Bhagwan Ahir
Bhagwan Ahir (died 1923) was born in Gorakhpur district, Uttar Pradesh.[1] On 4 February 1922, an incident occurred outside the Chaura police station in Gorakhpur district, where a group of constables and watchmen clashed with a crowd of 2000-2500 peasants from neighboring villages. Most of the crowd did not have any weapons. The officer-in-charge of the police station, Gupteshwar Singh, made a fatal mistake by ordering the police to fire first in the air and then at the crowd, resulting in the death of some peasants and injuries to hundreds of others. This incensed the peaceful satyagrahi crowd, who retaliated by killing 22 policemen and chowkidars, and setting the police station on fire.[2][3][4] [5][6][7]
Early life[change | change source]
Bhagwan Ahir was born in Gorakhpur district, Uttar Pradesh in a landlord family to Ram Nath Ahir.
Revolutionary activities[change | change source]
Bhagwan Ahir played a prominent role in the events that followed. He was a leading volunteer and drill instructor who taught others to march in formation and follow whistle commands. According to witness accounts, he brought thatching grass to burn the police station, helped to carry the body of the Sub-Inspector to the flames, and participated in the beating of constables who were subsequently killed. He was also accused of leading the volunteer crowd.[8][9][10]
Bhagwan Ahir was found guilty under section 302/149 of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced to death by the session court. He appealed to the High Court, but his appeal was rejected and he was executed in July 1923.[11]
In popular culture[change | change source]
Ahir and the events of the police station incident are the basis for the 2023 movie 1922 Pratikaar Chauri Chaura.[12]
References[change | change source]
- ↑ "Bhagwan Ahir – Chaura Chauri Kand Gorakhpur". Sacnilk 24. 3 January 2023. Archived from the original on 30 March 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
- ↑ "Chauri Chaura Incident - UPSC". unacademy.com. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
- ↑ "Is BJP's effort to revive memories of 1922 Chauri Chaura revolt a poll ploy?". The Week.
Three days earlier, on February 1, three satyagrahis—Bhagwan Ahir, Ramrup Barai and Mahadeo—were beaten up on the orders of Gupteshwar Singh, the sub-inspector of the station, when they were picketing Mundera Bazaar, a prosperous market of pulses, raw sugar and rice. Of the three, Ahir received the most severe beatings. Ahir had been a soldier in World War 1 for two years and had been posted at Basra. The policeman's anger against Ahir was the greatest for he drew a government pension as an ex-soldier and yet, as Singh perceived, he wanted to overthrow the same government.
- ↑ "Chauri Chaura a subaltern revolt that receded into oblivion". Times of India. 20 August 2022.
When Mahatma Gandhi visited Gorakhpur via Chauri Chaura on February 8, 1921, to gather support for Non-Cooperation Movement, the four main characters of Chauri Chaura revolt — Nazar Ali, Lal Muhammad, Bhagwan Ahir and Abdulla of Dumri Khurd, along with other volunteers and peasants visited Gorakhpur's Bale-Ka-Maidan to listen to Gandhi's speech. Dumri Khurd was a village of lower caste peasants and of Muslims and it's nearly one km away from Chauri Chaura police station. On January 13, 1922, vice chairperson of Khilafat committee and Congress Gorakhpur unit secretary, Niaz Ahmad alias Hakim Arif visited Dumri Khurd and formed a circle committee to expand Non-Cooperation Movement in remote villages. Nazar Ali was vocal among all the volunteers, and was elected the vice chairperson of the committee. While Bhagwan Ahir was made drill master, Lal Muhammed, Shikari and Bhagwati Bania were secretaries and Ramrup Barai was made office-bearer.On January 31, 1922, a huge meeting was organized by the Congress in Hata (it was in Deoria district then) some 17kms away from Chauri Chaura to discuss the roadmap of the Non-Cooperation Movement in villages. This meeting was attended by Bhagwan Ahir, a former World War I veteran who had served at Basra front in the coolie corps. On February 1, 1922, while Bhagwan Ahir, along with two other men, was roaming in Mundera Bazaar nearly 1km away from Chauri Chaura, they were detained by the musclemen of zamindar Babu Sant Baksh Singh, who owned the bazaar. The trio were handed over to the sub-inspector of Chauri Chaura police station, Gupteshwar Singh, who brutally assaulted the men, especially Bhagwan Ahir.The four main characters of the Chauri Chaura revolt – Nazar Ali, Bhagwan Ahir, Lal Muhammad and Abdullah – were aware of the Bolshevik revolution and were part of the peasants' movement.
- ↑ "Chauri Chaura Incident: Know all about the inauguration of 'Chauri Chaura Centenary Celebrations' by Prime Minister Modi". Dainik Jagran.
Chauri Chaura Incident On 2 February 1922, Non-cooperation Movement was led by a retired Army soldier Bhagwan Ahir against high food prices and liquor sale. The protestors were beaten by the local police and several leaders were imprisoned at the Chauri Chaura police station.
- ↑ "Alternative vision- Chauri Chaura and a New India". The Telegraph India.
One hundred and seventy-two persons were convicted by the sessions court of murder and sentenced to death. The high court confirmed the sentences of 19 persons, acquitting or commuting the sentences of the rest. The reduction of sentences, according to the high court, was necessitated by the law — apart from the 19 ringleaders, the others were simply part of the crowd. Without condoning their lawlessness, the high court nonetheless spared them the gallows for being accessories to murder rather than its perpetrators. However, Abdulla, Bhagwan Ahir, Lal Muhammed and 16 others were not shown any clemency.
- ↑ "ചൗരി-ചൗരയും മലബാറും". mediaoneonline.com.
- ↑ "Bhagwan Ahir". amritmahotsav.nic.in. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
- ↑ "Chauri Chaura Incident - Feb 4, 1922 UPSC Modern India History Notes". byjus.com. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
- ↑ https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Noncooperation_in_India/uX4fEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=bhagwan+ahir&pg=PA247&printsec=frontcover
- ↑ "Bhagwan Ahir". amritmahotsav.nic.in. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
- ↑ https://www.amarujala.com/entertainment/movie-review/1922-pratirak-chauri-chaura-review-the-characters-of-gandhi-and-ancestors-played-slaves-role-read-here-2023-06-30?pageId=1