Context

Four revolutionaries of the Indian independence movement were hanged on December 17, Rajendranath Lahiri and December 19 Ashfaqullah Khan, Ram Prasad Bismil, Thakur Roshan Singh in 1927,  two years after the Kakori Train Robbery.

Background

• 1920: Declaration of the Non-Cooperation Movement by Mahatma Gandhi
• Gandhi envisioned this movement envisioned to be non-violent, using his methods of Satyagraha to eventually attain self-governance.
• However, an incident changed the movement’s trajectory in 1922.
  • After police firing killed three protesting menin the town of Chauri Chaura in present-day Uttar Pradesh, a mob later set fire to the police station, burning 22 policemen to death.
  • The incident led to the sudden end of the Non-cooperation movement.
• The Hindustan Republican Association(HRA) was thus founded by a group of young men who were dissatisfied by;
  • Non-violence tactics
  • closing down the Non-cooperation movement

Kakori Train Action:

• Date: August 9, 1925
• The revolutionaries of HRA looted the money being transferred to the British government treasury through a train.
• They wanted to buy weapons from the money for an armed struggle against the British.

• Important revolutionaries: Around ten revolutionaries, Rajendranath Lahiri, Ram Prasad Bismil and Ashfaqullah Khan looted the treasury bags (containing approx Rs.4, 600) and escaped to Lucknow.
• The British authorities were enraged, undertaking a violent crackdown and soon arresting many members of the HRA.
• Four of them were hanged to the death between December 17 and December 19, some were deported to cellular jail (‘kaala paani’) in Port Blair while others were imprisoned in various jails.
  • Rajendra Nath Lahiriwas hanged in Gonda jail on December 17, 1927.
  • Two days later, Ram Prasad Bismilwas hanged in Gorakhpur, Ashfaqullah Khan in Faizabad and Thakur Roshan Singh in Naini jail in Allahabad.

Outcomes of the Conspiracy: Contribution to the Indian freedom struggle:

• After the conspiracy, the Britishers got an early detection of the Indian's planning against their loot and exploitations.
• It enraged the youth of the nation towards the freedom struggle.
• Several looting activities and non-cooperation by locals started in response to the case.
• Nationwide protests against the British tactics caught fire.
• Major leaders of the Indian freedom struggle also advocated the members of HRA actions making the Indian movement united.