishna Varma and Lala Hardayal and Madame Cama tried to
dissuade him from taking the risk but he refused to accept their
advice and went to London. As soon as he reached London, he
was arrested on March 13, 1910. Apprehending his death to be
near, Savarkar wrote the following letter to his brother's wife:
"We had taken a solemn pledge to free our country from political
slavery. We are proud to lay down our lives one by one to attain
our goal. It is a great day from the day of the fruition of all
my aspirations. I am extremely glad that I have done my bit to
free my mother from the shackles of bondage. Oh my Mother-
land! I have already offered at your feet my youth, my pleasures,
my sweet home, my purse and my brother and sister. Here am I
ready to offer my body. Thanked be they who have dedicated
their lives to the service of the nation. Dear sister-in-law, enter-
tain such thoughts and hold on to your pledge and add lustre to
the fair name of the family. " The view of the Government of
India was that V. D. Savarkar had a hand in the Nasik Conspiracy
and consequently orders were passed for his removal to India.
He tried to escape when his ship was near the Port of Marseilles.
He jumped into the sea and successfully reached the shore but
was illegally caught by British officers on the French soil. On
reaching India, he was put up for trial. He was convicted and
sentenced to 50 years' imprisonment and transportation on March
22, 1911. He was sent to the Andamans at the age of 28. It is
stated that when the Jailor came to know that he was put in Jail
for 50 years, he exclaimed: “Oh God! Fifty years. ” The reply of
Savarkar was “why worry! fifty years. Is the British ruie going to
survive these fifty years? " In 1924, Savarkar was brought to India
along with his brother Ganesh. He was released in 1937 when the
Congress Ministry came to power.
Sardar Singh Rana was closely associated with the editing of
the papers like the Vande Mataram, Indian Freedom and Talwar.
He gave money when Hem Chandra was sent to Russia by the
revolutionaries to learn the technique of making the bomb. He
was responsible for the smuggling of twenty automatic shining pis-
tols and bullets into India and one of those bullets was used for
killing Jackson. During the First World War, he was sent to a
remote Island from where he was released after the end of the war.
Madame Cama also made her contribution towards the cause of
India's freedom. She attended the International Socialist Confer-
ence held in Germany in 1907 along with Sardar Singh Rana and
>
## p. 751 (#793) ############################################
TERRORIST AND REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENTS 751
there unfurled the National flag of India. She urged all the free-
dom-loving nations of the world to help the cause of India's free-
dom. In December 1908, she moved a resolution for the boycott
of foreign goods. In 1914, she was arrested and deported. She
came to India in 1934 but died in 1936.
Revolutionary propaganda was carried on in Bengal by Barindra
Kumar Ghosh, the younger brother of Aurobindo, and Bhupendra
Nath Dutt, the brother of Swami Vivekanand. To begin with,
Barindra Kumar tried to preach “the cause of Independence as a
political missionary. ” However, later on he was convinced that
purely political propaganda was not enough. He started the
Yugantar and through its columns carried on the work of educat-
ing the masses. In an article, he expounded his revolutionary gos-
pel in these words: "Shri Krishna had said in Gita that whenever
there is a decline of righteousness and a rise in unrighteousness,
there shall be a reincarnation of God to rescue the good, to destroy
the wrongdoer and to establish righteousness. ” Again, “At the
present time, righteousness is declining and unrighteousness is
springing up in India. A handful of alien robbers are ruining the
crores of the people of India by robbing the wealth of India.
Through the hard grinding of their servitude, the ribs of the count-
less people are being broken to pieces. Fear not, Oh Indians, God
will not remain inactive. He will keep His word. Placing firm
reliance on the promises of God, invoke His power. When the
lightning of Heaven flashes in their hearts, men perform impossible
deeds. "
A programme was chalked out and it consisted of six items.
Hatred was to be created in the minds of the educated people of
India against servitude by vigorous propaganda in the press. The
fear of unemployment and starvation was to be removed from the
minds of the Indians and love of freedom and of the Motherland
was to be inculcated in them. That was to be done by “soul-
stirring music and theatrical performances glorifying the lives of
heroes and their great deeds in the cause of freedom and by patrio-
The Government was to be kept busy by means of
Bande Mataram processions, Swadeshi conferences and boycott
meetings. Youngmen were to be recruited, organized in small
bands and trained in physical exercises and use of weapons and
were to be taught absolute obedience to rules and the leaders.
Weapons were to be manufactured, purchased from foreign coun-
tries and smuggled into the country or manufactured in the coun-
try itself. Money was to be raised for the Terrorist Movement by
means of raids and dacoities. The belief was that "the law of the
English is established on brute force and if to liberate ourselves we
>
tic songs.
## p. 752 (#794) ############################################
752
THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT IN INDIA
too must use brute force, it is right that we should do sc. ” An
appeal was made to the youngmen of Bengal in these words: "Will
the Bengali worshipper of Shakti shrink from the shedding of blood ?
The number of Englishmen in this country is not above one lac
and a half, and what is the number of English officials in each
district? If you are firm in your resolution, you can in a single
day bring British rule to an end. Lay down your life, but first
take a life. The worship of the goddess will not be consummated
if you sacrifice your lives at the shrine of Independence without
shedding blood. ”
As a result of the efforts made by Barindra Kumar Ghosh and
Bhupendra Nath Dutt and their associates, a number of revolutio-
nary societies were set up and one of them was the Anusilan Samiti
or Society for the Promotion of Culture and Training. The Society
had its branches in Calcutta and Dacca.
It was modelled on the
same line as the secret societies of Italy and Russia. It embarked
upon a programme of wholesale terrorism. On December 6, 1907,
an attempt was made to blow up the train in which the Lieutenant-
Governor was travelling. On December 23, 1907, Mr. Allen who
was formerly the District Magistrate of Dacca, was shot in the
back but the injury did not prove to be fatal. On April 30, 1908,
Mrs. and Miss Kennedy were murdered. The facts were that Mr.
Kingsford was hated by the terrorists on account of the heavy
punishments inflicted by him on the Swadeshi workers. What was
resented particularly was the infliction of corporal punishment on
respectable youngmen. Susil Sen, a boy of fifteen, was flogged in
public for the offence that he was mixed up in a Police fracas. The
terrorists decided to murder him and a clever device was prepared
to achieve the objective. What was done was that the middle
portions of the leaves of a book borrowed from Mr. Kingsford were
cut out and a bomb was put into the hollow thus created. It was
thought that when Mr. Kingsford would open the book, the bomb
would burst and kill him. The scheme was not successful as Mr.
Kingsford did not require the book immediately and thc same was
never opened. Another device was thought of to murder Kings-
ford. Khudi Ram Bose and Profulla Chakie were deputed for that
purpose. When both of them were going to the Bungalow of Mr.
Kingsford, they saw a carriage coming from that direction. They
thought that the occupant of the carriage was Mr. Kingsford and
they threw the bomb into the carriage. What happened was that
Mrs. and Miss Kennedy were killed by the bomb. Profulla Chakie
shot himself but Khudi Ram Bose was arrested, tried and hanged.
Khudi Ram became a martyr and a hero. Students and many
others put on mourning for him. Schools were closed for two or
## p. 753 (#795) ############################################
TERRORIST AND REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENTS 753
three days as a tribute to his memory. His photographs had an
immense sale. By and by, the youngmen began to wear Dhoties
with Khudi Ram Bose's name woven into the borders of garments.
The Government was able to unearth a conspiracy in Calcutta
and also captured some bombs, dynamite, cartridges and the corres-
pondence which led to the arrest and trial of about 39 persons in-
cluding Aurobindo Ghosh, Bhupendra Nath Dutt, Hem Chandra
Das and Narinder Gosain. Kanai Lal Dutt and S. N. Bose were
separately tried and executed. Heavy punishments were inflicted
.
on the remaining 36 accused. Narinder Gosain became an appro-
ver, but he was shot dead by his companions in the jail. Nand
Lal, the Sub-Inspector who had arrested Khudi Ram Bose, was
murdered. Ashutosh Biswas who had acted as Public Prosecutor
in the Gosain Murder case and the Alipore case was shot dead.
Shams-ul-Alam, Deputy Superintendent of Police, who was con-
nected with the Alipore case, was also shot dead. On November
7, 1908, an attempt was made to shoot Sir Andrew Frazer, the
Lieutenant Governor of Bengal, but the attempt failed. The ter-
rorists of Bengal did not spare the Police officers, Magistrates,
Prosecuting Lawyers, hostile witnesses, traitors, betrayers and ap-
provers. One and all, they were all shot. The consequences were
absolutely immaterial to the revolutionaries.
In 1907, B. C. Pal toured the Madras Presidency and preached
the gospel of Swaraj. He was imprisoned for six months for his
refusal to give evidence against Shri Aurobindo. When he was
released, two of his admirers from Madras celebrated his release
by holding a public meeting, hoisting the flag of Swaraj and pledg-
ing to boycott everything foreign. Both of them were arrested by
the Government and that led to a riot at Tinnevelly. The Sedition
Committee Report says: “It was marked by wholesale and delibe-
rate destruction of Governmnet property in open defiance of the
constituted authority. ” Every public building in Tinnevelly, except
the Sub-Registrar's Office, was attacked. The furniture and re-
cords of these buildings set on fire as well as portions of the build-
ings themselves; the municipal office was gutted. Twenty-seven
were convicted and sentenced for participation in the riot.
Pondicherry was also the centre of revolutionary work. M. P.
Tiruhal Acharya and V. V. S. Aiyer were the guiding spirits. Aiyer
prepared the youngmen at Pondicherry by giving them training in
the use of revolvers. One of the trainees was Vanchi Aiyer who
shot Mr. Ashe, the District Magistrate of Tinnevelley, on June 17,
1911. He was arrested, tried and executed. His companions were
also arrested, tried and executed in the Tinnevelly Conspiracy case.
Lord Hardinge decided to shift the capital of India from Cal-
## p. 754 (#796) ############################################
754
THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT IN INDIA
cutta to Delhi. When he was entering in the city of Delhi in a
procession, a bomb exploded. It injured the Viceroy and killed his
A. D. C. The bomb was thrown by Ras Bihari Bose. There was
a lot of confusion and Ras Bihari managed to escape. The Govern-
ment did its level best to find out the culprit. A reward of
Rs. 7,500 was announced for the arrest of Ras Bihari Bose. He
was chased from place to place but every time he managed to escape.
He went away to Japan under a fictitious name.
He played an
important role in organising the Indian National Army in Japan.
He died in 1945.
DELHI CONSPIRACY CASE
The action taken by the Government in connection with the
bomb thrown on Lord Hardinge is known as the Delhi Conspiracy
Case. Thirteen persons had been arrested in that connection. The
names of some of them were Miaster Amir Chand, his adopted son
Sultan Chand, Dina Nath, Bhai Balmukund, Bal Raj Bhalla, Basant
Kumar and Avadh Bihari. Two of them were sentenced to seven
years' imprisonment and four of them were hanged. Dina Nath
became an approver. During the trial in 1914, the Police produced
in the Court a letter written by Master Amir Chand and that let-
ter contained the following passage: "Constitutional struggles and
agitations have borne no fruit. The only effective and unfailing
means to liberate our country is that of armed revolution. History
testifies to the fact that the rulers never offer independence on a
silver platter. They surrender it to the threat of sword. ” It is
stated that when Avadh Behari was going to be hanged, an English-
man asked him as to what was his last wish. His reply was: “The
end of the British Rule. ” When the Englishman advised him to
die peacefully, Avadh Behari replied: "Peace? I wish that a confia-
gration may break out in the country gutting the British rule. Let
my country emerge out of this tire like pure gold. ”
February 21, 1915 was fixed for an all-India revolt and vigorous
preparations were made for that purpose. Ras Bihari Bose,
Suchindra Sanyal, Ganesh Pingale and Bagi Kartar Singh prepar-
ed a master plan for that purpose. Bomb factories were set up at
Ludhiana, Amritsar, etc. Indian troops were contacted and persuad-
ed to revolt on that date. Some revolutionaries raided the Moga
Treasury in the Punjab. Two revolutionaries were killed and
several were arrested. They were also hanged. The all-India re-
volt failed because one Kirpal Singh passed on all the secret plans
to the Government. Many places were raided and bombs were
recovered. Secret papers were also captured by the Government.
## p. 755 (#797) ############################################
DELHI CONSPIRACY CASE
755
Most of the ring leaders of the Punjab fell into the hands of the
Police. Luckily, Ras Bihari Bose, Ganesh Pingale and Bagi Kartar
Singh escaped. Ganesh Pingale got down at Meerut and was
handed over to the government by a Muslim Inspector with whom
he stayed. He was hanged on November 16, 1915. His last words
were: “Oh God! May the task left incomplete by me be executed
by you. My only wish is that my country may be free. ” Kartar
Singh was also caught later on and sentenced to death along with
Jagat Singh, Bhai Parmanand, Man Singh and Udham Singh.
Many others were transportated for life. The death sentence of
Bhai Parmanand was later on commuted to life imprisonment. It
is stated that Chief Justice was inclined to commute the death sen-
tence of Kartar Singh also, but the latter said: “I prefer gallows to
life sentence. I wish I were born again to unfetter my mother-
land. I shall be glad to be hanged every time I am reborn till my
country achieves independence. ”
Lala Hardayal was a great philosopher and a powerful orator.
In 1913, he called a rally of revolutionary workers in a town of
California. He started an independent press and brought out a
paper known as “The Gadar. ” It was published in English, Hindi,
Urdu, Bengali, Marathi and Gurmukhi. The copies of this news-
paper were sent to all those countries where Indians lived. There
was a great demand for this paper in Japan, China, Singapore,
Germany and Canada. The newspaper condemned the mis-deeds
of the British Government in India and also explained the objects
of the Gadar Movement.
In 1913, a few thousand Indians lived in Canada and most of
them were Sikhs. They were subjected to all kinds of indignities.
The Canadian Government did not like their presence in their coun-
try and was anxious to stop their flow. With that object in view,
a law was passed by which only those Indians were allowed to land
in Canada who were direct passengers from Calcutta. The Cana-
dian Government knew full well that there were no direct services
from India to Canada and hence indirectly the immigration of
Indians into Canada would stop. Baba Gurdit Singh who was a
very rich Indian in Canada, came forward to help the Indians. He
floated a shipping company known as the Guru Nanak Navigation
Company and hired a Japanese ship called Komagata Maru. The
ship reached Calcutta and was able to accommodate 500 Indian
passengers. When the ship reached the Port of Vancouver on May
22, 1914, the Canadian authorities did not allow her to enter the
harbour. The passengers were not allowed to land even on the
shore. The ship was not allowed even to unload the goods. The
Canadian authorities acted in a very cruel manner. Although the
## p. 756 (#798) ############################################
756
THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT IN INDIA
passengers were suffering terribly, the Canadian Government was
not moved by their plight. An effort was made by the Canadian
authorities to throw boiling water on the passengers. Finally, the
Canadian Government sent two warships to sink the Komagata
Maru. After about two months of stay in the Canadian waters,
the Komagata Maru started on her return voyage on July 23, 1914.
The passengers had to suffer even on the return journey as the
British Government did not allow the ship to enter the harbours of
Hongkong and Singapore. On September 26, 1914, the ship reach-
ed the Budge Budge harbour near Calcutta. The Government of
India ordered the passengers of the ship to enter the special train
which was kept ready to take them away. As the passengers refus-
ed to get into the train, they were forcibly dragged and put in the
train. Some of the passengers resisted and while doing so used
American revolvers. 18 Sikhs were killed and many more were
wounded. Although Baba Gurdit Singh was injured, he managed
to escape. The occurrences connected with the Komagata Maru
created a lot of bitterness among the Indians in general and the
Sikhs in particular. Bhai Bhag Singh and Bhai Vatan Singh led
an agitation against the Canadian authorities for the repeal of the
law against the immigration of the Indians. Mr. Hopkins who
was the chief of the Immigration Section of Canada, became the
target and he was killed by one Mewa Singh. The Gadar Party also
intensified its propaganda against the Government of India. In
the issue of August 18, 1914, the Gadar Party gave the following
instructions: "Spread the literature of revolution; help and encour-
age all resistance, armed and passive; destroy the railway lines,
withdraw all your funds from British Banks and inspire the Indian
army to strike on every point against the Firangis. ”
Lala Hardayal went to Gerinany to negotiate with William II,
the German Emperor. He sent thousands of recruits and a lot of
explosive materials to India. Raja Mahendra Pratap set up a
provisional government at Kabul. It was agreed that thc Muslims
of Iran, Arabia, Iraq and Afghanistan would take up arms against
the British Government after getting help from Germany and
Turkey. The Sikhs of the Punjab were also to revolt Unfortu-
nately, the whole plan for the revolt of 1915 leaked out and nothing
came out.
THE KAKORI CASE
The revolutionaries were in great need of money for the manu-
facture of bombs and consequently a few revolutionaries boarded
the train on August 9, 1915, on the Lucknow-Saharanpur line. The
## p. 757 (#799) ############################################
THE KAKORI CASE
757
revolutionaries had with them revolvers and cartridges. After the
departure of the train from Kakori Railway station, one of the revo-
lutionaries pulled the alarm chain of the train. When the train
stopped, the revolutionaries tried to take away the money from the
Iron Box in the train which was broken open with great effort with
hammer-blows by Ashfaq. Unfortunately, the revolutionaries were
-
able to get Rs. 5,000 only. The Government took action and
arrested about 40 persons and sent them for trial. That case is
known as the Kakori case. The trial concluded on April 7, 1927.
It was a mere farce. Pt. Ram Parsad Bismil, Roshan Singh and
Rajindra Lahri were given death sentence. Manmath Nath Gupta
got 14 years and many others got death sentences. Ashfaq and
Suchendra Nath Bakshi were caught later on and were given death
sentence and transportation for life respectively. Ram Parsad Bis-
mil was hanged on December 19, 1927. His mother is said to
have observed thus about her son: “I am greatly proud to have
given birth to a soldier of freedom who laid down his life at the
feet of his motherland. Your country has greater claim on you
than I have. You have fallen for a noble cause and I see no reason
to feel sorry. ” A little before his death, Ashfaq Ullah gave the fol-
lowing message to his countrymen: "We have played our role on
the political stage of our country. Right or wrong all our actions
were motivated by the lofty object of securing independence. I
know my actions will elicit praise from some quarters and criticism
from the other, but as a true revolutionary I am indifferent to such
remarks. One thing I beg to clarify before I die. It never had
been our object to create terror in the country. Our trial has
lasted for such a long time but tell me if ever we tried to shoot down
an approver or a prosecution witness. That is not in our line. My
only wish is that my country-men may, irrespectiv of their
religion or creed, unite like a solid bloc to smash the citadel of
British rule. The British are the common enemies of all the
religious sections of our country. It is the moral duty of every
Indian to dig the grave of the British bureaucracy. I am far from
being a murderer as has been established by the prosecution. I am
rather proud of being the first Musalman to lay down my life at
the altar of India's freedom. ”
The people of India had boycotted the Simon Commission but
in spite of that the Commission visited Lahore on October 20, 1928.
The Hindustan Socialist Republican Party took out a huge proces-
sion against the Simon Commission. The processionists were shout-
ing: “Simon, go back. ” Lala Lajpat Rai was leading the proces-
sion. One Mr. I.
