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Bhagat Singh
Shaheed Bhagat Singh Biography
Born: September 27, 190
Died: March 23, 1931
Gave a new direction to revolutionary movement in India, formed 'Naujavan Bharat Sabha' to spread the message of revolution in Punjab, formed 'Hindustan Samajvadi Prajatantra Sangha' along with Chandrasekhar Azad to establish a republic in India, assassinated police official Saunders to avenge the death of Lala Lajpat Rai, dropped bomb in Central Legislative Assembly along with Batukeshwar Dutt.
Bhagat Singh was among the prominent revolutionaries who shaped the base of a grand national movement. Following his execution, on March 23, 1931, the supporters and followers of Bhagat Singh regarded him as a "Shaheed", "martyr"
(Cultural India, Bhagat Singh: No date)
Bhagat Singh was one of the most prominent faces of Indian freedom struggle. He was a revolutionary ahead of his times. By Revolution he meant that the present order of things, which is based on manifest injustice must change.
Bhagat Singh studied the European revolutionary movement and was greatly attracted towards socialism. He realised that the overthrow of British rule should be accompanied by the socialist reconstruction of Indian society and for this political power must be seized by the workers.
(Shaheed Bhagat Singh: No date)
Bhagat Singh stood up to the British Government and made a stand for India to be an independant state.
Shaheed Bhagat Singh though portrayed as a terrorist by the British, Sardar Bhagat Singh was critical of the individual terrorism which was prevalent among the revolutionary youth of his time and called for mass mobilization. (Shaheed Bhagate Singh: No date)
historian Dr. Irfan Habib spoke on the relevance of Bhagat Singh in the present times:
Although termed as a terrorist by the then British Empire, Bhagat Singh rightly wanted to be called a revolutionary and a soldier in the war against imperialism. He believed that his retaliation against oppression could not be termed as anarchy. His ideas reflect his deep understanding of the Indian milieu and his thought provoking writings make him a class apart from his contemporaries. Though he died at the young age of 24 years, he had a clear vision of an India which was not only politically free, but also free from poverty and social injustices. In one of his speeches, less than 2 months before his death, he stressed the need for a Socialist Revolution, through a political revolution. (Shobha Shukla: 2009)
In fighting for his rights Bhagat Singh was classed a terrorist. Therefore creating the ideaology that he was a criminal and posed threat. By labbelling him a terrorist, the government gained the authority to justify him being wanting under police authority. Is it not possible to seek justice and prevail against the so-called government and fight for freedom with no right?
Surely does man not have a right to free will?
Bhagat Singh gave a new direction to the revolutionary movement in India. He differed from his predecessors on two counts. Firstly, he accepted the logic of atheism and publicly proclaimed it.
It can be argued Baghat Singh may have done this to end mankind from killing due to religious differences? Does not all war begin on the basis of cultural and religious differences? Is this not what Bhagat Singh wanted to put an end to as well as the British rule?
Their immediate goal was destruction of the British Empire and they had no inclination to work out a political alternative.
Bhagat Singh, because of his interest in studying and his keen sense of history gave revolutionary movement a goal beyond the elimination of the British. A clarity of vision and determination of purpose distinguished Bhagat Singh from other leaders of the National Movement. He emerged as the only alternative to Gandhi and the Indian National Congress, especially for the youth. (Shaheed Bhagat Singh: No date)
How is it today we praise this man for doing what he did and having the courage to stand against the enemy. However then he was punished for the exact same deed, under the British Empire.
Bhagat Singh was born in a Sikh family in village Banga in Layalpur district of Punjab (now in Pakistan). He was the third son of Sardar Kishan Singh and Vidyavati. Bhagat Singh's family was actively involved in freedom struggle. His father Kishan Singh and uncle Ajit Singh were members of Ghadr Party founded in the U.S to oust British rule from India. Family atmosphere had a great effect on the mind of young Bhagat Singh and patriotism flowed in his veins from childhood.
While studying at the local D.A.V. School in Lahore, in 1916, young Bhagat Singh came into contact with some well-known political leaders like Lala Lajpat Rai and Ras Bihari Bose. Punjab was politically very charged in those days. In 1919, when Jalianwala Bagh massacre took place, Bhagat Singh was only 12 years old. The massacre deeply disturbed him. On the next day of massacre Bhagat Singh went to Jalianwala Bagh and collected soil from the spot and kept it as a memento for the rest of his life. The massacre strengthened his resolve to drive British out from India. (Shaheed Bhagat Singh: No date)
The young Bhagat Singh disturbed by what was happening in his country went out to seek justice. By creating a war does the government and leaders not make the young generation into activists.
Today we see what is happening with suicide bombers, who we claim are being brainwashed by others and used as targets against our government. However if we look back into history we will see this young generation has watched death and destruction from such an early age it would only be their nature to go out and fight.
In response to Mahatma Gandhi's call for non-cooperation against British rule in 1921, Bhagat Singh left his school and actively participated in the movement. In 1922, when Mahatma Gandhi suspended Non-cooperation movement against violence at Chauri-chaura in Gorakhpur, Bhagat was greatly disappointed. His faith in non violence weakened and he came to the conclusion that armed revolution was the only practical way of winning freedom.
(Shaheed Bhagat Singh: No date)
To continue his studies, Bhagat Singh joined the National College in Lahore, founded by Lala Lajpat Rai. At this college, which was a centre of revolutionary activities, he came into contact with revolutionaries such as Bhagwati Charan, Sukhdev and others.
These became Bhagat Singh's close friends whom he worked alongside.
To avoid early marriage, Bhagat Singh ran away from home and went to Kanpur. Here, he came into contact with a revolutionary named Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi, and learnt his first lessons as revolutionary. On hearing that his grandmother was ill, Bhagat Singh returned home. He continued his revolutionary activities from his village. He went to Lahore and formed a union of revolutionaries by name 'Naujavan Bharat Sabha'. He started spreading the message of revolution in Punjab. In 1928 he attended a meeting of revolutionaries in Delhi and came into contact with Chandrasekhar Azad. The two formed 'Hindustan Samajvadi Prajatantra Sangha'. Its aim was to establish a republic in India by means of an armed revolution.(iloveindia:)
In February 1928, a committee from England,Shaheed Bhagat Singh called Simon Commission visited India. The purpose of its visit was to decide how much freedom and responsibility could be given to the people of India. But there was no Indian on the committee.(iloveindia:)
This angered Indians and they decided to boycott Simon Commission. While protesting against Simon Commission in Lahore, Lala Lajpat Rai was brutally killed... Bhagat Singh was determined to avenge Lajpat Rai's death by shooting the British official responsible for the killing, Deputy Inspector General Scott. He shot down Assistant Superintendent Saunders instead, mistaking him for Scott. Bhagat Singh had to flee from Lahore to escape death punishment. (iloveindia:)
Instead of finding the root cause of discontent of Indians, the British government took to more repressive measures.
Under the Defense of India Act, it gave more power to the police to arrest persons to stop processions with suspicious movements and actions. The Act brought in the Central Legislative Assembly was defeated by one vote. Even then it was to be passed in the form of an ordinance in the "interest of the public." Bhagat Singh who was in hiding all this while, volunteered to throw a bomb in the Central Legislative Assembly where the meeting to pass the ordinance was being held. It was a carefully laid out plot, not to cause death or injury but to draw the attention of the government, that the modes of its suppression could no more be tolerated. It was decided that Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt would court arrest after throwing the bomb.
(Shaheed Bhagat Singh: No date)
On April 8, 1929 Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw bombs in the Central Assembly Hall while the Assembly was in session. The bombs did not hurt anyone. After throwing the bombs, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt, deliberately courted arrest by refusing to run away from the scene. During his trial, Bhagat Singh refused to employ any defence counsel. In jail, he went on hunger strike to protest the inhuman treatment of fellow-political prisoners by jail authorities. On October 7, 1930 Bhagat Singh, Sukh Dev and Raj Guru were awarded death sentence by a special tribunal. Despite great popular pressure and numerous appeals by political leaders of India, Bhagat Singh and his associates were hanged in the early hours of March 23, 1931.
It has come to conclusion that anyone seeking freedom or wanting to occomplish any form of justice will therefore be punished, and treated unfairly. The fact that their was not one political leader from India -automatically makes the argument unfair. Bhagat Singh was a man who wanted to reveal the injustice of the society, and in doing so deemed punishment of death.
Trial and Death
The British authority, while interrogating them, came to know about their involvement in the murder of J. P. Saunders. Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev were charged with the murder. Singh admitted to the murder and made statements against the British rule during the trial.
While in jail, Bhagat Singh found that the authorities were following a dual policy in treating the prisoners. The criminals of foreign origin were treated better than Indian political prisoners. As a protest, he along with some fellow prisoners declared to "go on hunger strike". The strike continued for over a month and finally the British had to accept before their conditions.
Bhagat Singh along with other revolutionaries found responsible for the Assembly bombing and murder of Saunders. On March 23, 1931, Bhagat Singh was hanged in Lahore with his fellow comrades Rajguru and Sukhdev. Singh was cremated at Hussainiwala on banks of Sutlej river.
Bhagat Singh died because he wanted to stand up for his country and right. Today we praise this man for helping towards gaining their country India.
Dr. Habib lauded the scientific temperament of Bhagat Singh, which is very relevant in today's scenario:
More than any other nationalist of his times, Bhagat Singh stressed the importance of being rational. He believed in ideological firmness and said, 'Religion has no connection with the National Movement.' Bold sentiments indeed, but very true. It is distressing to see that today Nationalism is being touted in the garb of religion and caste. This has resulted in fragmentation of society and in communal riots. Instead of insisting on religious instructions to our children, it would be better if we instruct them in the values of love and peaceful co existence.
(Shukla, S:2009)
References.
1. S, Shukla (2009)Relevance of Bhagat Singh in modern India [online] available from: http://www.modernghana.com/news/208380/1/relevance-of-bhagat-singh-in-modern-india.html [accessed from: 06.04.2009)
2. ShahidBhagatSingh.org (2006) ShahidBhagatSingh.org [online] available from: http://www.shahidbhagatsingh.org/[accessed:08.04.2009]
3. Bhagat Singh (No date) Cultural India: Leaders: Bhagat Singh [online] available from: http://www.culturalindia.net/leaders/bhagat-singh.html [accessed: 02.04.2008]
4. Shaheed Bhagat Singh Biography (No date) Shaheed Bhagat Singh Biography [online] available from: http://www.iloveindia.com/indian-heroes/bhagat-singh.html [accessed: 07.04.2009]
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