Ashfaqullah Khan : Unsung Revolutionary of India

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Imran Ahmad

Asfaqullah khan born on 22 Oct 1900 in a military background family in Shahjahanpur. He have a great influence on poetry and bravery of Ram Prasad bismil. When bismil was declared absconder after mainpuri conspiracy, ashfaq was very keen to meet Bismil because of his poetic and revolutionary attitude. Bismil visited shahjahanpur in 1922 to organize a meeting to tell people about non-coperation movement, here ashfaq met bismil in a private meeting and became friend thereafter.

Ashfaq was very critical to the rollback of non-coperation by the congress leaders and joined the revolutionaries and united the scattered revolutionaries throughout the country. The revolutionaries felt that the soft word of non violence could not win India it’s freedom and planned to wage war against British establishment by guns, barood and weapons. To fund their movement and buy arms and ammunition, the revolutionaries organise a meeting on 8th August 1925 and decided to loot government treasury in shahjahanpur-lucknow passenger train the next day.

Asfaqullah khan and his companions were charged with multiple offences including robbery and murder during the Kakori trial.

The loot had been carried out by 10 revolutionaries, many others were also arrested and handed out punishments as life imprisonment and long term prisons. Four were handed death sentences including ashfaq and bismil.

Ram Prasad Bismil belong to arya samaj and Asfaqullah khan was a practicing Muslim who offer 5 times Namaaz daily. Despite the difference of faith they never bore in mind any prejudice against each other religion and strive for common objective of free and independent India.