Shivaram Hari Rajguru (24 August 1908 – 23 March 1931), he is part of the Bhagat Singh-Sukhdev-Rajguru revolutionary trio. They was hanged by the British government for involvement in the assassination of a British police officer, was born upon 24 August 1908 in Khed taluka of Pune district.
The young boys were so charged up with patriotism that though they originated from different areas of undivided India, they understood the common language of Maa Bharati – love for Mother India and the express requirement to throw out the colonisers from the land. More about that a bit later on in this story. Let us take a look at Rajguru’s background as it is the birth anniversary of that great soul today.
Rajguru’s Childhood:
Rajguru’s parents were mother Parvati Devi and father Harinarain Rajguru and they hailed from a Marathi Deshashtha Brahmin family. When he was just 6 years old, his father passed away. Brother Dinkar needed to carry the duty of putting bread on the table and educating the brother.
He got primary education at Khed and later on studied in New English High School in Poona. However it was the Lokmanya Tilak brand of patriotism that he had actually acquired and not the Satyagraha version of Mahatma Gandhi.
Walked a thousand kilometres to join revolutionaries:
The fifteen-year-old left home to sign up with the heart of the revolutionary movement and walked 6 days to reach Varanasi. In Varanasi, he acquired admission to study at a Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya (Greater research studies school) and as was his desire, within a year he had discovered his fellow revolutionaries to take the cause of India forward.
At sixteen, the Pune young boy signed up with the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association, aiming to be a part of the armed struggle to topple the British colonisers.
When the Simon Commission went to Lahore on 30 October 1928, Lala Lajpat Rai led a peaceful protest versus the Commission. The superintendent of authorities, James A Scott, bought his men to lathi charge the protesters. Lala Lajpat Rai was terribly hurt in the baton-charge but addressed a meeting later on. He died on 17 November 1928.
Sukhdev Thapar, Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, and Shivram Rajguru chose Officer Scott need to pay for the death of the Lion of Punjab.
Strategy to avenge Lala Lajpat Rai’s death, shooting of JP Saunders:
However, in a case of incorrect identity, Bhagat Singh was indicated to shoot on the look of John P. Saunders, an Assistant Superintendent of Cops. He was shot by Rajguru and Singh while leaving the District Cops HQ in Lahore on 17 December 1928. Chandrashekhar Azad provided the cover fire to help the revolutionary brothers get away.
The kids distributed so as to carry out even more revolutionary activities later on. Rajguru headed to Pune. Reports state RSS creator Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar scheduled his secret stay. Later on, as the 20-year-old was headed to Pune, he was apprehended by police officers in service of the British government.
Cops jail Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev; Chandrashekhar Azad is shot dead in encounter:
The police authorities had currently rounded up Sukhdev and Bhagat Singh. Chandrashekhar Azad died on 27 February 1931 in a park in Prayagraj (earlier Allahabad) combating the authorities. Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, and their 21 other co-conspirators were tried under the arrangements of a guideline that was presented in 1930 particularly for that function.
Declared guilty, Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev were set up for holding on 24 March 1931 however rather were hanged a day earlier on 23 March 1931.
The trio sang innovative tunes to the gallows:
In an inhuman and unlawful way, without involving the households or social connections of the freedom fighters, the trio was cremated in a huff by the British at Hussainiwala near at banks of the Sutlej river in the Ferozepur district of Punjab.
A memorial stands at the place today. Rajguru’s birth place Khed was relabelled Rajgurunagar in his memory after India acquired self-reliance.
