By Chandan Singh | Page 3 News Worldwide | New Delhi
New Delhi: Delhi Legislative Assembly Speaker Shri Vijender Gupta on Thursday released a new edition of Meri Aapbeeti: Kalapani Ki Karavas Kahani, the autobiography of revolutionary and Ghadar Party leader Bhai Parmanand (1876–1947), marking his 150th birth anniversary.
Describing the book as an important account of India’s freedom struggle, Gupta said, “Bhai Parmanand’s autobiography is not merely an account of the suffering endured in the Cellular Jail, but a powerful reminder of the patriotism, sacrifice and indomitable courage that shaped India’s freedom struggle.”
The republication comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the book during the 139th episode of his Mann Ki Baat programme on October 25, 2026, urging young people to read it and understand the sacrifices made by India’s freedom fighters.
Addressing historians, Arya Samaj representatives and other distinguished guests, Gupta stressed the importance of bringing historical accounts of the freedom movement to younger generations to preserve the country’s collective memory.
Recalling Bhai Parmanand’s contribution to the independence movement, Gupta highlighted his role as a founding member of the Ghadar Party, an influential Arya Samaj leader and a prominent opponent of British colonial rule.
Born in 1876 in Jhelum district, now in Pakistan, Parmanand was sentenced to death in the first Lahore Conspiracy Case of 1915. The sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment, and he was transported to the Cellular Jail in the Andaman Islands. He endured nearly five years of incarceration and undertook a prolonged hunger strike against the inhuman treatment of political prisoners.
Mahatma Gandhi had condemned his treatment in an article published in Young India on November 19, 1919, and demanded his release. Parmanand was released on April 20, 1920. He subsequently taught history at National College, Lahore, where revolutionaries Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev were among his students.
Gupta said the experiences of revolutionaries such as Parmanand offered an important insight into the suffering and personal sacrifices behind India’s independence.
The autobiography, which had remained unavailable to readers for several years, has been republished by Delhi-based Ananya Prakashan. Publisher Shri Atul Maheshwari said the Prime Minister’s reference to the book in Mann Ki Baat had provided the impetus for its republication, making this significant historical account accessible to a new generation.
Appreciating the initiative, Gupta said the freedom struggle should be understood not only through major political events but also through the personal testimonies of those who endured imprisonment and persecution for the country’s independence. He called for wider circulation of such works among young readers and emphasised that the contributions of lesser-known revolutionaries deserved greater recognition in the study of India’s history.
