Special Cancellation by Gorakhpur Postal Division
Chauri Chaura is a town near Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. The town is known most for an event in February 1922 during the British Raj when a police chowki (station) was set on fire by a mob of angry citizens, killing 23 policemen inside.
Chauri Chaura incident
Around the first of February, 1922, volunteers participating in the Non-cooperation Movement protested for a fair price for meat in the marketplace. The demonstrators were beaten back by local police. In response, a protest against the police was called for February 4, to be held in the local marketplace.
As February 4, 1922, arrived, approximately 2000 protesters assembled and began marching towards the Chauri Chaura bazaar. Armed police were dispatched to control the situation while the crowd marched towards the market and started shouting anti-government slogans. In an attempt to frighten and disperse the crowd, the police fired warning shots into the air but this only agitated the crowd who began pelting the police with stones.
With the situation getting out of control, the sub inspector ordered the police to open fire on the advancing crowd, killing three and wounding several others. Reports vary on the reason for the police retreat with some claiming that the police ran out of ammunition while others claim that fear of the crowd's unexpectedly courageous and angry reaction to the gunfire were the cause but whatever the case, in the ensuing chaos, the heavily outnumbered police fell back to the shelter of the police chowki while the angry mob advanced.
Infuriated by the gunfire into their ranks, the crowd took revenge by setting the chowki ablaze, killing the 23 police men trapped inside.
Release of special cancellation at Chauri Chaura
Press Clippings
: The Hindu : 2 Feb 2012
