The great freedom fighter Shaheed Bhagat

Bhagat Singh, better known as, Shaheed Bhagat Singh was a freedom fighter who left no stone unturned to bring about reforms in the fight against the British. He is said to be one of the most influential revolutionaries of the Indian freedom struggle. He was born in a Sikh family in Punjab on the 28th of September 1907. Many of his family members including his father and uncles were actively involved in the struggle for Indian independence. His family as well as certain events that occurred during that time were an inspiration for him to dive into the freedom struggle at an early age. As a teenager, he studied about the European revolutionary movements and was drawn towards the Anarchist and Marxist ideologies. He soon joined the revolutionary activities and played an active part in them inspiring many others to join the same. The turning point in his life was the killing of freedom fighter, Lala Lajpat Rai. Bhagat Singh could not tolerate the injustice and planned to revenge Rai’s death. He planned the murder of British Official John Saunders and to bomb the Central Legislative Assembly. He surrendered himself after carrying out these incidents and was eventually hanged by the British government. He became an inspiration for the Indian youth owing to these heroic acts. Bhagat Singh is undoubtedly one of the most influential revolutionaries in the history of Indian Independence. He did not only take an active part in the freedom struggle but also inspired many other youths to join the same not only while he was alive but even after his death. Bhagat Singh was born in a Sikh Jat family in KhatkarKalan, Punjab on the 28th of September, 1907. His father Kishan Singh, grandfather Arjan Singh and uncle, Ajit Singh were actively involved in the struggle for Indian independence. His family members inspired him immensely and the feeling of patriotism was instilled in him from the very beginning. It seemed like the quality ran in his blood. Bhagat Singh met political leaders such as Lala Lajpat Rai and Ras Bihari Bose in 1916 when he was just 9 years old. Singh was greatly inspired by them. Bhagat Singh was immensely disturbed because of the Jalianwala Bagh massacre that occurred in 1919. On the day following the massacre, he went to the Jalianwala Bagh and collected some soil from the place to keep it as a souvenir. This incident strengthened his will to push the British out of the country. After the Jalianwala Bagh massacre, it was Lala Lajpat Rai’s death that moved Bhagat Singh deeply. He could not bear the cruelty of the British any longer and decided to avenge Rai’s death. His first step in this direction was to kill the British official, Saunders. Next, he threw bombs in the Central Assembly Hall during the assembly session. He was subsequently arrested for his acts and was eventually hanged on 23rd March 1931 along with Rajguru and Sukhdev. Bhagat Singh was all of 23 when he gladly martyred for the country and became an inspiration for the youth. His heroic acts inspire the youth even today. Bhagat Singh was among the youth who did not conform to the Gandhian style of fighting against the British. He believed in the Extremist ways of the Lal-Bal-Pal. Singh studied the European revolutionary movement and was drawn towards anarchism and communism. He joined hands with those who believed in bringing about revolution by acting aggressively rather than using the method of non-violence. With his ways of working, he came to be known as an atheist, communist and socialist. Bhagat Singh realised that merely driving out the British would not do good to the nation. He understood and advocated the fact that overthrowing of the British rule must be followed by the reconstruction of the Indian political system. He was of the opinion that the power must be given to the workers. Along with B.K. Dutt, Singh articulated his opinion about the revolution in a statement in June 1929 that stated, ‘By Revolution we mean that the present order of things, which is based on manifest injustice must change. Producers or labourers, in spite of being the most necessary element of society, are robbed by their exploiters of their labour and deprived of their elementary rights. The peasant, who grows corn for all, starves with his family; the weaver who supplies the world market with textile fabrics, has not enough to cover his own and his children’s bodies; masons, smiths and carpenters who raise magnificent palaces, live like pariahs in the slums. The capitalists and exploiters, the parasites of society, squander millions on their whims. During his struggle for India’s independence, the first organization Bhagat Singh joined was the Hindustan Republican Association. This was in the year 1924. He then began working with Sohan Singh Josh and the Workers and Peasants Party and soon after felt the need of building an organization aimed at working as a revolutionary party in Punjab and worked in this direction. He inspired people to join the struggle and free the country from the clutches of the British rule. Bhagat Singh was a true revolutionary who did all he could to overthrow the British rule and bring about reforms in the country. Though he died young, his ideologies remained alive and continued to drive people.