August in History

T.N. Kundra

1 August, 1899 : Birth of Smt. Kamla Nehru at Delhi.

1 August, 1920 : Bal Gangadhar Tilak passed away. He was sentenced to 18 months rigorous imprisonment in 1898 and six years in 1908. He declared in the court - "Swaraj is my birth right and I shall have it."

1 August, 1920 : Mahatma Gandhi surrendered Kesar-e-Hind medal awarded by the Viceroy Lord Harding, in 1915 for his services in Boer War in South Africa.

9 August, 1942 : All India Congress Committee endorsed the Resolution of the Working Committee of 12th July, 1942 on 8th August, 1942 at 10 P.M. Within hours of adoption of the resolution Mahatma Gandhi, members of the Working Committee, national and provincial leaders were arrested. Quit India Movement started spontaneously. Later the Government circulated a book Congress Responsibility to Disturbances. Gandhi wrote from jail "I am not responsible for the movement. Before I could take charge I was arrested. It is, therefore, the Government who is responsible for the movement and not I."

59th Anniversary of Quit India Movement

Congressmen preparing for the historic Quit India Movement in Bombay on 9th August, 1942

August, 1921 : Gandhiji led campaign of boycott of foreign cloth and lighted a monster bonfire of foreign cloth in Bombay.

Transfer of Power midnidht of 14th August, 1947

Dr. Rajendra Prasad and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru taking oath as the first President and Prime Minister of Free India at midnight of 14th August, 1947

15 August, 1947 : India won freedom at a very high price. Country partitioned. The new Government faced the responsibility of rehabilitation of millions and a war thrusted upon it by Pakistan.

17 August, 1932 : The British government, announced Communal Award giving seperate electorate to various communities including untouchable (named as Harijans by Gandhiji). Gandhiji said that he was against the whole scheme of seperate electorate, but the part concerning untouchable was the breaking point and announced his resolve to go on Fast Unto Death from 20th September 1932 resulting in Poona Pact under which seperate electorate for untouchables was withdrawn.

SOME OF THE MARTYRS IN THE MONTH OF AUGUST

4 August, 1931 : Shri Ram Krishan Biswas who killed D.S.P. of Chittgong, was hanged.

9 August, 1942 : A 9th class student Narayan Dabhared died in Police firing while going in procession protesting against the arrest of leaders.

11 August, 1908 : Shri Khudi Ram Bose - a great martyr of Bengal who attempted to kill Magistrate Kingford was hanged.

11 August, 1908 : Prafula Chahi, an associate of Khudi Ram, was hanged.

12 August, 1925 : Bhai Banta Singh of Sanghwal (Dist. Jullandar), member of Ghaddar Party, was hanged in Lahore Jail.

14 August, 1942 : Lala Padam Dhan Singh aged 28 of Satna Distt. died in Police firing.

15 August,1947 : Sardar Ajit Singh, uncle of Sardar Bhagat Singh, who led Kisan Movement in Punjab in 1907, passed his life in exile and returned to India a few days before India got freedom, died in Dalhousie.

15 August, 1942 : Udai Chand Jain of Jabhalpur, who led a procession and surrounded the D.M. office was shot dead.

17 August, 1902 : Madan Lal Dhingra - an engineering student in London, who killed John Curzon Willy, who was responsible for execution and deportation of many youths, hanged in London. His last words were - "I am proud to have the honour to lay down my life for my country."

17 August, 1942 : Shri Balram Raju - a lad of 17, was shot dead by Police.

21 August, 1948 : Janab Sharab-Ulla - Editor 'Imroz' of Hydrabad, a strong supporter of hydrabad's integration with India, was shot dead while returning home from office.