An Attempt to Kill

There's a time to kill. And the 20th century was all about killing. But sometimes, the one you're trying to kill isn't destined to die and when your assassination attempt goes wrong, be prepared to die.

An unsuccessful attempt; Image Source: Wikipedia

When you're in a position of power, the threat of death looms over your head every second. The statement couldn't be more accurate if you're an unliked leader.

India was a very resourceful country in terms of trade. It's the reason why the British reached India. A strategic location with ample resources and abundant wealth- what more could anyone want?

The seemingly harmless trading company revealed its true colours in a few years, and after that, India was ruled as per the foreign vision. Initially, people didn't know what to do, but when the first spark of rebellion gave way to the 1857 Mutiny, everyone knew that it was time to claim the country back as our own.

As the intolerance towards British rule grew, many organizations emerged. Such groups resorted to extreme violence to assert their point. Members of such clubs often attempted to assassinate important British officials. Sometimes, they were successful, and sometimes, they were not.

In 1912, there was an assassination attempt on the then Viceroy of India, Lord Hardinge. The assassination attempt was planned for a big day. If the endeavour was successful, the planners would want everyone to know and make an impact. Thus, they chose the day when the capital of British India was being moved from Calcutta to Delhi.

On 23rd December 1912, the Viceroy and his wife entered the city of Delhi on an Elephant. A bomb was thrown at the Viceroy by the revolutionary Basant Kumar Biswas. Although the Viceroy suffered significant injuries, he survived. While his wife wasn't harmed at all, the servant holding his parasol died.

In the wake of this incident, the British quickly responded by attempting to destroy the Bengali and Punjabi revolutionary groups.

Initially, the authorities were unsuccessful in identifying the attackers and the planners of the attack. They announced a reward of Rs. 10,000 to anyone who revealed the identity of the person who threw the bomb. The investigation led to the Delhi Conspiracy Trial, and Lala Hanumant Sahai, Basanta Kumar Biswas, Bhai Balmukund, Amir Chand and Avadh Behari were apprehended for the crime.

While Lala Hanumant Rai received life imprisonment, the four other convicts were hanged to death. Their attempt to assassinate the Viceroy of India was extremely bold and if they’d have succeeded, events would have unfolded very differently. But as they say, what’s bound to happen will happen, and though the Viceroy was destined to die as all human beings, his life wasn’t fated to end that day.