Birth Anniversary of Chandra Shekhar Azad

• 24 Jul 2025

Why in News? 

The Prime Minister paid tributes to Chandra Shekhar Azad on his birth anniversary (23rd July, 2025). 

• He was a prominent Indian leader and revolutionary who fought bravely for India’s independence. 

 

Key Points  

Chandra Shekhar Azad 

• About: Chandrashekhar Azad was born on 23rd July, 1906 in Bhabra (now in Madhya Pradesh). 
• Role in Freedom Struggle: He was deeply impacted by the Jallianwala Bagh massacre (1919) and joined the freedom struggle at a young age.  
  • Joined the Non-Cooperation movement (1921) as a student and became a key member of the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) after Gandhiji suspended NCM in 1922.  
    • HRA was a revolutionary organization, established in 1924 in Kanpur by Sachindra Nath Sanyal, Ram Prasad Bismil, and Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee, to organise an armed revolution to overthrow the colonial government. 
    • Members were Bhagat Singh, Chandra Shekhar Azad, Sukhdev, Roshan Singh, and Rajendra Lahiri. 
  • HRA was later reorganised as the Hindustan Socialist Republican Army (HSRA). 
    • It was established in 1928 at Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi by Chandra Shekhar Azad, Ashfaqulla Khan, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar and Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee. 
• Revolutionary Activities: Kakori Train Action (1925).  
  • Assassination of JP Saunders (1928) to avenge Lala Lajpat Rai's death.  
  • Attempted to blow up the Viceroy Lord Irwin's train in 1929.  
• Legacy: He was martyred in a police encounter at Alfred Park, Allahabad (now Prayagraj) (27th February 1931) by shooting himself rather than being captured.