On the 94th anniversary of the revolutionary giant's martyrdom, Utkarsh Mishra revisits the events of February 27, 1931.
On February 27, 1931, revolutionary leader Chandra Shekhar Azad, the commander-in-chief of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association, laid down his life in a gun battle with British policemen in what was then known as Alfred Park in Allahabad (now Azad Park in Prayagraj).
Several of his comrades have recounted in their memoirs how Azad often declared that as long as he had his gun, he would never be captured alive. To ensure this, he revealed his whereabouts only to a select few closest to him.
Even then, whenever a prominent member of the group was arrested, Azad changed locations. He adhered to this rule even after the arrest of Bhagat Singh, much to the annoyance of his closest comrade, Vishwanath Vaishampayan.
When Azad instructed Vaishampayan to relocate, citing British newspapers' propaganda that Bhagat Singh had broken down and revealed crucial party information, Vaishampayan responded in disgust, "Panditji, if Bhagat Singh can become an approver, then this entire struggle is meaningless. Let us face our fate."
Azad chided him, emphasising that this was not about doubting Bhagat Singh but about following party rules: "Being sentimental will one day cost you your life."
Azad's diligence and alertness helped him evade capture for the longest time, even when others involved in actions like Kakori and Lahore were caught.
Then what happened on February 27, 1931, that led to his fatal encounter with the police? Was it a chance incident, or was it the result of betrayal?
Based on accounts from three of Azad's comrades -- two of whom were with him on that fateful day -- one can deliberate on the possible reasons.
One is from Vaishampayan himself, who was arrested a few days earlier and who suspected being snitched on by the same person who is widely believed to have revealed Azad's whereabouts to the police.
The other two are from Sukhdev Raj and Yashpal -- the former was with Azad when the encounter started, while the latter had parted ways only moments ago.
Betrayed by his comrades?
Vaishampayan, Sukhdev Raj, and Yashpal all agree that a member of their group, Veerbhadra Tiwari, was the one who led the police to Azad. However, Vaishampayan and Sukhdev Raj also suspect Yashpal's involvement, as he was close to Veerbhadra.
Both state that Azad had punished Yashpal and Veerbhadra for violating party discipline and misusing funds meant for revolutionary activities on their personal affairs.
Veerbhadra's actions left little doubt that he was a police informer -- while others were in hiding, getting arrested, or being killed, he moved about openly and was never touched by the authorities.
Sukhdev Raj suspected Veerbhadra of being a double agent who manipulated both sides. He believed the police caught onto Veerbhadra's deception and coerced him into leading them to Azad.
Sukhdev Raj writes that on that day, he met Azad in the park just as Yashpal and Surendra Pandey were leaving. Azad asked him if he had ever been to Burma (now Myanmar), perhaps as part of an escape plan to Soviet Russia.
However, he also noted that Azad always dismissed the idea of fleeing and insisted on continuing the struggle within India.
While they were conversing, Azad spotted Veerbhadra and turned to Sukhdev Raj for confirmation, but the latter couldn't see him. Moments later, two armed policemen approached them.
Azad and Sukhdev Raj drew their weapons, and gunfire erupted. One of the officers was Superintendent John Reginald Nott-Bower, who shot Azad in the thigh, while Azad's bullet injured Nott-Bower's wrist.
Azad ordered Sukhdev Raj to escape. The gunfight continued until both sides exhausted their ammunition.
Yashpal admits that he and Pandey accompanied Azad to the park, but Azad sent them away, saying he had to meet someone and that they should go to the market to buy sweaters -- allegedly in preparation for an escape to Russia.
Yashpal saw Sukhdev Raj heading toward the park and realised that the 'someone' Azad was meeting was him.
While they were in the market, they heard news of gunfire in the park and immediately understood that Azad had been discovered. Yashpal claimed he wanted to return, but Pandey stopped him, saying it would be futile and tantamount to surrendering.
Vaishampayan and Sukhdev Raj dismiss Yashpal's account, citing his complicity with Veerbhadra. In turn, Yashpal accuses Sukhdev Raj of abandoning Azad and later surrendering to the police in May 1931 under similar circumstances in Lahore, where another comrade was killed.
A chance encounter?
Sukhdev Raj and Vaishampayan refer to statements by Nott-Bower, CID Deputy Superintendent Vishveshwar Singh -- who was shot in the face by Azad -- and then inspector general of police for the United Provinces, S T Hollins.
According to them, Singh suspected that he had seen Azad in Alfred Park and asked his companion to confirm his doubts. After verifying, they sent an orderly to summon Nott-Bower. Once he arrived, they approached Azad, and the gunfight began.
None of them mentioned prior intelligence about Azad's presence in the park. However, even if they had known, they would not have admitted it officially. Given Azad's extreme caution and history of evading the police, it is hard to believe he would visit a place he did not consider safe.
Vaishampayan also refers to newspaper reports from Leader, alluding to police's theory of the encounter being a chance event. As per the report in Leader, Azad's post-mortem revealed two bullet wounds on his right leg.
While the fatal injures were caused by a bullet lodged in his right lung and another that pierced through the right side of his head. It says that the doctors contest the claim that the bullet in Azad's head was fired by himself.
Although Yashpal cites eyewitness accounts saying Azad shot himself with the last bullet.
Nott-Bower himself admitted that even after the firing ceased, nobody dared approach Azad, fearing he might still be alive. They fired one more shot to confirm his death before moving closer.
Betrayed by Nehru?
A ridiculous and silly propaganda claim has gained traction on social media over the years which alleges that Jawaharlal Nehru informed the police about Azad's whereabouts. The theory suggests that Azad met Nehru on February 27 to discuss a plan to rescue Bhagat Singh and disclosed his presence in Alfred Park.
The claim is absurd and lacks any historical basis. Nonetheless, it keeps on appearing online every now and then. So, let us discuss it here.
Firstly, none of Azad's companions mentioned a meeting with Nehru that day.
Secondly, Nehru was in Delhi at the time, engaged in discussions regarding the Gandhi-Irwin Pact, and was scheduled to proceed to Lahore for a Congress session.
Lastly, it is an insult to the intelligence of a revolutionary giant like Azad to suggest that he would disclose top secret plans to someone who was not even a member of his party. He was extremely cautious and rarely shared such information, even with his closest associates.
The claim falsely links two facts: That Alfred Park was near Nehru's residence, Anand Bhavan, and that Azad had met Nehru several days prior to discuss revolutionaries’ fate under the Gandhi-Irwin Pact.
Nehru has acknowledged this meeting with Azad in his autobiography.
Azad was deeply hurt by Nehru's stubborn response, as Nehru indignantly referred to the revolutionaries as 'fascists.'
However, Yashpal writes that Azad later sent him to meet Nehru, and he was able to persuade the Congress leader to see their point of view. During this meeting, Yashpal also requested financial assistance from Nehru to facilitate their escape to Russia.
A few days later, Nehru sent Rs 1,500 through Shivmurti Singh, with a promise to arrange for more funds later.
However, Manmath Nath Gupt, a senior HSRA member who served a life sentence in the Kakori case, dismisses Yashpal's claims about meeting Nehru.
Sukhdev Raj, on the other hand, confirms that Nehru did provide the money, which was later found on Azad after his death. However, he clarifies that Shivmurti Singh handed the money directly to Azad.
Azad's funeral
To prevent public outrage, the police clandestinely cremated Azad's body at Rasulabad Ghat (now Chandrashekhar Azad Ghat). However, news spread quickly, and thousands, including Congress leaders Kamala Nehru and Purushottam Das Tandon, gathered to collect his ashes.
A massive procession carried Azad's urn through the city as a general strike was observed. During the procession, Pratibha Sanyal, wife of HSRA founder Sachindra Nath Sanyal, said that she would take a pinch of the ashes with her just like people took the ashes of Khudiram Bose. Moved by her words, people scrambled for Azad's ashes, leaving little for immersion in the Ganga at Varanasi.
People also began worshipping the tree under which Azad made his last stand. Alarmed, the British authorities had it cut down overnight. After Independence, Congress leader Baba Raghav Das planted a new tree at the same spot.
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