Ballia, the land of Maharishi Bhrigu, makes its special identity in India’s freedom struggle. The soil of Ballia gave birth to the immortal warrior Mangal Pandey, who blew the trumpet of the first revolt of 1857. About a hundred years ago, on 19 August 1942, Ballia added a new chapter to the path of freedom. Meanwhile, a train which is known till date as Azadi Express, was run by the youth of Ballia till Lucknow after burning the Ballia railway station. When this train left from Ballia, it was welcomed till Lucknow.
This story of independence is of 15th August 1942, time 1:00 pm, place Ballia railway station in Uttar Pradesh. The sound of chug-chug started and the first Azadi Express left for Lucknow. There may have been less people in this train, but the enthusiasm of the youth waving the tricolor on the engine and bogies was no less than anyone else. This train was taken over by the students of Ballia after burning the railway station and was run from Ballia to Lucknow, challenging the British rule. This story of independence is recorded in golden letters in history.
Since today is the anniversary of Independence, it is our custom to once again look into the pages of history where the story of Independence began with a train. At that time, both the rivers Ganga and Ghaghra that bound Ballia district were in spate and were crying out loudly for independence. On the other hand, the people of Ballia were desperate to break the chains of slavery and come out.
Ballia railway station burnt
The August Revolution that started with the arrest of Mahatma Gandhi in Mumbai turned into the ‘Ballia Revolution’ when it reached Ballia. On 9 August itself, people had stood up against the British government. Every morning groups of people would come out and by the evening they were giving the British a hard time. The people of Ballia had a similar plan for 15 August as well.
On this day, the elders of the district were going to attack the Collectorate, but the youth here had something else in mind. As soon as the sun started to glow, the youth left their homes and reached Ballia Railway Station at 10 o’clock. They held a meeting there and at around 12 o’clock they set the railway station on fire.
‘Azadi Express’ ran for the first time
A new revolution started from Ballia when a train coming from Ghazipur knocked at Ballia station. The flames of the fire had not even subsided when about two hundred youths surrounded the train and took the driver hostage. This special train came to be known as ‘Azadi Express’. These youths hoisted the tricolor from the engine of the train to the roof of the bogies and moved it forward singing songs of freedom. The next day the train reached Lucknow, where it was given a grand welcome. Along with this, the freedom lovers of Ghazipur, Faizabad, and Barabanki also welcomed it and joined the train. This historic event added a new chapter to the freedom struggle of Ballia.
18 August: Revolutionaries capture Ballia
On the morning of 17 August 1942, the ‘Azadi Express’ reached Lucknow and the train was full. During this time, a massive rebellion took place in Ballia against the British government. On 17 and 18 August, the revolutionaries of Ballia captured all the tehsils of the district. The situation became so serious that the police and administration people themselves got busy in their own safety. The officers who till a day before had flogged the crowd on the orders of the British, now started pleading in front of the crowd that they were Indians and were begging for their lives. This bold step of Ballia left an indelible mark in the history of the freedom struggle.
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