HSRA UPSC Notes: Background, Members, and Activities of HSRA

The Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), a revolutionary party, was established by Ram Prasad Bismil and his comrades as a response to British colonial rule in India. The primary goal of this association was to secure India's independence, even if it required an armed rebellion. 

This article on HSRA UPSC delves into the significant aspects of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association, a crucial part of the IAS exam, covering both Prelims and Mains GS-I papers.

Learn more about the Extremist phase of the Indian National Movement!

About the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association

• The Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) was a revolutionary organization in India during the freedom struggle against British colonial rule.
• It was founded in 1928 by Chandrashekhar Azad, Bhagat Singh, and other like-minded revolutionaries.
• The HSRA aimed to achieve complete independence for India through radical means. This includes armed struggle and revolutionary activities.

Background of HSRA

• In 1923, Bismil drafted the HRA's constitution in Allahabad, with Lala Har Dayal's support.
• Other significant members included Sachindra Nath Sanyal and Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee, who was also a member of the Anushilan Samiti.
• The HRA established centres in various cities, including Allahabad, Agra, Kanpur, Varanasi, Lucknow, Shahjahanpur, and Saharanpur. It also operated bomb manufacturing units in Calcutta and Deogarh.
• Sanyal penned a manifesto called ‘Revolutionary’ , which contained inflammatory material urging India's youth to join the party and participate in the freedom struggle. It critiqued Gandhi's methods and advocated for a ‘Federal Republic of the United States of India’ post-British rule.
• The manifesto also called for universal suffrage and a socialist society in India.
• The pamphlets were widely distributed in northern India.
• Between 1924 and 1925, many young individuals, including Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Chandrasekhar Azad, joined the party.

Learn more about the Moderate phase of the Indian National Movement!

HSRA Members

Some of the prominent HSRA members include the following:

• Bhagat Singh
• Chandrashekhar Azad
• Sukhdev Thapar
• Ram Prasad Bismil

Activities of the HSRA

• To raise funds for arms and ammunition, the organization conducted numerous robberies and raids.
• The most notable event was the Kakori conspiracy, which took place on August 9, 1925. Party members robbed a train carrying government money near Lucknow, inadvertently killing an innocent passenger in the process. Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Rajendra Lahiri, and Thakur Roshan Singh were all involved in the incident and were subsequently hanged by the government in 1927.
• Chandrasekhar Azad was also involved but managed to evade arrest.
• In 1928, under Bhagat Singh's influence, the party's name was changed to the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA).
• The Simon Commission visited India in 1928. The commission's lack of an Indian member, despite its role in determining India's future government, sparked widespread criticism and protest.
• National leader Lala Lajpat Rai was severely lathi-charged on the orders of a British officer, James A Scott. Rai, aged 63, died a few days later from the injuries he sustained, which angered many revolutionaries who pledged to avenge his death.
• Bhagat Singh and Rajguru shot another police officer, John Saunders, in a case of mistaken identity. They had intended to shoot Scott. However, the HSRA still claimed that revenge had been exacted.
• The next major HSRA event was the Central Assembly bombing case. Bhagat Singh and BK Dutt bombed the Central Legislative Assembly, Delhi in 1989.

Learn more about the Causes of the Indian National Movement!

Fall of the HSRA

• The HSRA faced a decline after the execution of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar, and Shivaram Rajguru in 1931 for their involvement in the Lahore Conspiracy Case.
• The arrest, imprisonment, and death of several key members weakened the organization. This led to its eventual disintegration.
• The HSRA's ideology and methods of armed struggle lost prominence with the rise of the non-violent civil disobedience movement led by Mahatma Gandhi.

Learn more about the Difference between Non Cooperation Movement and Civil Disobedience!

Criticism of the HSRA

• The HSRA faced criticism from some quarters for its advocacy of violence and armed struggle as means to achieve independence.
• Critics argued that non-violent methods, such as civil disobedience and peaceful protests, were more effective and morally justifiable in the fight against British colonial rule.
• Some also questioned the HSRA's socialist ideology and its revolutionary approach. They argued that it could lead to chaos and instability.

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