One of India’s leading figures in her fight against British imperialism, Ram Prasad Bismil was a man of great courage and tremendous knowledge. A poet who wrote extensively in Hindi and Urdu under the pen name Bismil, the revolutionary leader’s firebrand manoeuvre’s against the Britishers made him a thorn in their eyes. An avid follower of the Arya Samaj, Ram Prasad Bismil was born on June 11, 1897, in the Shahjahanpur district of Uttar Pradesh. The death sentence meted out to popular Arya Samaj leader Bhai Parmanand invoked sharp nationalistic ideals in him and he vented out his anger in the form of poems. The young man then made up his mind that his life was dedicated to the liberation of his motherland from British oppression. Remembering Famous Quotes, Poems and Slogans by Ram Prasad Bismil, The Great Indian Revolutionary.

On the birth anniversary of this great freedom fighter, we list out some facts about his life.

  • As a 14-year-old teenager, Ram Prasad Bismil would steal money from his parents and also took up smoking. He utilised the money in buying books which he loved reading.

  • Ram Prasad Bismil could only complete his schooling till the 8th standard due to the poor financial conditions prevalent at his home. His father who worked in the Shahjahanpur Municipality could hardly support the family with his meagre income.

  • Ram Prasad Bismil’s association with Arya Samaj had a lot to do with the strong influence of Swami Somdev on his life.

  • The ideals of Hindustan Republican Association attracted Ram Prasad Bismil and it was here that he met like-minded freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Ashfaqullah Khan, Chandrashekhar Azad and many more.

  • He along with Ashfaqullah Khan hatched the Kakori robbery plot wherein they looted a train in the town of Kakori in order to fund HRA and create an impact on the minds of the Indians about the might of HRA.

  • In 1923, Ram Prasad Bismil drafted the constitution of the Hindustan Republican Association along with Sachindra Nath Sanyal and Dr Jadugopal Mukherjee.

  • His love for his country and the sole aim of seeing its freedom turned Ram Prasad Bismil into a persuasive writer. One of his most famous poems is the ‘Sarfarsohi Ki Tamanna’.

  • The Kakori Case put intense pressure on the British Government to capture him. He was arrested and subsequently sentenced to death.

  • In his autobiography, Ram Prasad Bismil speaks highly of his compatriot Ashfaqullah Khan who despite pressure from his community stuck to him till the last moment.

  • The revolutionary was hanged till the death on December 19, 1927, at a young age of 30.

Ram Prasad Bismil may have not lived long to see his country attain independence but his struggle for freedom meant there were millions who did just that courtesy his efforts.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 11, 2020 08:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).