The making of a Sarvodaya Sannyasin

Hi friends,

Many years ago when I was doing B. Tech, I had read that great freedom-fighter Ram Prasad Bismil wrote an autobiography when he was awaiting the capital punishment in the jail. As Bismil Ji has been one of my most inspiring icons, I was very much interested in reading his autobiography, but unfortunately could not find it in library or internet for long. Today, this wish was fulfilled. I got a link from Wiki article on Bismil Ji. You may find the entire autobiography here.

I read it completely today and understood much about Bismil Ji’s aims and ideals. I also understood how disorganized the revolutionary movement was due to lots of constraints of financial resources, lack of knowledge in the leaders due to less age and less availability of information to them and lack of enough dedicated members. Many of the men in these movements like Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan and Chandrasekhar Azad were men of exemplary greatness. They were trying to emulate the freedom-struggle of USA. But, the circumstances did not favor them. Otherwise they were all capable of becoming a George Washington of India. Still, how heartening it is to find that even in the most despondent state, our country was able to produce such youths who were courageous enough to sacrifice their all for the sake of liberating the motherland! Despite little immediate results, their sacrifices are a historical light for the whole nation. The nation will never forget her heroes. Every great man and woman of the future will draw strength and inspiration from the sacrifices of great men like Ram Prasad Bismil and his comrades. That itself is a great triumph of their lives and all that they stood for.

Dying for a noble cause is always an infinitely more honorable death than dying due to old age, diseases and accidents. Let none be foolish enough to disbelieve this and discount the greatness of people who gladly embrace a path leading to hardships, sufferings and even death because of a high ideal. The tree of human civilization needs to be watered with the sweat and blood of heroes. Only then it yields the fruits of happiness for the masses.

It is a great honor to have the martyrdom of Ram Prasad Bismil. Give me such a noble martyrdom, O God, rather than a death of old age, diseases or accidents! At the same time, it is an equally great honor to live a life of such an immaculate dedication to the service of humanity. Let us learn to emulate these heroes in both our lives and deaths. Let us do our all to fulfill their aspirations for which they sacrificed all. Let a new India and a new world rise through our efforts – a world soaked in the spirit of universal brotherhood, love and selfless service. Let us be the Ram Prasad Bismil of our own times. Indeed, that is the highest tribute we can pay to these great heroes.

Jai Hind,

Gopal