Bhagat Singh. News18
One of the towering personalities in the Indian freedom struggle, Bhagat Singh was born on this very day in 1907, in Lyallpur, Punjab. He earned martyrdom at the age of 23 after refusing to surrender to the atrocities of the British Empire. On 23 March 1931, the British government put Bhagat Singh and his friends Rajguru and Sukhdev to death. Today, India remembers Bhagat Singh on his 115th birth anniversary. He was one of the most influential revolutionaries in the fight for Indian independence and motivated numerous people to join the freedom movement.
Bhagat Singh fought for independence with courage. He was a brilliant, responsible man who was drawn to socialism. Singh was drawn to anarchist and Marxist doctrines, which further stimulated his ideas about revolution. He was a gifted reader and student as well.
Here are some lesser-known facts about Bhagat Singh:
When his parents attempted to arrange his marriage, Bhagat Singh fled for Kanpur, declaring that if he did so, “my bride shall only be death” and joining the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association.
The Jallianwala Bagh slaughter angered Bhagat Singh so much that he skipped school to go to the site of the carnage.
He was a talented actor in college, taking part in a number of plays like ‘Rana Pratap’ and ‘Bharat-Durdasha.’
Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev planned to murder James Scott, the superintendent of police in Lahore, in order to exact revenge for the killing of Lala Lajpat Rai. However, John Saunders, the Assistant Superintendent of Police, was shot due to a case of misidentification.
Despite being a Sikh by origin, he cut his hair and shaved his beard to avoid being identified and taken into custody for the murder. He was able to get away from Lahore and reach Calcutta.
Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt exploded bombs within the Central Legislative Assembly on 8 April 1929. Despite their intention of not killing anyone and merely scaring the British, some members were wounded.
Singh and Dutt did not flee after dropping the bombs; instead, they stood there while yelling, “Inquilab Zindabad.” They were detained for the incident.
Singh was transferred from a prison in Delhi to one in Mianwali, where he and his fellow prisoners protested against the discrimination between European and Indian prisoners and went on a hunger strike in order to demand better food, books, newspapers, and other amenities as they were political prisoners rather than criminals.
On 7 October 1930, Singh heard the pronouncement of his death sentence for Saunder’s killing with firm courage. His execution date was originally set for 24 March 1931, but it was moved up to 23 March at 7:30 pm. With a smile on his face, Bhagat Singh shouted, “Down with British imperialism,” as he marched to the gallows.Here are some inspirational quotes by Bhagat Singh:
“Revolution is an inalienable right of mankind. Freedom is an imperishable birth right of all.”
“They may kill me, but they cannot kill my ideas. They can crush my body, but they will not be able to crush my spirit.”
“I am such a lunatic that I am free even in jail.”
“Labour is the real sustainer of society.”
“If the deaf has to hear, the sound has to be very loud.”
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