Shankar Mahale:Brave freedom fighter!

(18 January 1925 – 19 January 1943)
{ Age and education are not required for fredom struggle .All that is required is willpower and dedication! }

Many freedom fighters sacrificed their lives in the fiery furnace of freedom. One of them is Hutatma Shankar Mahale. At just 17 years of age, he was hanged by the British; But this young man did not waver. Family members are weeping as they go to the gallows. At that time, Shankar himself reassured his aunt and said to her, ‘Don’t cry, I will be born again in your house; But there is nothing wrong with that.
He was one of the youngest revolutionary to hanged after khudiram bose who was also a young revolutionary to die on gallows. He was though educated up to fourth standard, as he joined Mahatma Gandhi’s Quit India Movement. He worked as a mill worker at Nagpur, in order to earn his living while joining the freedom struggle. It was on 19 January 1943, that he ascended to the gallows with a smile on his face.
Shankar was born on 18 January 1925 in Nawabpura area of Nagpur, Maharastra. He studied only up to fourth standard when Mahatma Gandhi gave a clarion call to all the youths of the country to join Quit India Movement the, in order to overthrow the oppressive rule of the British Imperialists in India. And at that young age, Shankar left the school and joined the Quit India Movement.

Although he studied up to fourth standard but still he had keen interest in the study of history and politics. As he studied in a Government School, so he boycotted it due to the rash behavior of the British teachers on Indian students. But he continued his studies at home under the guidance of his father Dajiba Mahale, who was also a notable teacher.

Many a mill workers protested against the ill treatment of their officials. From 9th to 11th August 1942, the mill workers in Nagpur went on strike for 3 days. Many Government offices and police outposts were set fire by the protesters. Shankar also participated in it.Meanwhile his father Dajiba, was shot to death by the police while he was participating in the Quit India Movement.

At that time Shankar was only seventeen years old. Enraged at his father’s death caused by police, he along with his colleagues planned to raid the Nagpur police station at night. On 13th August 1942, armed with lathis, they raided the police station and even killed sepoy named Bal Govind, who was responsible for the death of Shankar’s father Dajiba. But as they seized the arms and ammunition they were surrounded by armed police reinforcements, and were ultimately captured.
Eventually Shankar and his colleagues, were put on a trial. In the end Shankar was sentenced to death and others to a long term of imprisonment. On the 19th January, 1943, at early morning in nagpur Central Jail, Shankar Mahale walked up to the gallows and with a smile on his lips he gave up his life for the cause of Indian Independence.

Pm erected a statue of Shankar Mahale, in his honour at Nagpur Chowk.Later President of India built a small memorial in the honor of the martyr Shankar on 17 February 2011.

Hundreds of salutations to Shankar Mahale who sacrificed his life for the independence of our country !!!