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| Bhagat Singh |
Bhagat Singh – A Born Revolutionary
Bhagat Singh, known for his heroic and revolutionary acts, was born in a family that was actively involved in the struggle for Indian Independence. His father, Sardar Kishan Singh and uncle, Sardar Ajit Singh were popular leaders of the time. They were known to support the Gandhian ideology and missed no opportunity to inspire people to come out in masses to oppose the British.
They were particularly inspired by the extremist leader, Bal Gangadhar Tilak. Talking about the same in the article, Emergence of Punjab in the freedom movement, Bhagat Singh shared, “Having seen their enthusiasm at the 1906 Congress Convention in Calcutta, Lokmaniya was pleased and in bidding them adieu, gave them the responsibility of strengthening the movement in the Punjab.” On their return to Lahore, both the brothers initiated a monthly newspaper by the name, Bharat Mata with the aim to propagate their ideas to overthrow the British rule.
The loyalty towards the country and the drive to free it from the clutches of the British was thus inborn in Bhagat Singh. It ran in his blood and veins.
Bhagat Singh:- involvement in freedom fight
Bhagat Singh read a lot about the European nationalist movements and got inspired by the same in 1925. He founded the Naujavan Bharat Sabha the following year and later joined the Hindustan Republican Association where he came in contact with a number of prominent revolutionaries including Sukhdev and Chandrashekhar Azad. He also began contributing articles to Kirti Kisan Party’s magazine, the “Kirti”. While his parents wanted him to marry around the same time, he rejected their offer outright telling them that he wanted to dedicate his life to the freedom struggle.
Due to his active involvement in numerous revolutionary activities, he soon became a person of interest for the British police and was arrested in May 1927. A few months later he was released and got involved in writing revolutionary articles for newspapers.
The Turning Point:-In the year 1928, the British government held the Simon Commission for the discussion of autonomy for the Indians. It was boycotted by several Indian political organizations as the event did not include any Indian representative. Lala Lajpat Rai protested against the same by leading a procession and marching towards the Lahore station. In an attempt to control the mob, the police used the weapon of lathi charge and brutally hit the protestors. Lala Lajpat Rai got severely injured and was hospitalised. He succumbed to his injuries a few weeks later. The incident left Bhagat Singh enraged and he planned to avenge Rai’s death. Singh killed British police officer John P. Saunders soon after. He and one of his associates later bombed the Central Legislative Assembly in Delhi. He then confessed his involvement in the incident and surrendered to the police.
During the trial period, Bhagat Singh led hunger strike in the prison. He and his co-conspirators, Rajguru and Sukhdev were executed on the 23rd of March 1931.
Bhagat Singh was a true patriot in every aspect in we must have respect for him. He did not only fight for the freedom of the country but had no qualms giving away his life in the event. His death brought about mixed emotions throughout the country. While those who believed in the Gandhian ideology felt that he was too aggressive and radical and hurt the freedom quest on the other hands his followers considered him a martyr. He is still remembered as Shaheed Bhagat Singh.
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