Bhagat Singh

Bhagta Singh aka Shaheed Bhagat Singh aka Bhagat Singh Sandhu was an Indian socialist and a revolutionary. He is considered to be one of the most influential revolutionaries of the Indian Independence Movement. He was born in Sikh family. His family had earlier been involved in revolutionary activities against the British Raj. When Bhagat Singh was a teenager, he studied European revolutionary movements. He became attracted to anarchist and Marxist idoologies.

He became involved in numerous revolutionary activities. He quickly gained prominence in the Hindustan Republican Association and became on of the it's chief leaders. Eventually, the name of the organisation was changed to Hindustan Socialist Republican Association. This happened in the year 1928. Lala Lajpat Rai was killed at the hands of the police. Bhagat Singh wanted revenge for this incidence. He became involved in the number of the British Police Officer John Saunders. The police tried to capture him. However, Bhagat Singh was successful in avoiding arrest.

He made a plan to bomb the Central Legislative Assembly. He partnered with Bhuwaneshwar Dutt for this task. He bombarded the assembly with the two bombs. They were shouting slogans of revolution and threw pamphlets. After the bombarding, they surrounded. He was held on this charge in prison. He underwent a 116 day fast in jail and so he did not have food for that long. He did this to demand equal political rights for both British and Indian political prisoners. In response to this determined protest, he gained nationwide support.

His mentor as a young boy was Kartar Singh Sarabha, whose photo he always carried in his pocket. Singh is himself considered a marter by Indians for acting to avenge death of Lala Lagpat Rai. After studying Russian Revolution, he wanted to die so that his death would inspire the youth of India which in turn will unite them to fight the British Empire. While in prison, Singh and other had written a letter to Lord Irwin, wherein they asked to be treated as prisoners of war and consequently to be executed by firing squad and not hanging. Prannath Mehta, Bhagat Singh's friend, visited him in the jail on 20 March, four days before his execution, with a draft letter for clemency, but he declined to sign it.

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar also known as Swatantyraveer Savarkar was a Indian nationalist, pre-independence activist, fearless fighter, social reformer, writer, dramatist, poet, historian, political leader and philosopher.  He remains largely unknown to the masses because of the vicious propaganda against him and misunderstanding around him that has been created over several decades. Savarkar created term Hindutava and emphasized its distinctiveness from Hinduism which he associated with social and political communalism.

Founded the Abhinav Bharat Society and Free India Society, brought out an authentic informative researched work on "The Great Indian Revolt of 1857" also founded Hindu Sabha.Veer Savarkar occupies a unique place in the history of Indian freedom struggle.. His name evokes controversy. While some consider him as on of the greatest revolutionaries in the Indian freedom struggle. He was an extraordinary Hindu scholar. He coined Indian words for telephone, photography, the parliament and among others.

In Pune, Savarkar founded the "Abhinav Bharat Society". He was also involved in the Swadeshi movement and later joined Tilak's Swaraj Party. His instigating patriotic speeches and activities incensed the British Governemnt. As a result the British Government withdraw his B A degree. In June 1906, Veer Savarkar left for London to become Barrister. Once in London he united and inflamed the Indian students in England against Brtish rule in India. He founded the Free India Society. The Society celebrated important dates on the Indian calender including festivals, freedom movement landmarks and was dedicated to furthering discussion about Indian freedom. He believed and advocated the use of arms to free Indian from the British and created a network of Indians in England, equipped with weapons.

In 1909, Madanlal Dgingra, a keen follower of Savrkar shot Sir Wylie after a failed assassination attempt on the then Vioceroy, Lord Curzon. Savarkar conspicuously did not condemn the act. When the British Collector of Nashik, Jackson shot by a youth, Veer Savarkar finally fell under the of British authorities. He was implected in the murder citing his connections with India House. Savarkar was arrested in London on 13 March 1910 and sent to India. After a formal trial, Savarkar was charged with serious offences of illegal transportation of weapons, provocative speeches and sedition and was sentenced to 50 years of jail and deported to the Kalapani at Andaman cellular jail.

In 1920, many prominent freedom fighter including Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Mahatma Gandhi, Vitthalbhai Patel demanded the release of Savarkar. On 21 May 1921 Savarkar was moved to Ratnagiri jail and from there to the Yervada jail. In Ratnagiri he wrote the book "Hindutva". On 6 January 1924 he was freed under the condtion that he would not leave Ratnagiri disttrict and absatain from political activity for the next five years. On 23 January 1924 he founded Hindu Mahasabha.

The Hindu Mahasabha opposed creation of Pakistan, and took expection to Gnadhi's continued Muslim appeasement stances. Nathuram Godase, a volunteer of Hindu Mahasabha assassinated in 1948 and upheld his actions till his haning. Veer Savarkar was arrested and indicted by the Government of India in the Mahatma Gandhi assassinated case. But he was acquitted by the Supreme Court of India, for reasons of lack of evidence. Veer Savarkar died on 26 February 1966 at the age of 96.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Keshav Gangadhar Tilak also known as Bal Gangadhar Tilak aka Lokamanya Tilak, was an Indian nationalist, independence activist, journalist, lawyer, social reformer, teacher. He was the first leader of the Indian Independence Movement. The British colonial authorities called him "Father of the Indian unrest". He was also conferred with the honorary title of "Lokamanya", which literally means "accepted by the people as their leader". Tilak was on of the first and strongest advocates if "Swaraj" and a strong radical in Indian consiousness. He is known for his quote, "Swaraj is my birth-right, and I shall have it" in India. He formed close alliance eith Muhammad Ali Jinnah, later the founder of Pakistan, during the Indian Home Rule Movement.

Tilak joined the Indian National Congress in 1890. He opposed its moderate attitude, especially towards the fight for self-government. He was one of the most eminent radicals at the time. Despite being personally opposed to early marriage, Tilak was against the 1890 Age of Consent bill, seeing it as interference with Hinduism and a dangerous precedent.

Tilak encouraged the Swadeshi movement and the Boycott movement. The movement consisted of the boycott of forigen goods and also the social boycott of any Indian who used foreign goods. The Swadeshi movement consisted of the usage of natively produced goods. Once foreign goods were boycotted, there was a gap which had to be filled by the production of those goods in India itself. Tilak said that Swadeshi and Boycott movements are two sides of the same coin.

Tilak opposed the moderate views of Gopal Krishna Gokhale and was supported by fellow Indian nationalist Bipin Chandra Pal in Bengal and Lala Lajpat Rai in Punjab. They were referred to as the "Lal-Bal-Pal triumvirate" In 1907 the annual session of the Indian National Congress was held at Surat. Trouble broke out over the selections pf the party. The party split into the "Jahal Matwadi" led by the Tilak, Pal and Lajpat Rai and the "Maval Matwadi".

When World War-I started in August, Tilak cabled the King-Emperor in Britain of his support and turned his oratory to find new recruits for war efforts. He welcomed The Indian Council Act (1909), popularly known as Morley-Minto Reforms, which had been passed by British Parliament in May 1909, terming it as "a marked increase of confidence between the Rulers and the Ruled".

In 1916 Tilak re-unites with his fellow natinalist and re-joined the Indian National Congress. He also helped found the All India Home Rule League in 1916-18, with G S Khaparde and Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Annie Beseant. After years of trying to reunite the moderate and radical factions, he gave up and focused on the Home Rule League, which sought self-rule. Tilak started his Home Rule League in Maharashtra, Central Provinces and Karnataka and Berar region.