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Remembering Chandra Shekhar Azad: 10 lesser-known facts about the great freedom fighter

Remembering Chandra Shekhar Azad: 10 lesser-known facts about the great freedom fighter

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Chandra Shekhar Azad is a name that has continued to inspire generations of Indians. As the nation pays rich tributes to the great freedom fighter on his 87th death anniversary, here are some lesser-known facts about him:

1: Chandra Shekhar Azad was born as Chandra Shekhar Tiwari on July 23, 1906 in the family of Pandit Sitaram Tiwari and Jagrani Devi in Bhavra village, in present-day Alirajpur district of Madhya Pradesh.

2: In order to make him a Sanskrit scholar, Azad’s mother asked his father to send their son to Kashi Vidyapeeth in Varanasi.

3: When he just a school student, Azad joined the Indian freedom struggle in 1921. 

4: He also learned archery from the tribal Bhils of erstwhile Jhabua district which helped him during the arms struggle against the Britishers. 

5: He was most famous for the Kakori Rail Dacoity in 1925 and the assassination of assistant superintendent of police John Poyantz Saunders in 1928.

6:  As a revolutionary, he adopted the last name Azad, which means "free" in Urdu. Legend has it that while he adopted the name, he vowed the police would never capture him alive.

7: Azad did not feel that violence was unacceptable in the struggle, especially in view of the Jalliawallah Bagh Massacre of 1919, where Army units killed hundreds of unarmed civilians and wounded thousands. Young Azad  was deeply and emotionally influenced by the tragedy.

8: Bhagat Singh joined Azad following the death of Lala Lajpat Rai, after he was beaten by police officials. Azad trained Singh and others in covert activities.

9: On February 23, 1931, police surrounded Azad and he was hit on his right thigh making it difficult for him to escape. With one bullet in his pistol and surrounded by police, he found himself outnumbered. He shot himself keeping his pledge of never being captured alive.

10: Allahabad’s Alfred Park where Azad breathed his last has been renamed Chandrashekhar Azad Park. Several schools, colleges, roads and other public institutions across India are also named after him.

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