September 28 marks the birth anniversary of Bhagat Singh.
Birth and Early Life
- Born: September 28, 1907, in Banga, Punjab (now in Pakistan).
Family Background: Came from a Sikh family actively involved in the freedom struggle;
- His father, Kishan Singh, and uncle, Ajit Singh, were notable freedom fighters.
- Jallianwala Bagh Massacre: Witnessed the massacre at age 12, which fueled his vow to free India from British rule.
- Education and Revolutionary Organisations:
- Education: Bhagat Singh joined the National College, Lahore, founded by Lala Lajpat Rai, where he was exposed to revolutionary ideas and focused on the Swadeshi Movement.
- Hindustan Republican Association: Joined in 1924, which later became the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) in 1928.
- This association was founded in 1928
- Founders: Chandra Shekhar Azad, Sukhdev Thapar, Sachindra Nath Sanyal
- Naujawan Bharat Sabha: Founded in 1926 by bhagat Singh to mobilise youth for the freedom struggle.
- Worker and peasant party: In 1926, Bhagar singh connected with Sohan Singh Josh, with the help of whom, he established worker and peasant party.
- This party launched a monthly magazine named “ Kirti” in Punjab which focused on workers and peasant’s issues.
- Martyrs’ Day( Execution Date): The date of his execution, March 23, is observed as Martyrs’ Day to honour him and his fellow revolutionaries, Sukhdev and Rajguru.
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Major Actions
- Assassination of J.P. Saunders: Involved in the 1928 assassination of police officer J.P. Saunders as revenge for Lala Lajpat Rai’s death due to police brutality.
- Central Legislative Assembly Bombing: Threw a bomb in the assembly on April 18, 1929, with B.K. Dutt to protest against oppressive British laws.
Arrest and Execution
- Arrested: Captured in 1929 for the bomb incident and charged with murder in the Lahore Conspiracy Case.
- He was first arrested on charges of association with the Kakori Case
- Kakori case was an armed robbery which took place in Uttar Pradesh.
- Its main aim was to get funds from the British administration for the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) through force.
- Execution: Convicted and executed on March 23, 1931, along with fellow revolutionaries Sukhdev and Rajguru.
- He is affectionately called Shahid-e-Azam, meaning the greatest martyr.
Literary Contributions
- Why I Am an Atheist: An Autobiographical Discourse
- The Jail Notebook and Other Writings.
Ideologies
- Beliefs: Advocated for Marxist and socialist ideologies, focusing on rationalism, equality, and justice.
- Critique of Religion: Viewed organised religion as a form of mental and physical slavery.
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Famous Quotes by Bhagat Singh
- “It is easy to kill individuals but you cannot kill the ideas. Great empires crumbled, while the ideas survived.”
- “Revolution is an inalienable right of mankind. Freedom is an imperishable birthright of all.”
- “The aim of life is no more to control the mind, but to develop it harmoniously.”
- “Merciless criticism and independent thinking are the two necessary traits of revolutionary thinking.”
- “Bombs and pistols do not make a revolution. The sword of revolution is sharpened on the whetting stone of ideas.”
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October 1, 2024
