September 28th is the birth anniversary of one of the most heroic figures of the Indian freedom movement. Bhagat Singh, an outstanding revolutionary and martyr of the Indian freedom struggle and a great source of inspiration to the revolutionary mindset of the Indian youth.
His Life
On 28th September 1907, Bhagat Singh was born in the Khatkar Kalan village into a family of Sandhu Jats. He was born in the midst of two decisive phases of the Indian National movement – the phase of the Extremisms of Lal-Bal-Pal and the non-violent mass action of Gandhian phase. In 1919, He was just child when Jalianwala Bagh Massacre took place in Punjab. That incident deeply affected the little child. In 1920 when he was 13, he actively participated in Non-Cooperation movement started by Mahatma Gandhi. He showed his enthusiasm by burning his government-school books and any British-imported clothing. But in 1922 Chauri Chaura riot took place that compelled Gandhi to call off this movement and he was disappointed by Gandhi’s decision. One can easily see the hatred of a kid against British administration and love towards his own country.
In 1923, Bhagat Singh joined the National College, Lahore. There he started reading European philosophies of Marx, Lenin, and Mazzini etc. At this age, he was completely dedicated to the cause of national liberation. Nothing illustrates better than his attitude to his marriage. He ran away from Lahore to Kanpur and left behind a note for his father in which he clearly explained him his dedication to the noblest cause and that is freedom of the country. In that note he had also mentioned about his two uncles who had gone that way and they had left two widows and he cannot leave another.
After reaching Kanpur, he worked with Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi where they brought out a weekly newspaper called Pratap. Here Bhatgat Singh met with new people like B.K.Dutt, Shiv Venna, and B.K.Sinha etc. Ajoy Gosh in his book wrote about his first meeting with Bhagat Singh where he perceived Bhagat Singh from his shabby dress as a typical village lad lacking smartness and self-confidence.
In 1924, Bhagat Singh became a member of the Hindustan Republican Association. The main organizer of this association was Chandra Shekhar Azad. Arms revolution was understood as the only way to fight against British imperialism. Therefore, the British government branded revolutionaries as terrorists. Later in 1925, he returned to Lahore and within a year, he along with his workers started a youth organization and named it Naujawan Bharat Sabha. In 1926, Bhagat Singh along with Sohan Singh Josh started a monthly magazine Kirti in Punjab. In 1927-28, he along with the other leaders was first arrested on charges of association with Kakori case. The first thing he did was to change the name of the organization (HRA) into Hidustan Socialist Republican Association.
The British government created a commission under Sir John Simon to report on current political scenario in India. The Indian political parties opposed the commission and demanded Simon to go back. On 30th October 1928, Lala Lajpat Rai led the protest against the commission in silent non-violent march rather in a peaceful way. But the police responded violently. Lala Lajpat Rai died when Police chief, Scott, beat him brutally. Bhagat Singh determined to take revenge of Lajpat Rai's death. Sukhdev and Rajguru also joined him and ploted a plan to shoot the British official responsible for the killing, Deputy Inspector General Scott. But accidentally he shot down Assistant Superintendent Saunders.
In 1929, Bhagat Singh and B.K.Dutt threw bombs onto the corridors of the assembly and raised the slogan "Inquilab Zindabad!" ("Long Live the Revolution!"). A shower of leaflets followed this. Both of them refused to run away from the scene and then they were arrested. During his trial, Bhagat Singh refused to employ any defence counsel. In the same year, Bhagat Singh wrote a letter to Sukhdev in which he said:
“I can say with all my might that I am immersed in the hopes and doubts that give life a meaning. But when the time comes, I will sacrifice everything. In the true sense this is a true sacrifice…you will recognise soon.”
During the trial for the Assembly bombing, the British came to know of his involvement in the murder of J. P. Saunders. Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev were charged with the murder. Bhagat Singh decided to use the court as a tool to publicize his cause for the independence of India. Later, Bhagat Singh, Sukh Dev and Raj Guru were awarded the death sentence.Despite great popular pressure and numerous appeals by political leaders of India, Bhagat Singh and his fellow comrades were hanged in the early hours of March 23, 1931. At the time of his martyrdom, he was on 23 years old.
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Bhagat Singh in prison)
His Ideologies
During the freedom struggle, revolutionaries had raised their fingers at the ideology and methodology of Gandhi and Congress. They even apprehended that freedom might prove mere transfer of powers from white ones to coloured ones. Bhagat Singh deeply studied European movements, and attracted to anarchism and communism. He expressed his views on almost all problems of Indian Society. In his early life, one can see the influence of anarchist philosophy on his life. He wrote many articles on anarchism and in 1928 Kirti serialized his articles. Bhagat Singh in one of his essays declared, “The people are scared of the word anarchism”. According to him, the ultimate goal of Anarchism is complete independence. When he was in condemned cell in 1931, he released a pamphlet ‘Why Am I an Atheist?’ in which he clearly expressed his views on God and religion. He believed in total eradication of religion, God, state and private property.
Russian revolution influenced him and forced him to study Marx and Lenin. In his pamphlets, one can find the essence of Marx as he described religion as “the opium of the people”. He considers religion and God as the products human ignorance, fear, lack of self-confidence. He acknowledged Bakunin’s God and the State, which severely criticises God. When he got rid of anarchist philosophy then he understood that only socialism could be the solution to the problems. He along with his fellow comrades argued that ‘radical change’ was necessary. Gradually he realised the need of mass mobilisation by the communist party.
Last Days
Bhagat dingh was convicted of sedition and treason and awarded death scentence by the Lahore high court. He was to be hanged till death on 24th March 1931. This news spread like wildfire and all the residents of Lahore started a series of processions and protests. They thronged outside the jail. They wee keen to defeat the jail authorities and set Bhagat singh free. British authorities, fearing an uprising by public, decided to hang the three friends a day ahead of the decided day i.e.24th March.
On 23rd March Bhagat Singh was going towards the hanging rope while singing the famous song from Punjab, which his martyr uncle Udham singh used to sing –
Mera rang de basanti chola…
O! Maiee rang de basanti chola.
He knew that nation is never going to forget him and his sacrifices.
References
Bhagat Singh, ‘Why I am an Atheist’, 1930
Vinod Mishra, ‘Shahidon ke khat’, 1990, Publication Division – Government of India.
Niraja Rao, ‘ Bhatgat Singh and the Revolutionary Movement’, http://www.revolutionarydemocracy.org/
Ajoy Ghosh, ‘Essays on Bhagat Singh and his friends’.
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