Chandrashekar Azad

July 26, 2022

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1

Using soil from Alirajpur, the birthplace of Chandrashekar Azad, Madhya Pradesh government will install the freedom-fighter’s statue in Bhopal.

Chandrashekar Azad

Born on July 23, 1906, at Bhavra, Alirajpur District in present-day Madhya Pradesh.
He took part in Non Cooperation Movement when he was 15.
After the suspension of the non-cooperation movement in 1922 by Gandhi, Azad joined Hindustan Republican Association (HRA).
HRA was later reorganised as the Hindustan Socialist Republic Army in 1928.
On being presented before a magistrate, he gave his name as “Azad” (The Free), his father’s name as “Swatantrata” (Independence) and his residence as “Jail”.
From that day he came to be known as Chandra Shekhar Azad among the people.
The group of young patriots started looting government properties to meet their expenses for their revolutionary activities. Azad was involved in the 1925 Kakori Conspiracy.
He was on their hit list and the British police badly wanted to capture him dead or alive.
On February 27, 1931 Azad met two of his comrades at the Alfred Park Allahabad.
Azad fought alone valiantly and killed three policemen.
But finding himself surrounded and seeing no route for escape, he shot himself.