The Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), formerly known as the Hindustan Republican Army and the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA), was a revolutionary organization in India founded by Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Sachindra Nath Bakshi, Sachindranath Sanyal, and Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee. In the Kakori conspiracy case of 1924, the HRA's written constitution and published a manifesto, titled “The Revolutionary'', were used as evidence. In this article, we will discuss the Hindustan Republican Association (1924) which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation.

Hindustan Republican Association - Background

• By abruptly suspending the Non-Cooperation Movement, Mahatma Gandhi sparked a wave of discontent among revolutionaries.
• As a result of these decisions, many young men who were pumped up to fight the government became disillusioned.
• The theory of nonviolence did not sit well with these young men. They believed that by using force and violence, the British could be driven out of the country.
• At the same time, there were uprisings in other parts of the world, and there were a number of bloody revolutions and coups all over the world.
• As a result, the old Yugantar and Anushilan Samiti were reawakened, and a new breed of terroristic revolutionaries emerged from the disgruntled and dissatisfied Non-cooperators.
• Some of these young men met in the village in East Bengal. Pratul Ganguly, Narendra Mohan Sen, and Sachindra Nath Sanyal were some of them.
• They established a branch of the Anushilan Samiti here. The name Hindustan Republican Association was chosen after the Irish Republican Army.

Hindustan Republican Association - Formation

• Ram Prasad Bismil drafted the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) constitution in Allahabad in 1923, under Lala Har Dayal.
• Other prominent members of the party included Sachindra Nath Sanyal and Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee.
• In addition to Allahabad, the HRA established centers in Agra, Kanpur, Varanasi, Lucknow, Shahjahanpur, and Saharanpur. It also had bomb-making plants in Calcutta and Deogarh.
• Sanyal wrote the party's manifesto, titled 'Revolutionary.' It contained incendiary material urging the country's youth to join the party and take part in the freedom struggle. It opposed Gandhi's methods and criticized them.
• After overthrowing British rule, the manifesto stated that it aimed to establish a "Federal Republic of the United States of India."
• It also called for universal suffrage. The material advocated for a socialist society in India. The pamphlets were distributed in a number of northern Indian cities.
• Many young people joined the party in 1924–25, including Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Chandrasekhar Azad.

Hindustan Republican Association - Members

The members of the Hindustan Republican Association included:

• Ram Prasad Bismil
• Ashfaqulla Khan
• Sachindra Nath Bakshi
• Sachindranath Sanyal
• Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee
• Chandra Shekhar Azar
• Bhagat Singh

Hindustan Republican Association - Activities

• The Kakori conspiracy was the most well-known incident. This occurred on August 9, 1925. Members of the party looted a train carrying government money near Lucknow. In the process, an unwitting passenger was killed.
• Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Rajendra Lahiri, and Thakur Roshan Singh were among those involved in the episode.
• For their involvement, all four were eventually hanged by the government in 1927. Chandrasekhar Azad was also involved, but he managed to avoid arrest.
• The party's name was changed to Hindustan Republican Socialist Association (HSRA) in 1928, primarily due to Bhagat Singh's insistence.
• The Central Assembly bombing case was the HSRA's next major activity. On April 8, 1929, Bhagat Singh and BK Dutt bombed the Central Legislative Assembly in Delhi.
• Their sole goal was to "make the deaf hear," not to harm anyone. Nobody was hurt in the bombing, and both revolutionaries were arrested as a result of it.
• They chanted slogans like 'Inquilab Zindabad' and 'Down with Imperialism' as they were apprehended.
• In 1929, the HSRA also bombed a train carrying Lord Irwin, the then-Viceroy of India. He was not hurt.
• After 1931, the majority of the party's leaders had been killed or imprisoned. Because there was no leadership, the party disintegrated.

Hindustan Republican Association - Objectives

• The Hindustan Republican Association's goal was to establish a "Federated Republic of the United States of India'' through an organized armed revolution.
• To awaken the people of India to the futility of Gandhian nonviolent methods and to demonstrate the necessity and desirability of Direct Action and Revolution in order to achieve complete independence.
• To replace British imperialism in India with an ideologically inspired federated republic of the United States of India based on the Russian Revolution and Socialist thought.
• The HRA's tactics included killing officials, organizing political dacoities to raise funds, terrorism among British and British loyalists, and strikes against the raj.
• Despite being a revolutionary terrorist organization (the term terrorist was not as derogatory back then as it is today), the HRA's perspective was socialistic, and it sought to establish the United States of India by deposing the British.
• The concept drew the attention of young champions, including Bhagat Singh, Chandra Shekhar Azad, Sukhdev, Ram Prasad Bismil, Roshan Singh, Ashfaqulla Khan, Rajendra Lahiri, and many others.

Hindustan Republican Association - Criticism

• The methods of the association were diametrically opposed to Gandhi's nonviolent resistance movement. Gandhi harshly criticized the revolutionaries and their methods.
• In response to the attack on Lord Irwin's train, Gandhi published "The Cult of the Bomb," a scathing critique of the HSRA (Young India, 2 January 1929).
  • He declared in it that bomb-throwing was nothing more than "froth rising to the surface of an agitated liquid."
• Gandhi called the HSRA and its actions "cowardly" and "dastardly." The HSRA's violent struggle, according to Gandhi, had its risks. More retaliation and suffering resulted from the violence.
• It would also turn inward because "it was an easy natural step" from "violence against the foreign ruler" to "violence against our own people."
• In response to this criticism, the HSRA issued its own manifesto, "The Philosophy of the Bomb," in which they defended their violent methods as complementary to Gandhi's nonviolent methods.

Conclusion

The HSRA chose to work under collective leadership and set socialism as its official goal. The revolutionaries' goal was complete independence, and they had a vision of how the state should look once that goal was achieved. They envisioned a mass struggle of the people and attempted to mobilize students, workers, and peasants to that end.

FAQs

MCQs

1. When was the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) founded?

A) 1925
B) 1924
C) 1922
D) 1927

2. Which event is associated with the HRA?

A) Chauri Chaura Incident
B) Kakori Train Robbery
C) Dandi March
D) Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

3. Who among the following was not associated with the HRA?

A) Bhagat Singh
B) Ram Prasad Bismil
C) Sachindra Nath Sanyal
D) Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee

4. What was the ideological shift in the HRA when it became HSRA?

A) From socialism to liberalism
B) From nationalism to communism
C) From armed struggle to non-violence
D) From nationalism to socialism

5. Who was the main planner of the Kakori Train Robbery?

A) Chandrashekhar Azad
B) Bhagat Singh
C) Ram Prasad Bismil
D) Sachindra Nath Sanyal

GS Mains Questions and Answers

Q1: Examine the role of the HRA in India’s freedom struggle.

Answer: The HRA played a vital role in promoting revolutionary ideas and challenging British colonial rule. Through activities like the Kakori Train Robbery, it inspired other revolutionaries and highlighted the need for armed resistance. The HRA also introduced ideas of federalism and republicanism, laying the groundwork for the subsequent emergence of the HSRA.

Q2: Analyze the significance of the Kakori Conspiracy in revolutionary movements.

Answer: The Kakori Conspiracy was a defining moment in the revolutionary movement, bringing attention to the HRA’s activities. Although it led to the arrest and execution of several key leaders, the event motivated young revolutionaries to continue the struggle and marked a shift towards more organized resistance.

Q3: Discuss the impact of revolutionary organizations like the HRA on mainstream nationalist movements.

Answer: The HRA and similar organizations complemented mainstream nationalist movements by adding pressure on the British administration through radical methods. Although differing in approach, they instilled fear in the colonial rulers and showcased the determination of Indians to achieve freedom by any means necessary. Their actions also inspired future leaders and movements.

Previous Year Questions on Hindustan Republican Association

1. UPSC CSE Prelims 2018:

Question: Which revolutionary organization was involved in the Kakori Conspiracy of 1925?

A) Hindustan Socialist Republican Association
B) Indian National Congress
C) Ghadar Party
D) Hindustan Republican Association

Answer: D

Explanation: The Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) was responsible for planning the Kakori Train Robbery in 1925 as part of its revolutionary activities.

2. UPSC CSE Mains 2020 (GS Paper 1):

Question: Evaluate the contributions of revolutionary organizations to India’s independence movement.

Answer: Revolutionary organizations like the HRA significantly contributed to India’s freedom struggle by adopting militant strategies to challenge British rule. Their activities inspired youth, created pressure on the colonial government, and supplemented mainstream nationalist movements. Despite facing severe repression, these organizations kept the spirit of independence alive and played a crucial role in shaping the freedom struggle.