Prachi Garg - Kakori: The Train Robbery That Shook The British Raj

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PRACHI GARG

Srishti Publishers & Distributors

A unit of AJR Publishing LLP

212A, Peacock Lane

Shahpur Jat, New Delhi 110 049

First published by Bold,

an imprint of Srishti Publishers & Distributors in 2022

Copyright Prachi Garg, 2022

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

This is a work of non-fiction based on the authors research through journals, newspaper records, books, personal diaries and interviews with subject experts. While due care has been taken by the author and publisher to verify content at press time, any inadvertent miss that is brought to their notice shall be duly verified and updated subsequently.

The author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Publishers.Dedicated to all those revolutionaries who laid their lives to see an Independent India.

This book has been possible due to the enormous love and support that people have given to me. It was their constant support that kept me going and ensured that I should be able to deliver it on time. I would like to thank everyone for making the journey smooth for me.

Family members play a great role to make such accomplishments possible. In my case as well, this holds true. Each one of them has been instrumental and has been there when required. Special thanks to my father Brijesh Garg and my mother Neeru Garg.

Mr Arup Bose from Srishti Publishers for his faith in my concept and agreeing to publish the same.

Stuti and Vini, my editors, who undertook the tedious task of going through my manuscript, editing it and coming out with exciting ideas.

All my friends who provided me with constant moral support to make this happen.

All the readers of Superwomen, SuperCouples, Supersiblings, The Legends of a Startup Guy, Startup Secrets from the Ramayana and Ganeshas Global Startup, whose love inspired me to venture into the breathtaking historical events of Kakori.

;

,

,

(The enemy waits there with weapons, and here we are

ready to take their bullets on our chest. We will

shed blood if the nation is in trouble; the feeling of

sacrifice is now in our hearts.)

I am Ram Prasad Bismil. People know me as a businessman, a poet and a freedom fighter. You may have stumbled upon my readings under the name of Bismil, Ram or Agyat.

I dont know if you have heard my name yet. But if you have, it means the stories of our struggle to get independence for India have reached you. I also hope that you are reading this in independent India, which is my most cherished dream. I hope you are immensely proud to being a citizen of your country. The nation is home to such a vibrant culture, and a history of struggle. Dont ever take any of this for granted. Freedom was not given to us on a silver platter. My companions and I toiled beyond our capacities to liberate our motherland from the shackles of British rule.

As you soak in the breeze of your free nation, I would like to take you back in time, to the pre-independent era. While I am aware that your history is filled with heroic stories of the freedom struggle, Im here to elaborate on a defining event which may have slipped the focus of mainstream narratives. Though it might seem like a small incident, it has been pivotal in bringing a revolution across the nation. Through a span of these pages, I will share my journey of participating in the freedom struggle which transformed my life. My intent is to share my life lessons so that you can take inspiration from my experiences and move forward stronger.

If you are sitting in independent India, you must have heard of the heroes who fought courageously in the Indian freedom struggle. I am not sure if I feature in that list, but I can guarantee that I have had the honour of working with a lot of these brave heroes.

Let me tell you about all these incredible people who gave up everything for the country.

l

Heroes are not born. It takes years of learning and unlearning involving hardships, conflicts and failures before glory comes to light. It is almost amusing how we are only surrounded by the stories of success, but rarely are told about their most difficult moments which make our heroes more real.

The first struggle for freedom that involved a large number of people came up in 1857. As a result, a full-fledged struggle for independence was brewing when I was growing up. In fact, in the beginning of 1900s, a lot of action was happening as political leaders wanted to come together for more active participation in the governance of the country.

I am sure you will be surprised to know that the initial conversation was not about attaining independence at all. The Congress leaders were hoping to secure a cooperative co- governance of sorts with the British government. But due to a series of failures and disappointments, their demands changed, which gave rise to an organised war of independence.

As I write this, it has been well over a century that the British have established themselves as a permanent rule in our motherland. While our leaders are struggling to have a say in the matters of their countrys governance, the British Raj is strengthening their hold by setting up institutionalised assets. I have witnessed the growth of the railways, post offices, educational institutes and governance bodies which was carried out in full swing by the government to give an impression that the country was advancing under their rule.

I see these signs of progress. But does development hold any significance if it is given at the expense of our rights and liberties? What will we do with these luxuries if we are discriminated against on our very soil!