Shaheed Hemu Kalani

Today Shaheed Hemu Kalani day is being observed in the city. It was this day that Hemu Kalani was hanged in 1943. He was a Sindhi freedom fighter, a leader of Swaraj Sena which was affiliated with All India Students. Born in Sukkur (now in Sindh, Pakistan) on March 23^rd in 1923, he was son of Pesumal Kalani and Jethi Bai, he grew up campaigning with friends to boycott foreign goods. He used to persuade people into giving up foreign goods during British rule and appealed them to use Swadesi products. His aim was to drive out the British from India.

Hemu Kalani joined Quit India Movement in 1942. The people supported him in this movement extensively and it was because of this movement that British Army had to send troops via rail to suppress the movement. When Hemu Kalani learned of this British move, he decided to derail it for which fishplates had to be removed from the railway track. But Hemu and his team did not have any tools to remove fishplates, so they loosened the fishplates by means of ropes. But misfortune struck here and British army saw him and Hemu was caught. He was tortured by the Britishers so as to make him reveal the names of his co-conspirers. Hemu refused and was given a death sentence. He was then hanged on 21^st January 1943.

Hemu was the youngest freedom fighter of the Sindhi community. The Sindhi people throughout the country remember him for his contribution and his martyrdom is thus celebrated highlighting his fight for freedom.