Vakkom Abdul Khader
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Vakkom Abdul Khader | |
|---|---|
 Martyr Vakkom Abdul Khader | |
| Born | 25 May 1917 |
| Died | 10 October 1943 (aged 26) |
| Cause of death | Execution by hanging |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation(s) | A soldier in Indian National Army, which was led by Netaji Subhas Bose |
| Parents |
|
Vakkom Abdul Khader (1917–1943) was an Indian revolutionary and soldier in the Indian National Army, which fought for Indian freedom under Subhas Chandra Bose allied with Japan. Khader was a revolutionary and trained radio communicator. He was hanged in Madras Central Jail on 10 September 1943 with three comrades: Satyen Bardhan, Anandan and Fauja Singh. All the three walked to their execution singing Vande Mataram.[1] Abdul Khader also shouted "Netaji Subhas Babu ki jai! Down with the British Government! Victory to India!”[2]
Early life and career[edit]
Abdul Khader was born on 25 May 1917, at Vakkom, Thiruvananthapuram District. His father was Vavakunju and mother was Ummusalma. He attended local primary school and received his secondary education at Sree Narayana Vilasa high school (founded by Sree Narayan Guru). He was a school hero and a good football player.[3] He was active in the freedom struggle, delighting people with his exciting patriotic songs. During Mahatma Gandhi’s visit to Kerala, the train stopped at Kadakkavur railway station, where locals proudly said that Gandhiji was garlanded in the midst of a large crowd by a young boy named Abdul Khader.[4]
In 1938, when he was 21, Khader moved to Malaysia at his father’s behest, joining the engineering section of the Public Works Department. The excitement of the Indian freedom struggle, however, shook Khader's mind. He joined the Indian Independence League, which was fighting for Indian independence in Malaysia at that time, and later became a revolutionary leader. He was also the secretary of the Kerala Muslim Union, a group of Kerala Muslims in Malaysia who collaborated with the Independence League. Khader joined the Indian National Army, which was formed by Netaji Subhas Bose, its Commander-in-Chief.[5] After completing his training at the Indian Swaraj Institute (housed in the Free School, Penang, now the Penang Museum), which was set up to train Indian National Army soldiers, Khader became a member of the Choir Squad, a corps of heroes.[6]
Revolutionary activities[edit]
One batch which landed at Tanur, in Malabar Coast and was composed of Abdul Khader and S.A. Anandan and three others. They came by submarine and were transferred to a rubber boat five miles off the land. On landing before they could find a safe hideout they were noticed by the men on the shore and were looked upon with suspicion. The police was informed. Khader and his comrades, were arrested within a few hours of their landing.[7]
Trial and sentence[edit]
After all of the twenty men including Abdul Khader, Satyen Bardhan, Fauja Singh and Anandan were arrested, they were then removed to Fort St. George, India at Madras in due course of time. They were even tortured in Madras Fort in order to tell all the secret about their intention to enter India, which was their own Motherland.[citation needed]
Death[edit]
The soldiers of the Indian National Army, Abdul Khader and his three comrades Satyen Bardhan, Fauja Singh and Anandan were executed in the Madras Penitentiary on 10 September 1943. Almost the whole night previous to the executions the prison reverberated with the song Vande Mataram. With great courage, each of them, Abdul Khader, Satyen Bardhan, Fauja Singh and Anandan, ascended the steps to the gallows while raising the slogan of Vande Mataram, which meant ''Hail my Motherland''. Abdul Khader himself raised the slogan '' Netaji Subhas Babu ki jai ! Down with the British Government ! Victory to India ! ''[8]
Khader and others were executed at on Friday, 10 September 1943, at twelve o'clock midnight. A small memorial is built at Travancore in their memory.[9]
References[edit]
- ^ GHOSH, KALI CHARAN (1960). THE ROLL OF HONOUR. VIDYA BHARATI,CALCUTTA.
- ^ "മായ്ച്ചുകളഞ്ഞ വാക്ക്". ManoramaOnline (in Malayalam). Retrieved 21 September 2021.
- ^ Dutta, Pradip Kumar. "Revolutionary Abdul Khader of Vakkom". The Asian Age. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
- ^ "The little explored haven at Anchuthengu near Thiruvananthapuram". www.onmanorama.com. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
- ^ Chopra, Pran Nath (2013). Who's Who of Indian Martyrs, Vol. 1. Public Resource. Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India. ISBN 978-81-230-1757-0.
- ^ ഡെസ്ക്, വെബ് (10 September 2019). "വക്കം അബ്ദുൽ ഖാദർ: സ്വാതന്ത്ര്യസമര ചരിത്രത്തിലെ രക്തപുഷ്പം". Madhyamam. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
- ^ Dutta, Pradip Kumar. "Revolutionary Abdul Khader of Vakkom". The Asian Age. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
- ^ "Abdul Khader – INA Army – Freedom Fighter – Martyr". 25 May 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
- ^ "India 1998 Vakkom Abdul Khader Phila-1624 Cancelled Folder". Phil India Stamps. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
- 1917 births
- 1943 deaths
- Indian independence movement
- Indian nationalists
- Indian revolutionaries
- Revolutionary movement for Indian independence
- Indian nationalist political parties
- Indian National Army personnel who were court-martialed
- Executed Indian collaborators with Imperial Japan
- Executed revolutionaries
- People executed by British India by hanging