Know your heroes

1. Hussainiwala, a sleepy remote village located in present-day Pakistan, was officially taken back by the Indian government on 17 January 1961 from Pakistan in exchange for 12 Indian villages. Why is the place Hussainiwala of such importance to India?

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2. Fondly known as ‘Master Da’ because he was a schoolteacher, this famous Indian revolutionary was the head of the Chittagong Raid on the police armoury in 1930. The 2010 Bollywood movie ‘Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey] was based on his life and his revolutionary activities. Who am I taking about?

3. The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, or the Overseas Indian Day, is celebrated on January 9 every year in India. Why was the specific day chosen to celebrate this?

4. Formerly known as the Pacific Coast Hindustan Association, this famous Indian revolutionary organization was founded in 1913 with its headquarters in San Francisco. Interestingly, etymologically, the name of the organization in Urdu means ‘Revolt’. Lala Har Dayal, Kartar Singh Sarabha and Sohan Singh Bhakna were a few of the popular founding members of the organisation. What was the organisation known as?

5. Conceived by Ram Prasad Bismil and Ashfaqulla Khan, the Kakori Train Robbery, which took place in present-day Uttar Pradesh on August 9, 1925, is one of the most defining and valiant incidents in the history of India. Which Indian revolutionary organisation was responsible for the Kakori Train Robbery?

6. She was one of the most prominent figures in the Indian Independence movement. In 1896, she volunteered to help the victims of the bubonic plague that broke out in the Bombay presidency. However, she contracted the plague herself. Owing to her poor health, she had to leave for London for medical care, where she spent most of her life. Later, on 22 August 1907, she became the first Indian to hoist the Indian flag on foreign soil, in Stuttgart, Germany. Who was she?

7. Almost immediately after Mahatma Gandhi launched the Salt Satyagraha from Dandi in 1930, several other movements to break salt laws erupted in several parts of the country. One of the most significant was in Tamil Nadu. Who led the salt march in Tamil Nadu?

8. Which eminent educationist became the defending lawyer for the group of accused revolting Indians that attacked the police station in Chauri Chaura, Gorakhpur, in 1922? The event eventually led to the withdrawal of the Non-Cooperation Movement in India by Mahatma Gandhi. It is noteworthy that this personality was also posthumously conferred the Bharat Ratna in 2014 for his stellar contribution to Indian Independence and the Indian education system.

9. She is widely remembered for hoisting the Indian National Congress flag at the Gowalia Tank in Bombay (now Mumbai) during the Quit India Movement in 1942. An active member of the Indian freedom movement, she earned the titles of ‘Heroine of 1947’ and ‘The Grand Old Lady of Independence’ due to her bravery and courage. Who was she?

10. Which famous slogan was coined by the Urdu poet and Indian freedom fighter Maulana Hasrat Mohani in 1929 that became the rally cry of the Indian Independence movement?

(Excerpted from The Incredible Revolutionaries Quiz by chirnajit gam)

ANSWERS:

1. Hussainiwala is the crematory ground of the revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar.
2. Surya Sen
3. The day marks Mahatma Gandhi’s return to India from South Africa in 1915
4. Ghadar Party
5. Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA). It later came to be known as Hindustan Socialist Republican Army.
6. Bhikaji Cama
7. C Rajagopalachari
8. Madan Mohan Malviya
9. Aruna Asaf Ali
10. Inquilab Zindabad! (Long Live the Revolution!)