Azadi ki Rail Gadi aur Stations

India is celebrating ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of Independence and the glorious history of its people, culture and achievements. Launched in March 2021, the Mahotsav is bringing alive stories of unsung freedom heroes and of places associated with the freedom movement.

In July this year, an interesting endeavour was undertaken by the Indian Railways: ‘Azadi Ki Rail Gadi aur Stations’. During this week-long celebration, 75 important railway stations and 27 trains were identified on the basis of their role in and association with the movement for India’s independence. Some of these trains, decked up with historical facts about them, were flagged off by families of freedom fighters from their originating stations.

In all these 75 stations across 24 States, besides lighting up and decorations, events such as Nukkad Natak in the local language, light and sound shows, and display of video films/patriotic songs were organised. Family members of freedom fighters from the respective local areas were also invited to the stations to share their stories.

 Let’s have a look at some of the stations.

1. Kakori Railway Station, Uttar Pradesh

The names of bravehearts like Ram Prasad Bismil, Chandrashekhar Azad, and Ashfaqullah Khan are associated with this station located near Lucknow. On August 9, 1925, the brave revolutionaries had displayed their might to the British by looting the treasury of the British being carried by train.

2. Vanchi Maniyachchi Junction, Tamil Nadu

Vanchi Maniyachchi Junction railway station is a junction railway station in Maniyachchi of Thoothukudi district in Tamil Nadu. The station is named after freedom fighter Vanchinathan, who on June 17, 1911 assassinated Robert Ashe, the British district collector of Tirunelveli.

3. Mahadevappa Mailara Railway Station, Karnataka

In 2020, the Haveri station was renamed after Shri Mahadevappa Mailara, a freedom fighter and revolutionary from Haveri district. At the age of 18, he accompanied Mahatma Gandhi on the Dandi March and was the only representative from the then Mysore state to take part in the march. Mahadevappa sacrificed his life for the service of the society and liberation of the country.

 4. Gomoh Junction, Jharkhand

The junction was renamed as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Gomoh railway station in 2009. This was done to honour Netaji’s Mahanishkraman, or the Great Escape — his long journey from Gomoh Railway Station out of the British Empire in 1941 on board the Kalka Mail. This journey also marked the departure of Subhas and advent of Netaji in the pages of history.

5. Vidurashwatha Railway Station, Karnataka

Vidurashwatha, known as the ‘Jallianwala Bagh’ of South India, holds the record of martyrdom of 35 freedom fighters who were indiscriminately fired by the British Police. On April 25, 1938, a group had congregated to organise satyagraha against colonial rule. Similar to what happened at Jallianwala Bagh, police fired indiscriminately at the group.

6. Satara Railway Station, Maharashtra

The Satara Parallel government in Maharashtra from August 1943 to May 1946 against British rule was a legendary chapter in the glorious freedom struggle of India. It was an armed offshoot of the Quit India Movement. Kranti Singh Nana Patil played a crucial role in establishing the parallel government.

Other Stations

Maharashtra: 1. Mumbai CSMT, 2. Nasik Road, 3. Pune

Bihar: 1. Ara, 2. Patna, 3. Shaheed Khudi Ram Bose, 4. Bapudham Motihari, 5. Bhagalpur

Uttar Pradesh: 1. DDU Station, 2. Agra, 3. Deen Dayal Dham, 4. Veerangna Laxmibai, 5. Prayagraj, 6. Chauri-Chaura, 7. Ballia, 8.Meerut, 9. Pt. Ram Prasad Bismil, 10. Charbagh

Andhra Pradesh: 1. Visakhapatnam, 2. Guntur, 3. Vijayawada

Karnataka: 1. Maddur, 2. Kittur, 3. Vidhurashwatha

Rajasthan: 1. Jaipur, 2. Alwar, 3. Jaisalmer, 4. Bijolia, 5. Rewari,

Haryana: 1. Sirsa, 2. Hansi

Tamil Nadu: 1. Thiruvallikeni MRTS, 2. Tiruppur, 3. Vellore Cantt.

Kerala: 1. Nilambur Road

West Bengal: 1. Subhasgram, 2. Naihati, 3. Jirat, 4. Bardhaman, 5. Netaji Bhavan Metro Station

Odisha: 1. Cuttack, 2. Khurda Road, 3. Sakhigopal, 4. Sambalpur, 5. Balasore

Arunachal Pradesh: 1. Naharlagun

Assam: 1. Gohpur, 2. Raha, 3. Sibsagar Town

Manipur: 1. Kaimai Road

Mizoram: 1. Bhoirabi

Nagaland: 1. Dimapur

Meghalaya: 1. Mendipathar

Tripura: 1. Agartala

Delhi: 1. Delhi

Punjab: 1. Sardar Udham Singh Wala, 2. Amritsar Junction, 3. Khatkarlan

Telangana: 1. Hyderabad, 2. Asifabad Road

 Jharkhand: 1. Chakradharpur, 2. Taranagar

Madhya Pradesh: 1. Jabalpur, 2. Bhopal

Gujarat: 1. Porbandar, 2. Sabarmati, 3. Navsari, 4. Bardoli, 5. Adasroad

 (Compiled by Anuja Bharadwajan and Annesha Bannerjee)

Source: Indian Railways/PIB/amritmahotsav.nic.in