Various revolutionary incidents took place in India and abroad. Among these, Abhinav Bharat Anusheelan Samiti, Gadar Party, Hindustan Socialist Republic Party, Azad Hind Fauz etc. were the revolutionary organizations that played significant role. In India; Maharashtra, Bengal and Punjab were the major centres of revolutionary activities.
In abroad, London in England, Paris in France, San Francisco and Portland in America, Berlin in Germany and Tokyo in Japan were the major centres of revolutionary activities. The revolutionaries also tried to take the Indian army along with them. In revolutionary movements, assistance was also taken from the foreign powers that opposed the British. Gadar movement and Azad Hind Fauz are examples of this.
With the help of Germany, the Gadar party and with the help of Japan, the Azad Hind Fauj made efforts to end the British rule from India. In 1905 CE, Shyamji Krishna Verma formed the ‘India House’ in London. This became a centre of revolt of Indians who resided in London. He published a journal named ‘Indian Sociologist.
Many revolutionaries such as Veer Savarkar (leader of Abhinav Bharat), Lala Hardayal (leader of Gadar party) and Madan Lal Dhingra became its members. Shyamji Krishna Verma was called as the Father of Revolutionaries’. In Paris, S. R. Rana, Bhikaji Rustom Kama etc. were the activists.
Abhinav Bharat: In order to celebrate Ganesh festival in Nasik, Mitra mela’ organization was formed in 1899 CE. From this Mitra mela, a secret revolutionary organization named ‘Abhinav Bharať was born in 1904 CE under the leadership of Veer Savarkar. Its objective was to free India from foreign rule.
Through Ganesh festival and Shivaji festival started by Tilak, this organization conveyed revolutionary thoughts to the people. It spread its thoughts through assemblies and magazines. This organization started to prepare the youth to fight against the British by providing them training of operating sticks, swords, climbing hills, horse riding, running etc. Its branches were established in several colleges and schools of Poona and Bombay in Maharashtra.
Abhinav Bharat collected pistols and other weapons from abroad. Veer Damodar Savarkar (Veer Savarkar) sent weapons from London into India. Abhinav Bharat sponsored Pandurung Mahadev Bapat and sent him abroad to master art of making bombs.
Bapat obtained a copy of Russian book Bomb Manual and translated it into English. Abhinav Bharat established relationship with various secret revolutionary organizations of Bengal and India.
Curzon Willey murder case: Madan Lal Dhingra assassinated Curzon Willey in 1909, CE. Madan Lal Dhingra had gone to London from Amritsar to study engineering. He was disturbed by the atrocities done by Curzon Willey against the Indians. In the obtiuary meeting of Willey, Veer Savarkar opposed the condemnation motion moved against Madan Lal Dhingra who had killed Curzon Willey.
Veer Savarkar: Vinayak Damodar Savarkar of Abhinav Bharat holds an important place among the revolutionary leaders of the freedom struggle of India. Due to his patriotism renouncement and sacrifice, he started to be called Veer Savarkar. He inspired the youth to participate in the revolutionary activities against the British rule. He opposed the obituary meeting held on the occasion of death of Queen Elizabeth in 1901 CE. He called the coronation ceremony of Edward-VII as the ‘ceremony of slavery’ and ‘the revolt towards the country and the community and opposed it.
Nasik conspiracy case: Anant Laxman had assassinated the District Magistrate Jackson on 21st December, 1909. This was called as Nasik conspiracy case’. Major revolutionaries of this case were hanged. Veer Savarkar was imprisoned in London and brought to India. He jumped into the sea but he was caught. Veer Savarkar was convicted for Nasik conspiracy case and sent to jail in Andaman islands. Veer Savarkar was tortured excessively in jail. He was released from jail in 1937 CE.
Delhi conspiracy case (1912 CE) – On 27th December 1912, a bomb was thrown on Lord Harding in Chandni Chowk area of Delhi. He survived. Ras Bihari Bose, the major leader of this bombling escaped successfully. The Delhi conspiracy case was run and Amirchand, Avadh Bihari, Balmukund and Basant Kumar were hanged. Lala Hardayal went away to London.
Revolutionary events in abroad (Gadar party): America was a major centre of revolutionary activities abroad. The Indians who resided in America and Canada realised that due to the British in India, discrimination was being done with Indians. Portland was a major centre of the activities of Indian revolutionaries in America. Under the leadership of Sohan Singh Bhakna, an institution named ‘Hindustan Association of the Pacific Coast was formed in Portland in America.
Later this institution came forward by the name of ‘Gadar party’. Lala Hardayal formed the ‘Gadar party in San Francisco of America. There were two departments of the Gadar party; first was communication department and the other was one millitary department. During the first world war, Gadar party planned to rebel in India. People from various communities propagated the spirit of revolution by assisting in distributing the literature of Gadar party. In August 1914, the revolutionaries established contact with Germans.
Komagata Maru incident (1914): It was a ship that was hired from Hong Kong. 376 Punjabi Indian passengers were boarding it. It reached the Bajbai port of Calcutta on 29th September, 1914. The government wanted to send its passengers to Punjab. The passengers fought with the police, in which about 20 passengers were killed.
Lahore Armed Rebellion (February 1915): In 1915, the Gadar party revolted in Singapore. The plan of the Gadar party to invade the British with the help of Germany in southeast Asia became unsuccessful. The Lahore armed revolt became famous as the first Lahore conspiracy case.
The Gadar party spread the spirit of revolt amongst Indian army and people and made efforts to get India freed through armed rebellion. A temperory government was formed in Kabul by Raja Maher Pratap Singh. It established a direct contact with the Afghan government.
Hindustan Socialist Republican Association Revolutionary activities that had started in the end of the nineteenth century in India became inactive by the end of the first world war and revolutionary Rash Bihari Bose went away to Japan. Sachindra Nath Sanyal was sentenced to life imprisonment under the Banaras conspiracy case in 1915 CE.
Various revolutionary participated in non-cooperation movement run by Mahatma Gandhi. The other revolutionaries were Sardar Bhagat Singh, Ramprasad Bismil, Rajendra Lahiri and Ashfaqulla Khan.
