India has failed miserably in doing justice to our countless freedom fighters. The stories of their bravery, valour and sacrifice were intentionally wiped out from the history books and official narrative of the Indian freedom struggle. The leftist distorians did this great disservice to the nation. They presented Ahimsa and the political struggle by Congress as the only stream responsible for Indian Independence. Gladly, things are coming back on the right track. The revolutionaries are slowly getting their due recognition.
With a series of articles on Unsung Heroes, we are trying our bit to correct the injustice done to these great souls. This article is our sincere gratitude to a family that dedicated itself entirely to the service of the nation.
The family of revolutionaries
The leftist ‘distorians’ failed to shed their light on the contributions and sacrifice of the Vohra family. Every member of the Vohra family had dedicated their entire life to the service of the nation. Bhagwati Charan Vohra and his wife Durgavati Devi were two prominent revolutionaries from the Vohra family. Patriotism was deeply entrenched in the revolutionary couple. They had a profound urge to live and die for the nation.
Early life
Bhagwati Charan Vohra was born on 15th November 1903, in Lahore. His father Shiv Charan Vohra was a high-ranking official in the railways. He married a young girl named Durgavati Devi, only eleven years of age at the time of marriage. However, the Vohras were not an orthodox family. They inspired Durgavati Devi to continue her education.
However, his father’s untimely demise brought the family responsibilities over Bhagwati’s shoulders. At the time of his father’s demise, he was completing his education at the National College in Lahore. Even after hardships, Bhagwati motivated his wife to pursue higher education. In 1923, Bhagwati Charan Vohra passed the BA examination from National College. His wife Durgavati Devi obtained Prabhakar’s degree.
Revolutionary life
Bhagwati Charan Vohra was a revolutionary thinker, organiser and speaker. He was deeply committed to the ideals of freedom. His invincible courage made him one of the symbols of the revolution. He was an avid reader who infused intellectual ideology in the working of every organisation he was associated with.
The revolutionary couple had received monetary help from their parents that would help them in times of crisis. Durgavati’s father Banke Bihari gave her five thousand rupees. Her Father-in-law Shiv Charan Vohra gave 40 thousand rupees. Contrary to other ordinary beings the couple used every penny of that money in the service of the nation and strengthening their revolution against the Britishers.
Later, Bhagwati Charan Vohra along with his associates decided to join the Hindustan Republican Association. In the year 1924, famous revolutionary Shachindranath Sanyal wrote the manifesto of the Hindustan-Democratic Union – ‘The Revolutionary’. Bhagwati Vohra was entrusted with the responsibility to distribute the manifesto widely on January 1, 1925, which he accomplished very well.
In March 1926, Bhagwati Charan Vohra and Bhagat Singh jointly prepared the draft of Naujawan Bharat Sabha and founded it together with Ramchandra Kapoor. Hundreds of youths took an oath to sacrifice their lives to liberate the country. Every member including Bhagat Singh and Bhagwati Charan Vohra signed the pledge with their blood.
The general secretary of this Naujawan Bharat Sabha was Bhagat Singh and the propaganda (publicity) secretary was Bhagwati Charan Vohra. Apart from Bhagat Singh, Bhagwati Charan Vohra was the main theorist of the organisation. In April 1928, the manifesto of the Naujawan Bharat Sabha was published. Bhagwati Charan Vohra had the task of preparing the draft in consultation with Bhagat Singh and other colleagues.
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Bhagwati Charan Vohra was a Marxist and secular revolutionary in true sense. There was a mandatory rule in Naujawan Bharat Sabha that ‘Halal and Jhatka meat shall be cooked together, which Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs will eat together’. This rule is not a figment of imagination but has been authenticated by Kuldeep Nair in his book ‘Without Fear’. Apparently, he is one of the darling journalists of the left-liberal cabal.
This rule clearly vindicates that Bhagwati Chandra Vohra hated discriminatory rules for Hindus and Muslims. He was a vocal supporter of religious unity without appeasing anyone. Apart from this, like Bhagat Singh, Bhagwati Charan Vohra was strongly anti-Urdu and from time to time, this was clarified through HSRA.
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Bhagwati Charan Vohra was accused of Lucknow’s Kakori train robbery and Lahore conspiracy case. He was also involved in the murder of British Sergeant JP Saunders who was responsible for killing Lala Lajpat Rai. Even after his relentless attacks, Britishers never got success in arresting him.
He never pulled back from doing revolutionary work. Evidently, even after being surrounded by so many allegations, Bhagwati Charan made relentless efforts to blow up the Viceroy in the moving train. Yashpal, Indrapal and Bhagaram helped him in carrying out this act.
After months of preparation, the revolutionaries were successful in detonating the special train on the appointed date, but the Viceroy survived. The pantry compartment of the train was damaged and a man died in it. MK Gandhi called the revolutionaries cowards in the Young India magazine.
In response to that Bhagwati Charan Vohra wrote an influential article in his language in name of ‘Philosophy of the Bomb’. This article became the talk of the town. Police made several attempts to trace its original source but they failed miserably.
Durga Bhabhi
Revolutionaries affectionately called Durga Devi as Durga Bhabhi. Her style of functioning was different. She presided over the meeting called in Lahore to avenge the death of Lala Lajpat Rai. In the meeting, she herself wanted to take responsibility for killing British Superintendent of Police J. A. Scott but the organisation decided against this. They were not patriarchal; rather they knew the potential of Durga Bhabhi and could not allow the British imperialists to catch her.
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Apart from this, after killing the British officer Saunders, Bhagat Singh and Rajguru left for Calcutta from Lahore. On the advice of Durga Bhabhi, they were to travel in disguise so that no one could recognize them. Under a well-planned strategy, Bhagat Singh became the husband, Durga Bhabhi as his wife and Rajguru as their servant and were successful in their entourage. This near impossible task paid off just because of the understanding of Durga Bhabhi and Britishers kept mulling their hands.
Unfortunately, in 1930 this family suffered a severe blow. In view of the increasing influence of the revolutionaries, Lord Irwin issued a special ordinance under the Defence of India Act 1915, which stated that the proceedings would continue without the presence of the accused and no appeal could be made.
On this Chandrashekhar Azad and the Vohra family decided that the revolutionaries should be freed from the Lahore jail by the use of new and more powerful bombs on their way to the court. For this, experiments were going on in Delhi for months under the guise of a soap factory, which was named ‘Himalaya Toiletry’.
However, the 28th of May, 1930, proved to be a black day. While making bombs with his revolutionary comrades on the banks of river Ravi, a bomb exploded in his hand and he died.
After that, on 9th October 1930, Durga Bhabhi opened fire on Governor Halley, which the Governor survived but military officer Taylor got injured. Durga Bhabhi had also shot the Police Commissioner of Mumbai. After that, the British police trailed them. Durga Bhabhi and partner Yashpal were arrested from a flat in Mumbai. A cycle of absconding, arrest and release continued from 1931 to 1935.
Finally, after being transferred from Lahore to District Badar, she started working as a teacher in Pyarelal Girls School in Ghaziabad in 1935. In 1939, she went to Madras and took training in the Montessori method of teaching. After that, she opened a Montessori school with only five children in a private house on Cantt Road (Nazirabad) in Lucknow. Even today this school is known as Montessori Inter College in Lucknow.
It is disheartening to note that this family never got Justice and respect they deserved. Durgavati Devi died in oblivion on October 14, 1999.
The revolutionaries who gave their everything for the nation deserve Justice. They need to be taught in the school syllabus. Their sacrifices and bravery need to be told to the present and next generations so that the historic injustice done to these great souls can be corrected.
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