Two Lives, One Cause: Remembering Pandit Ram Prasad ‘Bismil’ and Ashfaqullah Khan of the Kakori Conspiracy

India’s freedom struggle is illuminated by countless sacrifices, but few shine as brilliantly as those of Pandit Ram Prasad ‘Bismil’ and Ashfaqullah Khan—revolutionaries whose lives embodied courage, conviction, and unbreakable unity beyond religion. Their supreme sacrifice on December 19, 1927, remains one of the most inspiring chapters in India’s revolutionary history.

They were separated by prison walls, watched by colonial guards, and led toward death by two different nooses. Yet Ram Prasad Bismil and Ashfaqullah Khan walked toward the gallows with a single dream in their hearts—a free and united India. Their friendship, forged in rebellion and sealed in sacrifice, remains one of the most powerful chapters of the Indian freedom struggle.

A Mother’s Tears and a Revolutionary’s Resolve

On December 18, 1927, inside Gorakhpur Central Jail, a mother waited to see her son for the last time. When the young man was brought out in chains, tears flowed from his eyes as he saw her.

Disturbed by the sight, she asked, “What is this, my son? I thought you were a hero who would make the British tremble at your name. I never imagined you would fear death.”

Bismil answered with quiet strength, “Mother, these are not tears of fear, but tears of joy, to have a brave mother like you.” The following morning, he would be led to the gallows.

That day, another name echoed alongside Bismil’s across prisons and revolutionary circles—Ashfaqullah Khan. A poet and a fearless freedom fighter, Ashfaqullah was to be hanged for his role in the Kakori Conspiracy, the daring act that challenged British authority at its core.

When Admiration Became Brotherhood

Their story began around 1920, when Ashfaqullah, still a schoolboy with an unquiet spirit, became mesmerised by Bismil’s fiery ideas of freedom. Determined to meet the man whose words ignited rebellion, he sought him out through mutual acquaintances. When they finally met, admiration soon turned into trust, and trust into brotherhood.

Bismil, a devoted follower of the Arya Samaj, was a man of ideas and discipline. Ashfaqullah, who wrote Urdu poetry under the pen name ‘Warsi’, was deeply emotional and spiritually inclined.

What united them was action. Bismil was as skilled with a pistol as he was with a pen, a rare combination that deeply impressed Ashfaqullah. Together, they believed that poetry could awaken the soul, and courage could shake an empire.

The Hindustan Republican Association and a Shared Vision

As members of the Hindustan Republican Association, formed in 1924, they joined hands with other young revolutionaries, including Chandrashekhar Azad.

Disillusioned with the limits of non-violent resistance, they envisioned an armed struggle to overthrow British rule and establish a just republic.

Bismil often invoked the stirring lines, “Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamare dil mein hai, dekhna ki zor kitna baazu-e-qatil mein hai.” Though originally written by Bismil Azimabadi, it was Ram Prasad Bismil who transformed the verse into a rallying cry for revolution.

The Kakori Train Robbery

Their defining moment came on August 9, 1925. To fund revolutionary activities and send a message of defiance, they decided to rob a train carrying British government funds. Near Kakori in Uttar Pradesh, Bismil and Ashfaqullah led the operation, overpowering the guard and seizing around Rs 4,600.

The plan was daring and precise, though an accidental passenger death during the incident turned public sentiment against the revolutionaries and gave the British the excuse they needed for a sweeping crackdown.

What followed was a relentless manhunt. Nearly forty members of the Hindustan Republican Association were arrested, with ten charged directly in the Kakori case. Inside prison walls, Bismil and Ashfaqullah were separated, confined to different jails.

From Gorakhpur and Faizabad, they exchanged letters that were carefully monitored by British authorities. In those letters, they spoke not of despair but of hope—of a free India, of faith in their cause, and of their determination to face death with dignity.

Trial, Verdict, and the Shadow of the Gallows

The Kakori trial began in 1926 and stretched over eighteen long months, ending in December 1927. The verdict was unforgiving. Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqullah Khan, Thakur Roshan Singh, and Rajendra Nath Lahiri were sentenced to death. Lahiri was executed on December 17, 1927.

Two days later, Bismil was hanged in Gorakhpur Jail, Ashfaqullah in Faizabad Jail, and Roshan Singh in Naini Jail at Allahabad.

The Final Letters and the Last Cry

On the night before his execution, Bismil wrote a final letter to his mother and to Ashfaqullah, reaffirming his faith in the revolution. Ashfaqullah responded with words of strength, urging his friend to meet death with the same courage he had shown throughout his life. Their final exchange was not one of sorrow, but of resolve.

On December 19, 1927, as Ram Prasad Bismil walked calmly toward the gallows, he raised his voice and shouted, “Vande Mataram” and “Bharat Mata ki Jai.” Nearly 141 kilometres away, Ashfaqullah Khan stood ready to face the same fate.

Bismil’s Last Message

In his final message, later published by Bhagat Singh as Vidrohi and featured in The Bhagat Singh Reader by Chaman Lal, Bismil wrote, “The execution has been set for 6:30 am on December 19, and I have no fear. I believe that due to God’s grace, I will be reborn to ensure the complete freedom of the world, where nature’s gifts are shared equally, and no one shall rule over others. My wish is for democratic institutions everywhere.”

Reflecting on the Kakori verdict and the rejected mercy petitions, he explained that every appeal had been part of a political strategy to expose colonial hypocrisy. Of Ashfaqullah, he wrote with pride, seeing in his sacrifice a powerful message of unity. He appealed to Indians to honour their deaths by forging lasting harmony between Hindus and Muslims, calling such unity their true memorial.

A Legacy That Outlived the Noose

The friendship of Ram Prasad Bismil and Ashfaqullah Khan was never merely about conspiracy or poetry. It was a living challenge to colonial attempts to divide India along religious lines. They lived for freedom, died for unity, and left behind a legacy that continues to inspire generations.

Their dream did not end at the gallows. It became the soul of a nation in the making.