Remembering Bhagat Singh

On this day, 110 years ago, a charismatic revolutionary was born who went on to change the face of Indian freedom movement and beliefs of future generations. Bhagat Singh was born on 27^th September 1907 in a small village called Banga in the Lyallpur district of the Punjab province (Now Pakistan).

At a ripe age of 15, he left his home to join the Indian freedom movement after Mahatma Gandhi called off his Non-Cooperation Movement in 1922. Bhagat Singh along with others was devastated and became critical of Gandhian methods. Post Non-Cooperation Movement, Bhagat Singh became a staunch critic of Gandhian methods and after joining Hindustan Socialist Republican Association he vowed to arouse the consciousness of people in India to the futility of Gandhian principles.

Bhagat Singh was a champion of Communism, Socialism and Anarchism. He was introduced to Communist ideas even before the formation of Communist Party of India in 1925.He, along with other members of HSRA, believed that a ‘radical change’ is necessary through revolution. And by revolution, he meant that the present order of things, which is based on manifest justice must change. Though, he was very critical of individual terrorism which was prevalent in the youth those days and realized the need for mass mobilization.

Bhagat Singh was a confirmed atheist and wrote his anti-religious beliefs in his book ‘Why Am I An Atheist’. He argued that the early revolutionaries relied on religion and mysticism to acquire spiritual strength. He pointed out that scientific understanding was absent in their political activities. He himself followed a moral path and believed in “the service of mankind and emancipation of the suffering humanity.” Religion, he notes, is not merely created by the ruling and exploring class to deceive the people, to legitimise class privilege and power, but also it is the consequence of the inability of the primitive man to fully understand his natural environment, to understand his own social activity and social organization.

Bhagat along with his comrades Sukhdev Thapar and Sivaram Rajguru was hanged on 23^rd March 1931 after he was sentenced to death for killing British superintendent John Saunders. Some authors and critics believe Mahatma Gandhi could have commuted the death sentence of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru but different authors/critics have different opinions regarding that. Some believe that Mahatma Gandhi was particularly unimpressed by the methods of HSRA and their growing popularity (According to historians, Bhagat Singh was more popular than Mahatma Gandhi at some point). Some admit that the letter Mahatma Gandhi supposedly wrote to British Viceroy Lord Irwin wasn’t convincing enough. Some think he did not write a letter at all. There are conflicting reports but no one knows what actually happened. What did happen was that there was clear dissatisfaction amongst the people and Mahatma Gandhi along with other Congress leaders were received by black flags when they arrived for Karachi Session of the Indian National Congress merely 6 days after the hanging of Bhagat Singh. Bhagat Singh had an entirely different view and believed that through his sacrifice the entire country will be enlightened to take up arms against the British.

Bhagat Singh and comrades are no more but their voices and ideas still ring around in the ears of every Indian. A true revolutionary who gave up his youth for the freedom of the nation and became a martyr at a ripe age of 23.

We truly salute his sacrifice.

– Ritwik Sharma