Indian
Trains have Names besides the Numbers. As you would know, Trains now have 5
digit numbers – earlier they were 4 digits.
Many a train are named after
Gods, rivers, important places in the origin or destination – ……. and regularly
more get added to the long list.. Some
are named after personalities and some after traits too.. there are some
luxurious trains too……. Train no. 15003 [15004 in
return direction] has a total of 31 halts and 52 Intermediate Stations from
Kanpur Anwarganj to Gorakhpur Junction
covering a distance of 552 kms. in 14 hours 5 minutes. It is named after a small town in Gorakhpur
district. Though it was once for
Dal and Gud (Pulses and Jaggery) Mandi – it is now remembered for a poignant
incident. Some of its halts are at :
Deoria Sadar; Bhatni Junction; Salempur Junction; Varanasi, Bhulanpur, Allahabad, Fatehpur, Kanpur.
Without
beating around, it is Chauri Chaura. Nearby attractions in Chauri Chaura include
the famous Tarkulaha Devi Temple. Besides the long mela, people from far flung
locations visit here to shop for their annual requirements of
Garam Masala (Indian Spices) and to enjoy the traditional ‘Nautanki’ (drama),
Nag Kanya shows and small circuses. It
is connected by road due to its
proximity to the famous Buddha circuit ( Buddha Paripath) comprising of
Naugarh (Kapilvastu), Sarnath, Bodh Gaya and Kushi Nagar.
India will ever remember sadly the ‘Chauri Chaura incident’ that
occurred in February 1922,
when a large group of protesters participating in the Non-cooperation movement
turned violent, leading to police opening fire and in retaliation the burning
of police station. The incident led to several deaths of both civilians and
police and The Indian National Congress halted the Non-cooperation Movement on
the national level as a direct result of this incident. It is reported that the crowd consisted of
volunteers of Indian National Congress as well as Khilafat Movement who were
together participating in the Non-co-operation movement started by Mahatma
Gandhi.
On
the fateful day, thousands had gathered to picket the liquor shop at the local
market in Chauri Chaura. As the crowd
was protesting the arrest of a leader, One of their leaders was arrested and the crowed was protesting seeking release. Armed
police were dispatched to control the situation while the crowd marched toward
the market and started shouting anti-government slogans. In an attempt to
frighten and disperse the crowd, the police fired warning shots into the air
but this only agitated the crowd who began pelting the police with stones. With
the situation getting out of control, the sub inspector ordered the police to
open fire on the advancing crowd, killing three and wounding several others. That set the mob berserk – the outnumbered
police fell back to the shelter of the police chowki while the angry mob
advanced. The chowki was set ablaze
killing those inside.
Two
days before the incident on 2nd Feb 1922, volunteers participating in the
Non-cooperation Movement, protesting for a fair price had been beaten by the
Police. On 4th, the picketing
of liquor shop went awry. In response
to the police killings the British authorities declared martial law in and
around Chauri Chaura. Several raids were conducted and hundreds of people were
arrested. Gandhiji went on a five-day fast as penance for what he perceived
as his culpability in the bloodshed. He was of the opinion that the Indian people were ill-prepared and
not yet ready to do what was needed to achieve independence. Gandhi was also
arrested and sentenced to six years of imprisonment but was later released in
February 1924, on grounds of his ill health.
On
February 12, 1922, the Indian National Congress halted the Non-cooperation
Movement on the national level as a direct result of the Chauri Chaura tragedy.
But British did not halt it at that. A total of 228 people were brought to trial
on charges of "rioting and arson" in conjunction with the Chauri
Chaura affair. Of these 6 died while in police custody, while 172 were
sentenced to death by hanging following conviction in a trial which lasted
eight months.
A
storm of protest erupted over the verdicts, which were characterized as
"legalized murder" by Indian Communist leader M.N. Roy, who called
for a general strike of Indian workers. An year later in Apr 1923, the
Allahabad High Court reviewed the death verdicts; 19 death sentences were
confirmed and 110 were sentenced to prison for life, with the rest sentenced to
long terms of imprisonment. The people
of the district did not forget their freedom fighters. In 1971, they formed an
association called - Chauri Chaura Shaheed Smarak Samiti. In 1973, this Samiti
constructed near the lake at Chauri Chaura a 12.2 meters high triangular
minaret on each side of which a martyr is depicted hanging with a noose round
his neck. Later another Shaheed Smarak was built by Government of India to
honour those hanged for Great Freedom Struggle. This tall memorial has names of
those hanged engraved.
Indian Railways named a train to honor martyrs of Chauri Chaura.
That is the Chauri Chaura Express, running
from Gorakhpur to Kanpur.
With
regards – S. Sampathkumar
28th
Jan 2015.
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