Chandrashekhar Azad’s eyes held the fire of freedom; his resolve, unbreakable steel. On his death anniversary, we revisit the revolutionary who turned personal liberty into a national crusade.
February 27, 1931: Alfred Park, Allahabad. Betrayed and besieged, Azad’s last bullet silenced British hopes of capturing him alive. This was no defeat – it was victory over subjugation.
Hailing from Bhabhra in 1906, Azad’s defiance sparked young. Protesting atrocities, he attacked an officer, embracing arrest at 14 during Non-Cooperation.
In court, his ‘Azad’ declaration and flogging cries of ‘Vande Mataram’ birthed a icon. Gandhi’s movement pullback radicalized him: non-violence wouldn’t suffice.
Azad pioneered armed nationalism, restructuring into HSRA for socialist republic. Kakori raid funded arms; Azad’s evasion tactics baffled pursuers.
He inspired with verse: ‘Revolution’s embers smolder in my celebration, flames of change embrace my form.’ Youth flocked to his banner.
The park showdown: intense firefight. A young associate escaped; Azad, wounded, self-inflicted the end. British bullets claimed none – he chose his fate.
Azad’s martyrdom galvanized the freedom struggle, paving paths for 1947. Today, statues and stories keep his flame alive, urging eternal watchfulness against tyranny.