Freedom in the mind Faith in the words, pride in our hearts and memories in our soul…. Let’s salute the nation on Independence Day! Freedom fighters are people who sacrificed their lives selflessly for the freedom of their country.People look up to them in terms of patriotism and love for one’s country. People look up to them in terms of patriotism and love for one’s country. Among them, few fighters remain highlighted and the others who contributed in the same manner remain unrecognized. We know Mahatma Gandhi, J. L Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel but many few know the name of Bhagwati Charan Vohra, Shyam Bhartwar, Roshan Singh because they worked away from limelight. It is only in recent times that emphasis is being made on knowing the unsung Warriors of our freedom struggle. On
this,Independence day let’s take a dig into the past to know the lesser known but equally valorous freedom fighters who made a mark in India’s history.To avenge the death of Lala Lajpat Rai, Bhagat Singh,Rajguru,Sukhdev conspired to kill the police chief Scott. But they shot on the DSP-J.P Saunders, who was killed on the spot. Bhagat Singh immediately fled from Lahore and to avoid recognition he cut his beard and hair. Later he was trailed in this Lahore Conspiracy Case when he was captured after throwing bomb in Delhi Assembly. The freedom fighter who avenged his death was Baikunth Shukla who was executed by the British. He was the nephew of Yogendra Shukla who was one of the founding members of Hindustan Socialist Republic Association. Baikuntha Shukla actively participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement (1930) and was greatly influenced by the Revolutionary ideas. During the civil disobedience movement he was arrested and imprisoned in the Patna camp jail. With
the Gandhi Irwin pact along with other members of Satyagraha he too was released. Later, he joined HSRA and became Indian Revolutionary. When the whole Nation was busy criticizing Gandhiji for not saving Bhagat Singh,Sukhdev,Rajguru he and other members of HSRA was devising a plan to execute the traitor who decietfully betrayed by becoming an approval and provided evidence that led to the execution of the evolutionaries.Phanindra Nath Ghosh was previously a member of HSRA. Ghosh with the money of being a traitor, opened shop in Bettiah
and later, Shukla executed the plan by killing him in his shop on 9th Nov. 1932. Shukla got arrested on 6th 1933 near Sonpur bridge. He was kept in Ward no. 15,Gaya Central Jail with other revolutionaries like Basawan, Raghunath Pandey. On 23rd Feb 1934, Patna high court gave verdict of hanging him and he was hanged on 14th May1934 in Gaya Jail.
Freedom fighters of India were the actual fighters of establishing new India. They not only removed British from India they set up a new India at the conclusion of Indian Wars. Freedom fighters are what made our country what it is today.However, we see nowadays people are fighting for everything they stood against. We must come together to not let communal hatred come between and live up to the Indian dream of these freedom fighters. Only then we will honour their sacrifices and memory.
By- Jyotika Ambastha
