100th anniversary of Kakori Train Action

On August 9, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath marked the 100th anniversary of the Kakori Rail Conspiracy, a pivotal event in India’s struggle for independence. The event, now officially renamed the Kakori Train Action by the Uttar Pradesh government, commemorates the bravery and sacrifice of the revolutionaries involved.

The Event and Its Background

• The Kakori Train Action took place on August 9, 1925, when members of the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA), a revolutionary organization, halted the 8-Down train near Kakori town in Uttar Pradesh.
• Their goal was to seize British government funds being transported to finance their armed struggle for freedom. The revolutionaries involved included prominent figures like Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Chandrashekhar Azad, Rajendra Lahiri, and Roshan Singh.
• The HRA, formed in 1924, was a group that aimed to achieve a “Federal Republic of the United States of India” through armed revolution and socialist ideals, rejecting Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violent methods.
• The funds seized in the Kakori raid were intended to procure weapons and ammunition for their cause.

The Aftermath and Legacy

In response to the audacious act, the British government launched a massive crackdown, arresting over 40 people. The subsequent trial and convictions led to severe punishments.

• Executions: Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Rajendra Lahiri, and Roshan Singh were executed in 1927.
• Other Punishments: Other members of the HRA received long prison sentences, including Sachindranath Sanyal and Sachindranath Bakshi, who were deported to the Cellular Jail in Port Blair.
• Escape: Chandrashekhar Azad successfully evaded capture and continued his revolutionary activities until his death in 1931.

Kakori Train Action

• In 2021, the Uttar Pradesh government renamed the “Kakori Kand” or “Kakori Conspiracy” to “Kakori Train Action,” stating that the word ‘conspiracy’ insulted the patriots who fought for India’s freedom.
• The renaming honors the revolutionaries as heroes of the independence struggle, celebrating their courage and sacrifice.