The man who mocked British might with mustache flair and steely gaze: Chandrashekhar Azad. His February 27 martyrdom anniversary revives tales of daring that defined India’s armed struggle.
From Madhya Pradesh’s heartland in 1906, Azad’s path ignited early. A child’s stone against oppression led to teenage activism in Gandhi’s fold.
Arrested young, he quipped ‘Azad’ as name, embracing whips with patriotic roars. Chauri Chaura’s suspension fueled his revolutionary turn.
Mastermind behind HSRA, Azad orchestrated hits that funded rebellion. Elusive as wind, he trained fighters, evading vast manhunts post-Kakori.
His creed: blood must boil for motherland; surrender unthinkable. Informer’s tip-off trapped him in Alfred Park. Gunfire raged; comrades fell back.
Sensing encirclement, Azad ended it his way – a self-shot fulfilling ‘never captured alive.’ British rued the empty prize.
Poet-warrior, he sang of liberty’s inferno. His death amplified the call: ‘Inklab Zindabad.’
Generations later, Azad embodies sacrifice’s pinnacle. In classrooms, parks renamed in his honor, his story steels India’s youth against complacency.