Independence Day is a great day for any country, and India is no exception. In fact, as the new year commenced in 2007, people as well as the government started the diamond jubilee celebrations of Indian Independence.
However, the Union Ministry of Information & Broadcasting thought of combining three historic events in Indian history and celebrating it in a unique way and thus was born the idea of Azadi Express — a train with 15 bogies, out of which 11 bogies have been exclusively reserved to depict the rich culture and heritage of India — the past, the present and the future (to some extent). One coach has been exclusively reserved for the sale of books and other products by the Khadi and Village Industries and the Gandhi Smrithi Bhavan. This apart, one coach has many benches in it so that students can seat themselves and learn more about the train and the freedom struggle from the officials concerned.

Perhaps the authorities concerned could not have organised a better exhibition than ‘Azadi Express’ to commemorate 150 years of India’s first freedom struggle, 60 years of Indian Independence and the birth centenary of Shaheed Bhagath Singh.

In fact, the ‘history of Indian freedom struggle on wheels’ takes the visitor on a journey from the time when India was one of the richest nations of the world, its subjugation, exploitation by the British, the collective spirit of the people that rekindled the need for freedom, independence and its transformation as a vibrant democracy.
The exhibition has been mainly categorised into three parts — India’s first freedom struggle in 1857 and the related events, the era of Independence and developments in post-independence era.

Uprising

Coaches 1, 2 and 3 (Company Raj and pre-independence struggles) depict how 7th century European traders were attracted to India; how the British East India company managed to take over India; how India’s economy was completely ruined, wealth looted and people subjugated; the defiance that started with Mangal Pandey in Barrackpore; spreading of revolt to northern and eastern India; the failure of the British to disrupt communal harmony; the sepoy mutinies and popular revolts in present day Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Utter Pradesh, Bengal, Assam and Manipur.

The depiction of the much-needed spark which came in the form of cartridges greased with forbidden fat (the British Army forcing the sepoys of Bengal Army to use the infamous Enfield Rifles that used greased cartridges in March 1857); the clay models of British offending the religious sentiments of the sepoys; the early revolts against British domination; and the uprising in the North and Central India moves every visitor, thus bringing forth the struggle of our ancestors.

The photograph of a tree in which Mangal Pandey was hanged to death on April 8, 1857, attracts many visitors.

Struggle for freedom

Coaches 4 to 7 depict the British takeover, national awakening, Gandhiji’s leadership and the Quit India Movement respectively.

While a few incidents have been depicted through paintings, there are many clay models and photographs showing Gandhiji and other leaders’ struggle for independence that include the Non-co-operation Movement (1920) and the Civil Disobedience Movement (1930) that led to the historic Dandi March to break salt laws.
Wooden cutouts of Indians being hanged by the British, the innumerable atrocities inflicted by the British, photographs relating to the Quit India Movement and the INA soldiers led by Subashchandra Bose move visitors, besides rekindling the spirit of Indian freedom struggle.

Photographs of freedom fighters like Jhansi Rani Laxmibai, Tantya Tope and Shaheed Uddham Singh, reformers Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Swami Vivekananda, Iqbal (author of Sare Jahan Se Acchha), Dada Bhai Nauroji, Ravindranath Tagore, Sardar Vallabbhai Patel, Lal-Bal-Pal (Lala Lajpath Rai, Balgangadhar Tilak and Bipinchandra Pal together), Balagangadhar Tilak addressing his trial in court, the Jallianwalah Bagh massacre and the contemporary photograph of Jallianwalah Bagh, a huge photocopy of proclamation of the Bengal partition on November 1, 1905 with the seal, photograph of Mahatma Gandhi and Gokhale at the latter’s reception in Durban, South Africa, the Round Table Conference in London in 1931, Gandhiji instructing Vinobha Bhave on the eve of launching an individual satyagraha and pictures of the biggest famine in history (Bengal famine) in 1943 — refresh the memories of old people while developing curiosity about the past in the younger generation.

Post-independence era

Coaches 8 to 11 display the photographs of Azadi, of a vibrant democracy, depicting how India has progressed in recent years in the fields of education, health and industries. Some rare photographs of all the presidents, prime ministers, first MPs, council of ministers and people celebrating Independence on August 15, 1947, are a cynosure of all eyes.

However, it is the first 8 coaches that attract visitors to no end and inspire the youth. In fact, the aim and objective of the Azadi Express too is the same.

Interestingly, all the coaches have television sets attached to them, in which events of historical significance such as the first address to the nation by Jawaharlal Nehru on the night of Indian Independence, among others, are displayed. This apart, patriotic songs are continuously played on the train.

According to train in-charge Shailesh Phaye, while the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting came up with the idea, resources for the exhibition were provided by the Ministry of Culture and infrastructure by the Ministry of Railways. Each coach has two volunteers from the Nehru Yuva Kendra.

Train route

This train was flagged off by Union HRD Minister Arjun Singh on September 28, 2007 at Safdarjang Railway Station in Delhi and Mangalore was its 27th destination in India and the first in Karnataka. The train is expected to reach Bangalore on January 23 and Mysore on January 28 after covering Kerala. In fact, the train would cover 70 stations throughout its journey before commencing its last leg from Meerut to Delhi on May 10, 2008 — the day the sepoys and the public went on a Delhi yatra in 1857.

Wait for the train to arrive in your City, as the Azadi Express will help you “witness” the glorious past and the wonderful future of vibrant India.

As a visitor put it: “Less than five minutes after entering Azadi Express, I forgot that it was a train!”