STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Freedom Fighters Memorial Association (FFMA) on Saturday paid floral tributes to freedom fighter Ashfaq Ullah Khan on his 93rd Death Anniversary at Dogra Shaurya Stambh, Amphalla here. The function was organised by Chairman FFMA, Ved Gandotra and Vice Chairman, Rajiv Mahajan.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Guest S.K Sharma (IRS) Addl. Commissioner Income Tax Jammu said that Ashfaq Ullah Khan was a patriot who waged a struggle against the British in the freedom movement.
Khan was hanged in Faizabad jail in Uttar Pradesh on December 19, 1927. He had launched a movement for eradication of poverty, fight against capitalism and to resist the attempts of those planning to come to power by creating inter-religious conflicts, Sharma said.
A martyr, a revolutionary – whatever name you call him by, Ashfaq Ullah Khan went down in history for heading the 1925 Kakori train robbery along with Ram Prasad Bismil, the leader of the revolutionary group Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) during India’s freedom movement.
The plan was to loot a train carrying British state treasury from Kakori to Lucknow and use the loot to purchase arms for the freedom struggle. Khan, Bismil and nine other members were eventually captured and hanged by British forces. Speaking on the occasion, Rajiv Mahajan said that when the 1922 Chauri Chaura incident prompted Gandhi to end the Non-Cooperation Movement, Khan was one of the many youngsters left disappointed.
Khan was one of the four freedom fighters sentenced to death and at the age of 27.
“It is strange to see those in power wake up only on some special occasions. The rest of the time they are in deep slumber. It clearly shows how much respect they have for those who laid down their lives for the country,” said Mahajan.
R C Puri, president of the Association, said Khan was role model to his generation and generation afterward were the first Muslim to willingly sacrifice his life at the age of 27, for sake of motherland. Ashfaq Ullah wrote that he was proud to be the first Muslim to do so and be first Muslim in his generations to serve the motherland.
Others present on the occasion were Th. Karnail Chand, Prof. S.P Sharma, Prof. S.S. Balwal, Dr. Ramesh Kumar Kaith, Pritam Sharma and Parbhat Kapahi.
