India@75: Life of radical nationalist Rajguru

Among the two others hanged to death along with Bhagat Singh was Shivram Hari Rajguru. He was born in a Brahmin family at Khed on the banks of the Bheema river in Maharashtra. Harinarayan Rajguru and Parvathi Devi were his parents. Like most young nationalists, Rajguru did not believe in Gandhiji’s non-violent struggle and subscribed to the armed uprising against the British. 

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According to his friends, Rajguru used to catch hold of burning iron rods to prepare his own body to suffer all forms of physical ordeal from the police. Like many adventurous youths, Rajguru too joined Bhagat Singh’s Hindustan Socialist Republican Association. Raghunath was Rajguru’s pseudonym in the organization.   

Radical nationalists like Bhagat Singh and Rajguru were enraged by the death of their hero Lala Lajpat Rai. Heavy beatings by the police against Rai while leading a protest rally against the Simon Commission had caused his death a few days later. Rajguru along with Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev, assassinated John Saunders, a police official, to avenge Rai’s death.  

Bhagat Singh and his comrades were sentenced to death, and their trial caught national attention. Congress party in a formal resolution and leaders like Gandhi, Jinnah, and Ambedkar personally had demanded to cancel their sentence in vain. They were hanged to death in Lahore prison on 23 March 1931.

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