| Freedom Fighters |
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| Biographies of Great Indians & Hindus |
RAMAPRASAD BISMIL |
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| Boyhood Ramaprasad was born at Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh in the year 1897. His ancestors belonged to the Thomarghar area of Gwalior State. Their village abutted the British administered provinces on the banks of the river Chambal. People of the Chambal valley are hardy and brave. For generations several states had tried to establish their sway over them but without success. Ramaprasad's father Muralidhar had only a little education, and was employed by Shahjahanpur Municipality. He got tired of service and switched over to an independent life.He lent money on interest and hired out carts for his livelihood. His first son lived only for a few days. Rama- prasad was his second son.This child, too, developed the same symptoms as the first child. His grandmother, in great anxiety,got talismans and tied them around his neck. She did whatever anyone suggested. Anyway the child survived. Ramaprasad was the darling of the family. In his seventh year, Muralidhar started teaching him Hindi. He was also sent to a Moulvi to learn Urdu. Later he was sent to a school. He was fourteen years old by the time he completed the fourth standard in Urdu. By then the habit of reading Urdu novels had taken hold of him. He needed money to buy the novels. But his father would not give him money for this. And so he found an easy way - he stole money from his father's safe. He had also learnt smoking and occasionally he would even use bhang (charas) As a result of all this he failed twice in the fifth standard. Somehow his father came to know about his habit of stealing money. H changed the lock of the safe. Ramaprasad expressed a desire to join an English school. His father did not agree at once But his mother's support enabled him to join an English school. |
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