Directorate of Information & Publicity 
DIRECTORATE OF INFORMATION & PUBLICITY
GOVERNMENT OF DELHI
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New Delhi: 8th May, 2016
- Chief Minister, Shri Arvind Kejriwal PAYS HOMAGE TO THE MARTYRS OF ‘HARDINGE BOMB CASE’ AT SHAHEED SMARAK STHAL IN THE CAPITAL
- Leader of opposition, MLAs & senior officers also pay homage to the martyrs.
- MASTER AMIR CHAND, BHAI BAL MUKUND AND MASTER AVADH BIHARI WERE EXECUTED ON 8TH MAY, 1915 IN DELHI AT PHANSI GHAR (I.E. SHAHEED SMARAK STHAL) WHILE BASANT KUMAR BISWAS WAS EXECUTED NEXT DAY IN AMBALA CENTRAL JAIL.
- SHRI KEJRIWAL ALSO MET THE GREAT GRAND SONS OF ONE OF THE MARTYRS SHRI AMIR CHAND, SHRI PRABHAT C. GUPTA & SHRI SAMRAT CHAND GUPTA HIS WIFE SMT. ANKITA GUPTA.
- THE BHAJANS WERE RECITED TO PAY HOMAGE TO THE MARTYRS BY THE GANDHARV MAHAVIDYALAYA VOCALISTS.
Delhi Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal led the Delhiites in paying floral tributes to the martyrs of historic ‘Hardinge Bomb Case’ - Master Amir Chand, Bhai Bal Mukund, Master Avadh Bihari, and Basant Kumar Biswas in a function organized by Delhi Government at the Shaheed Smarak Sthal (PHANSI GHAR) erected in the complex of Maulana Azad Medical College in the capital today.
Chief Minister Shri Kejriwal was the first to reach the Smarak Sthal to pay homage to the martyrs. Chief Minister placed wreath at the Smarak and paid floral tributes to the revolutionary martyrs. Leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha Shri Vijender Gupta, MLA Shri Rajinder Gautam & Chief Secretary Shri KK Sharma, Dean, MAMC Dr. D.K. Tempe Secretary to Chief Minister & Secretary Public Relation Shri SS Yadav, & alongwith a large number of freedom fighters & officers also paid tributes to the martyrs on this occasion.
Shri Kejriwal also met the Great Grand sons of one of the martyrs Shri Amir Chand, Shri Prabhat C. Gupta & Shri Samrat Chand Gupta his wife Smt. Ankita Gupta and expressed his gratitude towards the supreme sacrifice of their Great Grand Father.
The Bhajans were recited to pay homage to the martyrs by the Gandharv Mahavidyalaya vocalists
On December 23, 1912 to mark the entry of the Governor-General of India into the new Capital, an imperial procession was taken out in Delhi, with Lord Hardinge seated on a caparisoned elephant. When the procession was passing through Chandni Chowk, a bomb was thrown on the elephant, killing the mahawat. Lord Hardinge escaped with injuries.
Indeed this bomb was the most serviceable & successful bomb in the history of freedom all over the world. Delhi has redeemed her ancient fame. Delhi has spoken and the world has heard and the tyrant has heard too. And we, the devoted soldiers of freedom, in the country of abroad, have also heard the message. This bomb of 23 December 1912 was considered as Harbinger of hope and courage.
Many persons throughout the country, including Master Amir Chand, a school teacher of Delhi, Bhai Balmukund, Master Awadh Behari, Basant Kumar Biswas, Ganeshilal Khasta, Vishnu Ganesh Pingley, Charan Das, Balraj, Lachmi Narain Sharma and Lala Hanwant Sahey, among many others, were arrested. Sharma and Khasta were taken to Varanasi and sentenced to life imprisonment. Pingley was taken to Lahore and was hanged there.
The case against the accused started in the Session Judge’s Court and lasted for about a year. Master Amir Chand, Bhai Balmukund and Master Awadh Behari were sentenced to death and Basant Kumar Biswas, Lala Hanwant Sahey and many other were sentenced to life imprisonment and long prison terms. On appeal by the Government in the High Court the sentence of Basant Kumar Biswas was enhanced to death. Appeal was made in the Privy Council with no result.
The great revolutionaries Master Amir Chand, Bhai Balmukund and Master Awadh Behari were executed on May 8, 1915 in Delhi Jail and Basant Kumar Biswas was executed next day in Ambala Central Jail.
In memory of these martyrs, a modest memorial Shaheed Smarak Sathal has been raised by Delhi Government at the site of “Phansi Ghar” of the Old Delhi, Jail, now in the complex of Maulana Azad Medical College, where homage is paid every year to these sons of Delhi and they are remembered for their supreme sacrifice.
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