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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