Bhagat Singh
Encyclopedia
Bhagat Singh is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
. Singh's given name of "Bhagat" means 'devotee' and he was nicknamed "Bhaganwala" by his grandmother, which means 'the lucky one' since the news of the release of his uncle Ajit Singh from Mandalay
Mandalay
Mandalay is the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of one million, and is the capital of Mandalay Region ....
jail and that of his father from Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
jail had coincided with his birth. His grandfather, Arjun Singh, was a follower of Swami Dayananda Saraswati
Swami Dayananda Saraswati
Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati was an important Hindu religious scholar, reformer, and founder of the Arya Samaj, a Hindu reform movement. He was the first to give the call for Swarajya – "India for Indians" – in 1876, later taken up by Lokmanya Tilak...
's Hindu reformist movement, Arya Samaj
Arya Samaj
Arya Samaj is a Hindu reform movement founded by Swami Dayananda on 10 April 1875. He was a sannyasi who believed in the infallible authority of the Vedas. Dayananda emphasized the ideals of brahmacharya...
, which had a considerable influence on the young Bhagat. His uncles, Ajit Singh and Swaran Singh, as well as his father, were members of the Ghadar Party
Ghadar Party
The Ghadar Party was an organization founded by Punjabi Indians, in the United States and Canada with the aim to liberate India from British rule...
, led by Kartar Singh Sarabha and Har Dayal
Har Dayal
Lala Har Dayal was a Indian nationalist revolutionary who founded the Ghadar Party in America. He was a polymath who turned down a career in the Indian Civil Service...
. Ajit Singh was forced to flee to Persia due to court cases that were pending against him, while Swaran Singh died at home in 1910 subsequent to his release from Borstal Jail in Lahore.
Unlike many Sikhs of his age, Singh did not attend Khalsa High School in Lahore, because his grandfather did not approve of the school officials' loyalism to the British authorities. Instead, his father enrolled him in Dayanand Anglo Vedic High School
Dayanand Anglo-Vedic Schools System
The Dayanand Anglo-Vedic Schools System, also familiarly known as the D.A.V. Public Schools System is the single largest non-governmental education society in India . It is based on the ideals of the religious and social reformer, Swami Dayanand Saraswati...
, an Arya Samaji institution. In 1919, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre
Jallianwala Bagh massacre
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre , also known as the Amritsar massacre, took place in the Jallianwala Bagh public garden in the northern Indian city of Amritsar, and was ordered by Brigadier-General Reginald E.H. Dyer...
occurred, which set him thinking about India's independence, and in 1920; he began to follow Mahatma Gandhi's Non-Cooperation Movement
Non-cooperation movement
The non-cooperation movement was a significant phase of the Indian struggle for freedom from British rule which lasted for years. This movement, which lasted from September 1920 to February 1922 and was led by Mohandas Gandhi, and supported by the Indian National Congress. It aimed to resist...
. At this point, Singh openly defied the British
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
and followed Gandhi's wishes by burning his government school books and any imported British clothing he could find. Following Gandhi's withdrawal of the movement after the violent murders of policemen by villagers at Chauri Chaura
Chauri Chaura
Chauri Chaura is a town near Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. The town is known most for an event in February 1922 during the British Raj when a police chowki was set on fire by a mob of angry citizens, killing 23 policemen inside.-Background:In the early 1920s, Indians, led by Mahatma Gandhi,...
, United Provinces in 1922, Singh became disgruntled with Gandhi's non-violent action, and joined the Young Revolutionary Movement; where he began advocating the violent overthrow of the British. He was 14 when, on February 20, 1921, the custodian of Nankana Sahib
Nankana Sahib
Nankana Sahib , earlier known as Rai-Bhoi-Di-Talwandi, is a city in the Pakistani province of Punjab. It is named after the first Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak Dev, the central figure in Sikhism who was born here, so it is a city of high historic and religious value and is a popular pilgrimage site...
(the birthplace of Guru Nanak) and his men, fired on Akali Dal
Shiromani Akali Dal
The Shiromani Akali Dal , translation: Supreme Akali Party) is a Sikh nationalist political parties based in Punjab. The current party to be recognized by the Election Commission of India is the one led by Parkash Singh Badal...
protesters. The firing was widely condemned, and an agitation was launched until the control of this historic gurudwara was restored to the Sikhs. This incident had a profound impact on Singh.
In 1923, Singh joined National College in Lahore, where he academically made a positive impression to his peers and teachers. He was also a member of the college dramatics society. By this time, he was fluent in Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, English, and Sanskrit. In 1923, Singh won an essay competition set by the Punjab Hindi Sahitya Sammelan. His essay, Punjab’s Language and Script, quoted Punjabi literature and discussed the problems of Punjab. He joined the Indian nationalist youth organisation Naujawan Bharat Sabha (Hindi: Youth Society of India) alongwith his fellow revolutionaries, and became popular amongst the youth. He also joined the Hindustan Republican Association, which had prominent leaders like Ram Prasad Bismil
Ram Prasad Bismil
Ram Prasad Bismil Ram Prasad Bismil Ram Prasad Bismil (Hindi: राम प्रसाद 'बिस्मिल', Gujarati: રામપ્રસાદ બિસ્મિલ, (Malayalam: രാം പ്രസാദ് ബിസ്മിൽ, Tamil: ராம் பிரசாத் பிஸ்மில், Born: 11 June 1897, Executed: 19 December 1927) was an Indian revolutionary who participated in Mainpuri Shadyantra of...
, Chandrashekhar Azad and Ashfaqulla Khan. The name of the organisation was changed to Hindustan Socialist Republican Association
Hindustan Socialist Republican Association
Hindustan Socialist Republican Association was a revolutionary organisation established in 1928 at Feroz Shah Kotla New Delhi by Chandrasekhar Azad, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and others...
at Singh's insistence. A year later, upon being pressurised by his family, who wanted him to get married, Singh left his house in Lahore and went to Cawnpore. In a note left behind for his father, he stated: "My life has been dedicated to the noblest cause, that of the freedom of the country. Therefore, there is no rest or worldly desire that can lure me now..." It is also believed that he went to Cawnpore to attempt to free the Kakori train robbery
Kakori train robbery
The Kakori train robbery was a train robbery that took place between Kakori and Alamnagar near Lucknow, on 9 August 1925 during the Indian Independence Movement against the British.German-made Mauser C96 semi-automatic pistols with wooden stock were used in this historical event by the Hindustan...
convicts from jail, but returned to Lahore for unknown reasons. On the day of Dussehra
Vijayadashami
Vijayadashami also known as Dasara, is one of the most important festivals celebrated in various forms, across India, Nepal and Bangladesh...
in October 1926, a bomb exploded in Lahore. Singh was arrested for his alleged involvement in this Dussehra bomb case on May 29, 1927, but was let off for good behaviour against a heavy fine of Rs. 60,000, after about five weeks of his arrest. He wrote for and edited Urdu and Punjabi newspapers, published from Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
. In September 1928, a meeting of various revolutionaries from across India was organised at Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
under the banner of the Kirti Kisan Party (Hindi: Workers and Peasants Party). Singh was the secretary of the meeting. His later revolutionary activities were to be carried out as a leader of this association.
Lala Lajpat Rai's death and murder of Saunders
The British government created a CommissionSimon Commission
The Indian Statutory Commission was a group of seven British Members of Parliament that had been dispatched to India in 1927 to study constitutional reform in Britain's most important colonial dependency. It was commonly referred to as the Simon Commission after its chairman, Sir John Simon...
under Sir John Simon
John Simon, 1st Viscount Simon
John Allsebrook Simon, 1st Viscount Simon GCSI GCVO OBE PC was a British politician who held senior Cabinet posts from the beginning of the First World War to the end of the Second. He is one of only three people to have served as Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer,...
to report on the current political situation in India in 1928. The Indian political parties boycotted the Commission, because it did not include a single Indian in its membership, and it was met with protests all over the country. When the Commission visited Lahore on October 30, 1928, Lala Lajpat Rai
Lala Lajpat Rai
Lala Lajpat Rai was an Indian author, freedom fighter and politician who is chiefly remembered as a leader in the Indian fight for freedom from the British Raj. He was popularly known as Punjab Kesari or Sher-e-Punjab meaning the samem and was part of the Lal Bal Pal trio...
led a non-violent protest against the commission in a silent march, but the police responded with violence. The superintendent of police, James A. Scott, ordered the police to lathi charge the protesters and personally assaulted Rai, who was grievously injured. When Rai died less than three weeks later, it was widely assumed that Scott's blows had hastened his demise. Singh vowed to take revenge, and joined other revolutionaries, Shivaram Rajguru
Shivaram Rajguru
Shivaram Hari Rajguru was an Indian revolutionist from Maharashtra and belonged to the Deshastha Brahmin community. Rajguru was born in a place named Khed near Pune. It was later renamed as Rajgurunagar in his honor. He is best known as a colleague of Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev in the murder of a...
, Sukhdev Thapar, Jai Gopal and Chandrashekhar Azad, in a plot to kill Scott. Jai Gopal was supposed to identify the chief and signal for Singh to shoot. However, in a case of mistaken identity, Gopal signalled Singh on the appearance of John P. Saunders, an Assistant Superintendent of Police. He was shot by Rajguru and Singh while leaving the District Police Headquarters in Lahore at about 4:15 p.m. on December 17, 1928. Head Constable Chanan Singh was also killed when he came to Saunders' aid.
Dramatic escape
After killing Saunders, the group escaped through the D.A.V. College entrance, across the road. Chanan Singh, the Head Constable who was chasing them was fatally injured by Chandrashekhar Azad's covering fire. They then fled on bicycles to pre–arranged places of safety. The police launched a massive search operation to catch the culprits and blocked all exits and entrances. The police sealed all roads from the city; the CIDCriminal Investigation Department
The Crime Investigation Department is the branch of all Territorial police forces within the British Police and many other Commonwealth police forces, to which plain clothes detectives belong. It is thus distinct from the Uniformed Branch and the Special Branch.The Metropolitan Police Service CID,...
kept a watch at the railway stations and all young men leaving Lahore were scrutinized. They hid for the next two days. On 19 December 1928, Sukhdev called on Durga Devi Vohra, their friend Bhagwati Charan Vohra's wife, for help, to which she agreed. They decided to catch the train departing from Lahore to Howrah en route Bathinda early the next morning. That train was chosen so that they could escape before the arrival of the CID picket. To avoid recognition, Singh shaved off his beard and cut his hair short. Singh, in Western dress carrying a sleeping infant; Vohra, in her most impressive attire; and Rajguru shuffling under luggage, left the house at about 5 a.m.
On reaching the station, Singh keeping his facial profile covered on one side with a slightly raised collar of the overcoat and on the other by the sleeping infant, purchased two tickets — a joint second class Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
return ticket and a third class one for the servant, to Cawnpore. They walked together into the railway station with Rajguru carrying the luggage behind in a servile manner. Both men carried concealed loaded revolvers with them in case of an unanticipated incident. The group managed to avoid raising the suspicions of the police, and boarded the train without any incident. Breaking journey at Cawnpore, they went to Lucknow as the CID at Howrah kept a close watch on passengers coming directly from Lahore. At Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
, Rajguru left separately for Benares
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
. Singh, Vohra and the infant went to Howrah, with all except Singh returning to Lahore a few days later.
1929 Assembly bomb throwing incident
The increasing violence by the revolutionaries prompted the British government to implement the Defence of India Act — which gave more freedom and power to the police. The sole purpose of this Act was to combat revolutionaries like Singh, who advocated the violent overthrow of the British RajBritish Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
. In response to this Act, the HSRA organised a plan to explode a bomb in the Central Legislative Assembly
Central Legislative Assembly
The Central Legislative Assembly was a legislature for India created by the Government of India Act 1919 from the former Imperial Legislative Council, implementing the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms...
, where the ordinance was going to be passed. This idea was put forth by Singh, who was influenced by a similar bombing by an anarchist Auguste Vaillant
Auguste Vaillant
Auguste Vaillant was a French anarchist, most famous for his bomb attack on the French Chamber of Deputies on 9 December 1893. The government's reaction to this attack was the passing of the infamous repressive Lois scélérates.He threw the home-made device from the public gallery and was...
in the French Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies of France
Chamber of Deputies was the name given to several parliamentary bodies in France in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries:* 1814–1848 during the Bourbon Restoration and the July Monarchy, the Chamber of Deputies was the Lower chamber of the French Parliament, elected by census suffrage.*...
on 9 December 1893. It was decided that Singh would go to the USSR, while Batukeshwar Dutt
Batukeshwar Dutt
Batukeshwar Dutt was an Indian revolutionary and a freedom fighter in the early 1900s. He is best known for having exploded a few bombs, along with Bhagat Singh, in the Central Legislative Assembly in New Delhi on 8 April 1929...
would carry on the bombing with Sukhdev. Sukhdev then forced him to call for another meeting, where it was decided against the initial agreement, that Dutt and Singh would carry on the bombing. Singh also disapproved that the two should be escorted after the bombing by the rest of the party. On April 8, 1929, Singh and Dutt threw two bombs inside the assembly and shouted "Inquilab Zindabad
Inquilab Zindabad
Inqhilab Zindabad is a Urdu phrase which translates to "Long Live Revolution". It was a common phrase used by revolutionaries during the British rule over India...
!" (Urdu: "Long Live the Revolution!"). This was followed by a shower of leaflets stating that it takes a loud noise to make the deaf hear.The bombs did not kill anyone; Singh and Dutt claimed that this was deliberate on their part, a claim substantiated both by British forensics investigators who found that the bombs were not powerful enough to cause injury, and by the fact that the bombs were thrown away from people.Singh and Dutt immediately gave themselves up for arrest after the bombing. They intended to use their court appearances as a forum for revolutionary propaganda to advocate the revolutionaries’ point of view and, in the process, rekindle patriotic sentiments in the hearts of the people. Singh surrendered his automatic pistol, the same one he had used to pump bullets into Saunders' body, knowing fully well that the pistol would be the highest proof of his involvement in the Saunders' case.
Assembly bomb case trial
Singh was charged with attempt to murder under section 307 of the Indian Penal Code. Asaf AliAsaf Ali
Asaf Ali was an Indian independence fighter and noted Indian lawyer. He was the first ambassador from India to the United States. He also worked as the governor of Orissa....
, a Congress party
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
activist stood as his lawyer. The assembly bomb trial began on May 7, 1929. The British Crown was represented by the public prosecutor Rai Bahadur Suryanarayan and the trial magistrate was a British Judge, P.B. Pool. The prosecution’s star witness was Sergeant Terry who said that a concealed pistol had been found on Singh’s person when he was arrested in the Assembly. This was not factually correct, because Singh had himself surrendered the pistol while asking the police to arrest him. The eleven witnesses who said that they had seen the two throwing the bombs appeared to have been tutored. The entire incident had been so sudden that nobody could have anticipated it. The magistrate committed both of them to the Sessions Court of Judge Leonard Middleton, who ruled that he had no doubt that the defendant's acts were 'deliberate' and rejected the plea that the bombs were deliberately low-intensity bombs since the impact of the explosion had shattered the wood of one and a half inch thickness in the Assembly. The two were persuaded to file an appeal which was rejected and they were sentenced to transportation for life (14 years).
Further trial and execution
On April 15, 1929, the 'Lahore bomb factory' had been discovered by the police leading to the arrest of other members of HSRA, out of which 7 had turned informants, helping the police connect Singh to the murder of Saunders. Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev were charged with the murder of Saunders. Singh decided to use the court as a tool to publicise his cause for the independence of India.Hunger strike and Lahore conspiracy case
The police had gathered substantial evidence against Singh, and he was subsequently charged with involvement in the murders of Saunders and Head Constable Chanan Singh. The authorities had collected nearly 600 witnesses to establish their charges, which included his colleagues, Jai Gopal and Hans Raj Vohra who had turned government approvers. Singh was re-arrested for the murder of Saunders and the life imprisonment sentence of the Assembly bomb case was kept in abeyance till the outcome of the murder trial. Singh was sent to MianwaliMianwali
Mianwali is the capital city of Mianwali District and situated in the north-west of Punjab province, Pakistan. The city is located on the eastern bank of the Indus River...
jail and Dutt to Borstal jail in Lahore. Upon arrival, Singh found that European prisoners got better accommodation, food and daily use items compared to Indian prisoners. Along with other prisoners, he launched a hunger strike advocating fair treatment of prisoners and those facing trial. The reason for the strike was that British criminals were treated better than Indian political prisoners, who, by law, were meant to be given equal rights. The aims in their strike were to ensure a decent standard of food for political prisoners, the availability of books and a daily newspaper, as well as better clothing and the supply of toiletry necessities and other hygienic necessities. He also demanded that political prisoners should not be forced to do any labour or undignified work. As the fast progressed without any solution in sight, Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
met Singh and the other protesters. He stated:
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a Muslim lawyer, politician, statesman and the founder of Pakistan. He is popularly and officially known in Pakistan as Quaid-e-Azam and Baba-e-Qaum ....
, one of the politicians present when the Central Legislative Assembly was bombed, made no secret of his sympathies for the Lahore prisoners—commenting on the hunger strike, he said:
The Government tried several tricks to break the strike. They placed dishes of different types of food in the prison cells to test the resolve of the strikers. Water pitchers were filled with milk so that either the prisoners remained thirsty or broke their strike. But nobody faltered. The authorities attempted forced-feeding, but were resisted. One of the prisoners, Kishori, swallowed red pepper and drank hot water to clog the feeding tube. The Viceroy Lord Irwin
E. F. L. Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax
Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax, , known as The Lord Irwin from 1925 until 1934 and as The Viscount Halifax from 1934 until 1944, was one of the most senior British Conservative politicians of the 1930s, during which he held several senior ministerial posts, most notably as...
came down from Simla
Shimla
Shimla , formerly known as Simla, is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of the British Raj in India. A popular tourist destination, Shimla is often referred to as the "Queen of Hills," a term coined by the British...
to meet the jail authorities. There was no breakthrough. When the Government realized that this fast had captured the attention of the people nationwide, it decided to hurry up the trial, which came to known as the Lahore Conspiracy Case. This trial started in Borstal jail, Lahore, on July 10, 1929. Rai Sahib Pandit Sri Kishen, a first class magistrate, was the judge for this trial. Singh and 27 others were charged with murder, conspiracy and waging a war against the King. A handcuffed Singh, still on hunger strike, had to be brought to the court in a stretcher and his weight had fallen by 14 pounds, from 133 to 119. By then, the condition of Jatindra Nath Das
Jatindra Nath Das
Jatindra Nath Das , also known as Jatin Das, was an Indian freedom fighter and revolutionary. The death of Jatin Das in Lahore jail after 63 days of hunger strike shocked the whole of India. Jatin Das is the only person to fast to death before independence, Potti Sreeramulu fasted to death...
, who was lodged in the same jail and was also on hunger strike, had deteriorated considerably. The Jail committee recommended his unconditional release, but the government rejected the suggestion and offered to release him on bail. Das died of malnutrition on 13 September 1929; his fast lasted 63 days. After his death, Lord Irwin informed the British prime minister Ramsay MacDonald
Ramsay MacDonald
James Ramsay MacDonald, PC, FRS was a British politician who was the first ever Labour Prime Minister, leading a minority government for two terms....
:
Almost all the nationalist leaders in the country paid tribute to Das' death. Mohammad Alam and Gopi Chand Bhargava
Gopi Chand Bhargava
Gopi Chand Bhargava was the first Chief Minister of Punjab from August 15, 1947 to April 13, 1949 and again between October 18, 1949 toJune 20, 1951 and for the third time between June 21, 1964and July 6, 1964.He was member of the Congress....
resigned from the Punjab Legislative Council in protest. Motilal Nehru
Motilal Nehru
Motilal Nehru was an early Indian independence activist and leader of the Indian National Congress, who remained Congress President twice, and...
proposed the adjournment of the Central Assembly as a censure against the 'inhumane treatment' of the Lahore prisoners. The censure motion was carried by 55 votes against 47. The Jail committee requested Singh to give up his hunger strike and finally it was his father who had managed to convince him, armed with a resolution from the Congress party urging them to give up their strike. Singh and Dutt gave up their strike on the 116th day of their fast, on October 5, 1929, surpassing the 97 day world record for hunger strikes which had been set by an Irish revolutionary. During this hunger strike that lasted 116 days and ended with the British succumbing to his wishes, he gained much popularity among the common Indians. Before the strike his popularity had been limited mainly to the Punjab. With his hunger strike now over, Singh's focus shifted onto his trial. The British Crown was represented by the government advocate C.H. Carden-Noad and was assisted by Kalandar Ali Khan, Gopal Lal, and Bakshi Dina Nath who was the prosecuting inspector. The accused were defended by 8 different lawyers. When Jai Gopal turned approver, Shiv Verma, the youngest of the accused, hurled a slipper at him in court. The case was ordered to be carried out without the accused or the members of the HSRA present in the court. This created an uproar amongst Singh's supporters, as he could no longer publicise his views.
Special Tribunal
The case proceeded at a very slow pace. On May 1, 1930, Lord Irwin declared an emergency and promulgated an ordinance to set up a tribunal to try this case. A Special Tribunal was given the power to proceed with the case in the absence of the accused and accept death of the persons giving evidence as a concession to the defence. The ordinance, Lahore Conspiracy Case Ordinance No.3 of 1930, was to put an end to the proceedings pending in the magistrate’s court. The case was transferred from the court of Rai Sahib Pandit Sri Kishan to a Special Tribunal of three high court judges without any right to appeal, except to the Privy Council. The Tribunal comprised: Justice J. Coldstream (president), Justice G. C. Hilton and Justice Agha Hyder (members)The case opened on May 5, 1930 in the Poonch House. On June 20, 1930, the constitution of the Special Tribunal was changed to: Justice G.C. Hilton (president), Justice J.K. Tapp and Justice Sir Abdul Qadir. On July 2, 1930, a habeas corpus
Habeas corpus
is a writ, or legal action, through which a prisoner can be released from unlawful detention. The remedy can be sought by the prisoner or by another person coming to his aid. Habeas corpus originated in the English legal system, but it is now available in many nations...
petition was filed in the High Court challenging the very constitution of the tribunal and said that it was illegal ultra vires. According to the petition, the Viceroy did not have the power to cut short the normal legal procedure. The Government of India Act, 1915, authorized the Viceroy to promulgate an ordinance to set up a tribunal, but only when the situation demanded whereas now there was no breakdown in the law and order situation. The petition was however, dismissed as ‘premature’. Carden-Noad, the government advocate elaborated on the charges which included dacoities, robbing money from banks, and the collection of arms and ammunition. The evidence of G.T.H. Hamilton Harding, senior superintendent of police, surprised the court, when he stated that he had filed the FIR against the accused under the instructions of the chief secretary (D.J. Boyd) to the governor of Punjab (Sir Geoffrey Montmorency) and he did not know the facts of the case. There were five approvers in total, out of whom Jai Gopal, Hans Raj Vohra and P.N. Ghosh had been associated with the HRSA for a long time. The prosecution relied solely on their testimonies. The tribunal depended on Section 9 (1) of the ordinance. On July 10, 1930, it issued an order, and copies of the charges framed were served on the 15 accused in jail, together with copies of an order intimating them that their pleas would be taken on the charges the following day. This trial was a long and protracted one, beginning on May 5, 1930, and ending on September 10, 1930. The tribunal framed charges against 15 of the 18 accused. The case against Batukeshwar Dutt was withdrawn as he had already been sentenced to transportation for life in the Assembly bomb case.
On October 7, 1930, about three weeks before the expiry of its term, the tribunal finally delivered its judgement, sentencing Singh, Sukhdev
Sukhdev
Sukhdev Thapar was born in Ludhiana, Punjab. He was an Indian freedom fighter who lived from 15 May 1907 to March 23, 1931) who was involved with Shaheed Bhagat Singh andShivaram Rajguru in the killing of a British police officer J.P...
and Rajguru to death by hanging. The other 15 were all sentenced to transportation for life and rigorous imprisonment. This judgement was a 300-page report which examined the details of the evidence and remarked that Singh’s participation in the Saunders’ murder was the most serious and important fact proved against him and it was fully established by evidence. The warrants for the three were marked with a black border.
Appeal to the Privy Council
A defence committee was constituted in Punjab to file an appeal to the Privy Council against the sentence. Singh did not favour the appeal, but his only satisfaction was that the appeal would draw the attention of people in Great BritainGreat Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
to the existence of the HSRA. In the case of Bhagat Singh vs. The King Emperor, the point raised by the appellant was that the ordinance promulgated to constitute a special tribunal for the trial was invalid. The government argued that Section 72 of the Government of India Act, 1915 gave the Governor-General unlimited powers to set up a tribunal. Judge Viscount Dunedin
Andrew Murray, 1st Viscount Dunedin
Andrew Graham Murray, 1st Viscount Dunedin GCVO, PC, QC was a Scottish politician and judge. He served as Secretary for Scotland between 1903 and 1905, as Lord Justice General and Lord President of the Court of Session between 1905 and 1913 and as a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary between 1913 and...
who read the judgment dismissed the appeal.
Reactions to the judgement
After the rejection of the appeal to the Privy Council, Congress party president Madan Mohan Malviya filed a mercy appeal before Lord Irwin on February 14, 1931. The undertrials of the Chittagong Armoury RaidChittagong armoury raid
The Chittagong armoury raid was an attempt on April 18, 1930 to raid the armoury of police and auxiliary forces from the Chittagong armoury in Bengal province of British India, by armed revolutionaries led by Surya Sen....
case sent an appeal to Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
to intervene. In his notes dated March 19, 1931, the Viceroy recorded:
The Communist Party of Great Britain
Communist Party of Great Britain
The Communist Party of Great Britain was the largest communist party in Great Britain, although it never became a mass party like those in France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991.-Formation:...
expressed its reaction to the case:
An abortive plan had been made to rescue Singh and fellow inmates of HSRA from the jail, for the purpose of which member Bhagwati Charan Vohra made bombs, but died making them as they exploded accidentally.
Writings in prison
Singh also maintained the use of a diary, which eventually grew to include 404 pages. In this diary, he made numerous notes regarding the quotations and popular sayings of various people whose views he agreed with. Prominent in his diary were the views of Karl MarxKarl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
and Friedrich Engels
Friedrich Engels
Friedrich Engels was a German industrialist, social scientist, author, political theorist, philosopher, and father of Marxist theory, alongside Karl Marx. In 1845 he published The Condition of the Working Class in England, based on personal observations and research...
. The comments in his diary led to an understanding of the philosophical thinking of Singh. In his prison cell, he also wrote a pamphlet entitled Why I am an Atheist, in response to him being accused of vanity by not accepting God in the face of death. It is also said that he signed a mercy petition through a comrade Bijoy Kumar Sinha on March 8, 1931.
Execution
Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were sentenced to death in the Lahore conspiracy case and ordered to be hanged on March 24, 1931, but the execution was advanced by a day. On March 23, 1931 at 7:30 pm, Singh was hanged in LahoreLahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
jail with his fellow comrades Rajguru and Sukhdev. The Superintendent of Police (political) Criminal Investigation Department, Punjab, at the time, wrote in his memoirs on the Saunders murder case:
The jail authorities then broke the rear wall of the jail and secretly cremated the three martyrs under cover of darkness outside Ganda Singh Wala
Ganda Singh Wala
thumb|alt=Full-length It is the snapshot of Ganda sing border kasur where the flag lowering ceremony is underway in feb 2010|Ganda Singh Wala Border, Flag Lowering CeremonyAbout=...
village, and then threw the bodies in the Sutlej
Sutlej
The Sutlej River is the longest of the five rivers that flow through the historic crossroad region of Punjab in northern India and Pakistan. It is located north of the Vindhya Range, south of the Hindu Kush segment of the Himalayas, and east of the Central Sulaiman Range in Pakistan.The Sutlej...
, about 10 km from Ferozepore
Firozpur
Firozpur is a city on the banks of the Sutlej River in Firozpur District, Punjab, India, founded by Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq , a Muslim ruler of the Tughlaq Dynasty who reigned over the Sultanate of Delhi from 1351 to 1388.The Manj Rajputs say the town was named after their chief, a Rajput of...
(about 60 km from Lahore).
Criticism of the Special Tribunal
Singh's trial is generally considered to be an important event in the Indian history, because it defied the fundamental doctrine of criminal jurisprudence. The trial was held ex-parte in breach of the principles of natural justice according to which no man shall be condemned unless he is given a hearing. The Special Tribunal was a departure from the normal procedure adopted for a trial. There was no appeal except to the Privy Council located in Britain. The accused were absent from the court and the judgement was passed ex-parte. The ordinance, which was introduced by the Viceroy to form the Special Tribunal, was never approved by the Central Assembly or the British Parliament, and it eventually lapsed without any legal or constitutional sanctity. From the lower court to the tribunal to the Privy council, it was a pre-ordained judgement in flagrant violation of all tenets of natural justice and a fair and free trial.Reactions to the executions
The execution of Singh, Rajguru and SukhdevSukhdev
Sukhdev Thapar was born in Ludhiana, Punjab. He was an Indian freedom fighter who lived from 15 May 1907 to March 23, 1931) who was involved with Shaheed Bhagat Singh andShivaram Rajguru in the killing of a British police officer J.P...
were reported widely by the press, especially as they were on the eve of the annual convention of the Congress party at Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
. Gandhi faced black flag demonstrations by angry youth who shouted "Down with Gandhi". The New York Times reported:
Hartal
Hartal
Hartal is a term in many Indian languages for strike action, used often during the Indian Independence Movement. It is mass protest often involving a total shutdown of workplaces, offices, shops, courts of law as a form of civil disobedience...
s and strikes of mourning were called. The Congress party, during the Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
session, declared:
Popularity among people
In the words of Subhash Chandra BoseSubhash Chandra Bose
Subhas Chandra Bose known by name Netaji was an Indian revolutionary who led an Indian national political and military force against Britain and the Western powers during World War II. Bose was one of the most prominent leaders in the Indian independence movement and is a legendary figure in...
:"Bhagat Singh had become the symbol of the new awakening among the youths ...". Nehru acknowledged that the popularity of Singh was leading to a new national awakening:
Four years after Singh's hanging, the Director of the Intelligence Bureau, Sir Horace Williamson, wrote:
Influences
Singh was attracted to anarchismAnarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
and communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
. He was an avid reader of the teachings of Marx, Engels, Lenin, Trotsky and Bakunin. Singh did not believe in the Gandhian
Gandhism
Gandhism is the collection of inspirations, principles, beliefs and philosophy of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , who was a major political and spiritual leader of India and the Indian Independence Movement....
ideology—which advocated Satyagraha
Satyagraha
Satyagraha , loosely translated as "insistence on truth satya agraha soul force" or "truth force" is a particular philosophy and practice within the broader overall category generally known as nonviolent resistance or civil resistance. The term "satyagraha" was conceived and developed by Mahatma...
and other forms of non-violent resistance, and felt that the politics of Gandhism would replace one set of exploiters with another. Singh was also an admirer of the writings of Irish revolutionary Terence MacSwiney
Terence MacSwiney
Terence Joseph MacSwiney was an Irish playwright, author and politician. He was elected as Sinn Féin Lord Mayor of Cork during the Irish War of Independence in 1920. He was arrested by the British on charges of sedition and imprisoned in Brixton prison in England...
. Some of his writings like Blood Sprinkled on the Day of Holi Babbar Akalis on the Crucifix were influenced by the struggle of Dharam Singh Hayatpur
Dharam Singh Hayatpur
Dharam Singh Hayatpur was a prominent member of the Sikh political and religious group the Babbar Akali Movement in India. In 1926 he was sentenced to life imprisonment for his activities by a British imperial Sessions Court but this sentence was raised on appeal by the High Court and he was hanged...
.
Anarchism
From May to September 1928, Singh published a series of articles on anarchism in a Punjabi periodical Kirti. He expressed concern over misunderstanding of the concept of anarchism among the public and tried to eradicate its misconception among people. He wrote, "The people are scared of the word anarchism. The word anarchism has been abused so much that even in India revolutionaries have been called anarchist to make them unpopular." As anarchism means absence of ruler and abolition of state, not absence of order, Singh explained, "I think in India the idea of universal brotherhood, the Sanskrit sentence vasudhaiva kutumbakam etc., has the same meaning." He wrote about the growth of anarchism:Singh explained anarchism in the article:
Marxism
Singh was profoundly influenced by MarxismMarxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
. He unambiguously stated in his last testament that the ideal for him and his comrades was "the social reconstruction on Marxist basis". Indian historian K. N. Panikkar
K. N. Panikkar
K. N. Panikkar is an Indian historian, associated with the "Marxist school" of historiography.Panikkar was Professor of Modern Indian History at the Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University . Prior to joining JNU, he taught at University of Delhi. In 2001, he was appointed as the...
described Singh as one of the early Marxists in India. From 1926 onwards, he studied the history of the revolutionary movement in India and abroad. In his prison notebooks, he used quotations from Vladmir Lenin (on imperialism
Imperialism
Imperialism, as defined by Dictionary of Human Geography, is "the creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationships, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination." The imperialism of the last 500 years,...
being the highest stage of capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
) and Trotsky on revolution. When asked what was his last wish, Singh replied that he was studying the life of Lenin and he wanted to finish it before his death. In spite of his belief in Marxist ideals however, Singh never joined the Communist Party of India
Communist Party of India
The Communist Party of India is a national political party in India. In the Indian communist movement, there are different views on exactly when the Indian communist party was founded. The date maintained as the foundation day by CPI is 26 December 1925...
.
Atheism
Singh began to question religious ideologies after witnessing the Hindu–Muslim riots that broke out after Gandhi disbanded the Non-Cooperation MovementNon-cooperation movement
The non-cooperation movement was a significant phase of the Indian struggle for freedom from British rule which lasted for years. This movement, which lasted from September 1920 to February 1922 and was led by Mohandas Gandhi, and supported by the Indian National Congress. It aimed to resist...
. He did not understand how members of these two groups, initially united in fighting against the British, could be at each others' throats because of their religious differences. At this point, Singh dropped his religious beliefs, since he believed religion hindered the revolutionaries' struggle for independence, and began studying the works of Bakunin, Lenin, Trotsky—all atheist revolutionaries. He also took an interest in Niralamba Swami
Niralamba Swami
The period between 1871 and 1910 during the Indian freedom struggle saw the dramatic rise of two great Indian nationalists and freedom fighters. One was Aurobindo Ghosh and the other was Jatindra Nath Banerjee . But the metamorphosis of both these persons from great active freedom fighters to great...
's book Common Sense, which advocated a form of "mystic atheism". While in his prison cell in 1931, he wrote a pamphlet entitled Why I am an Atheist in which he discusses and advocates the philosophy of atheism. This pamphlet was a result of some criticism by fellow revolutionaries on his failure to acknowledge religion and God in jail; the accusation of vanity was also dealt with in this pamphlet. He supported his own beliefs and claimed that he used to be a firm believer in The Almighty, but could not bring himself to believe the myths and beliefs that others held close to their hearts. In this pamphlet, he acknowledged the fact that religion made death easier, but also said that unproved philosophy is a sign of human weakness. In this context, he noted:
Martyrdom
Singh was known for his appreciation of the concept of martyrdom. His mentor as a young boy was Kartar Singh Sarabha, whose photo he always carried in his pocket. Singh is himself considered a martyr for acting to avenge the death of Lala Lajpat RaiLala Lajpat Rai
Lala Lajpat Rai was an Indian author, freedom fighter and politician who is chiefly remembered as a leader in the Indian fight for freedom from the British Raj. He was popularly known as Punjab Kesari or Sher-e-Punjab meaning the samem and was part of the Lal Bal Pal trio...
. In the leaflet he threw in the Central Assembly on April 9, 1929, he stated: "It is easy to kill individuals but you cannot kill the ideas. Great empires crumbled, while the ideas survived." After engaging in studies on the Russian Revolution
Russian Revolution
Russian Revolution can refer to:* Russian Revolution , a series of strikes and uprisings against Nicholas II, resulting in the creation of State Duma.* Russian Revolution...
, he wanted to die so that his death would inspire the youth of India which in turn will unite them to fight the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
. While in prison, Singh and two others had written a letter to Lord Irwin
E. F. L. Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax
Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax, , known as The Lord Irwin from 1925 until 1934 and as The Viscount Halifax from 1934 until 1944, was one of the most senior British Conservative politicians of the 1930s, during which he held several senior ministerial posts, most notably as...
, wherein they asked to be treated as prisoners of war and consequently to be executed by firing squad and not by hanging. Prannath Mehta, Singh's friend, visited him in the jail on March 20, four days before his execution, with a draft letter for clemency, but he declined to sign it.
Last wish
Many believe that Randhir Singh, a Ghadar PartyGhadar Party
The Ghadar Party was an organization founded by Punjabi Indians, in the United States and Canada with the aim to liberate India from British rule...
revolutionary convicted of the first Lahore Conspiracy Case
Lahore Conspiracy Case trial
The Lahore Conspiracy Case trial also known as the First Lahore Conspiracy Case, were the trials held in Lahore in the aftermath of the failed Ghadar conspiracy in 1915. The trial was held by a Special tribunal constituted under the Defence of India Act...
, met Singh in Lahore Central Jail on October 4, 1930 during his release. Singh was condemned on October 7, 1930 contradicting his presence in condemned cells on the 4 October. According to Randhir Singh, Singh mentioned to him, that he (Singh) had shaven "his hair and beard under pressing circumstances" and that "it was for the service of the country". He further stated that his companions "compelled him to give up the Sikh appearance", and that he was ashamed. He had expressed, as his last wish before being hanged, the desire to get amrit from Randhir Singh and to once again adorn the 5 Ks. However, this was not granted by the jail authorities. Some scholars are skeptic about this meeting as, Randhir Singh being the only source of information about sudden change in Singh's point of view towards religion casts doubts, as Singh was a strong critic of religion. Furthermore, Singh wrote his essay Why I am an Atheist before his execution; towards the end of which he wrote:
Mahatma Gandhi
One theory is that Mahatma GandhiMahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
had an opportunity to stop Singh's execution, but refrained from doing so. A variation of this theory is that Gandhi actively conspired with the British to have Singh executed. Gandhi's supporters argue that Gandhi did not have enough influence with the British to stop the execution, much less arrange it. They also assert that Singh's role in the independence movement was of no threat to Gandhi's role as its leader, and so Gandhi would have no reason to want him dead. Gandhi, during his lifetime, always maintained that he was a great admirer of Singh's patriotism. He also stated that he was opposed to Singh's execution (and for that matter, capital punishment in general) and proclaimed that he had no power to stop it. On Singh's execution, Gandhi said, "The government certainly had the right to hang these men. However, there are some rights which do credit to those who possess them only if they are enjoyed in name only." Gandhi also once remarked about capital punishment, "I cannot in all conscience agree to anyone being sent to the gallows. God alone can take life, because he alone gives it." Gandhi had managed to have 90,000 political prisoners who were not members of his Satyagraha movement released under the Gandhi-Irwin Pact
Gandhi-Irwin Pact
Gandhi–Irwin Pact refers to a political agreement signed by Mahatma Gandhi and the then Viceroy of India, Lord Irwin on 5 March 1931 before the second Round Table Conference in London...
. According to a report in the Indian magazine Frontline
Frontline (magazine)
Frontline is a fortnightly English language magazine published by The Hindu Group of publications from Chennai, India. Narasimhan Ram is the editor-in-chief of the magazine. As a current affairs magazine, it covers domestic and International news. Frontline gives a prominent place to various...
, he did plead several times for the commutation of the death sentence of Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev
Sukhdev
Sukhdev Thapar was born in Ludhiana, Punjab. He was an Indian freedom fighter who lived from 15 May 1907 to March 23, 1931) who was involved with Shaheed Bhagat Singh andShivaram Rajguru in the killing of a British police officer J.P...
, including a personal visit on March 19, 1931, and in a letter to the Viceroy on the day of their execution, pleaded fervently for commutation, not knowing that the letter would be too late. Lord Irwin later said:
While Gandhi did appreciate Singh's patriotism and how he had overcome the fear of death, he did not support the violence involved.
Saunders family
On 28 October 2005, a book entitled Some Hidden Facts: Martyrdom of Shaheed Bhagat Singh—Secrets unfurled by an Intelligence Bureau Agent of British-India by K.S. Kooner and G.S. Sindhra was released. The book asserts that Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev were deliberately hanged in such a manner as to leave all three in a semi-conscious state, so that all three could later be taken outside the prison and shot dead by the Saunders family. The book states that this was done in an operation codenamed "Operation Trojan Horse." Other scholars, however, doubt the veracity of the book's claims.Indian independence movement
Singh's death had the effect that he desired and he inspired thousands of youths to assist the remainder of the Indian independence movementIndian independence movement
The term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
. After his hanging, youths in regions around North India rioted in protest against the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
and Gandhi.
Memorials and Museums
Statue in the Parliament of IndiaParliament of India
The Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body in India. Founded in 1919, the Parliament alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all political bodies in India. The Parliament of India comprises the President and the two Houses, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha...
On 15 August 2008, an 18-foot bronze statue of Singh was installed in the Parliament of India
Parliament of India
The Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body in India. Founded in 1919, the Parliament alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all political bodies in India. The Parliament of India comprises the President and the two Houses, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha...
, next to the statutes of Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
and Subash Chandra Bose.
National Martyrs Memorial
Singh was cremated at Hussainiwala
Hussainiwala
Hussainiwala is a village in Ferozepur district in Punjab state, India. It lies near the banks of the Sutlej river. The village is on the border with Pakistan, opposite the Pakistani village of Ganda Singh Wala...
on banks of Sutlej
Sutlej
The Sutlej River is the longest of the five rivers that flow through the historic crossroad region of Punjab in northern India and Pakistan. It is located north of the Vindhya Range, south of the Hindu Kush segment of the Himalayas, and east of the Central Sulaiman Range in Pakistan.The Sutlej...
river. B.K. Dutt was also cremated here on July 19, 1965 in accordance with his last wishes. Singh's mother, Vidyawati, was also cremated here in accordance with her last wish. The National Martyrs Memorial was built there in 1968. The memorial is located just one km from the India–Pakistan border on the Indian side and has memorials of Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev. After partition
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
, the cremation spot fell inside Pakistan. However, on 17 January 1961 it was transferred to India when India gave 12 villages near the Sulemanki Headworks
Sulemanki Headworks
Sulemanki Headworks is a headworks on the River Sutlej in the Punjab province of Pakistan.Sulemanki Headworks is used for irrigation and flood control.-See also:* List of barrages and headworks in Pakistan* List of dams and reservoirs in Pakistan...
(Fazilka
Fazilka
Fazilka is a city and a municipal council and 22nd newest district in the state of Punjab, India and recently declared as District on July 27, 2011 consisting three subdivisions Fazilka, Jalalabad and Abohar besides three sub-tehsils Arniwala Sheikh Suban, Sito Guno and Khuian Sarwar.- History...
) to Pakistan. During the 1971 India–Pakistan war, the statues of the martyrs were removed, taken away by Pakistan army, and have not been returned since. This memorial was damaged by the withdrawing Pakistani troops in 1972. The memorial came up once again in 1973 due to the efforts of the then Punjab Chief Minister, Giani Zail Singh. Every year on 23 March, the Shaheedi Mela (Punjabi: Martyrdom Fair) is observed at this National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala, in which thousands of people pay their homage. The day is also observed across the Indian state of Punjab.
Bhagat Singh Museum & Bhagat Singh Memorial
The Shaheed-e-azam Sardar Bhagat Singh Museum at Khatkar Kalan
Khatkar Kalan
Khatkar Kalan is a village just outside Banga town in Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar district in the Indian state of Punjab. This is the ancestral town of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, after whom the district is named....
, Singh's native village, came up on his 50th death anniversary where memorable belongings of Singh, including his half-burnt ashes, the blood soaked sand and blood stained newspaper in which the ashes were wrapped are exhibited. A page of the first Lahore Conspiracy Case’s judgement through which Kartar Singh Sarabha was sentenced to death and on which Singh put some notes is also exhibited in the museum. A copy of the Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavad Gita
The ' , also more simply known as Gita, is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the ancient Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata, but is frequently treated as a freestanding text, and in particular, as an Upanishad in its own right, one of the several books that constitute general Vedic tradition...
having Singh’s signatures which was handed over to him in Lahore Jail, and other personal belongings are also displayed there. The Bhagat Singh Memorial was built in 2009 in Khatkar Kalan at a cost of .
Other
The Supreme Court of India
Supreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India...
established a museum to display landmarks in the history of India's judicial system, displaying records of some historic trials. The first exhibition that was organised was the Trial of Bhagat Singh, which opened on September 28, 2007, on the birth centenary celebrations of Singh. In September 2007, the Governor of Pakistani Punjab, Khalid Maqbool
Khalid Maqbool
Lieutenant General Khalid Maqbool Vohra, , , is a career Pakistan Army officer was the longest serving Governor of Punjab, the most populous province of Pakistan, under the General Pervez Musharraf government...
, announced that a memorial to Singh would be displayed at Lahore Museum
Lahore Museum
Lahore Museum , established in 1894, is located in The Mall, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Rudyard Kipling's father, John Lockwood Kipling, was one of the famous curators of the museum. Over 250,000 admissions were registered in 2005.-Attractions:...
. According to the governor, Singh was the first martyr of the subcontinent and his example was followed by many youths of the time. However, the promise was not fulfilled.
Modern day
During the centenary of his birth, a group of intellectuals set up an institution named Bhagat Singh Sansthan to commemorate Singh and his ideals.Movies
Several popular Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
films have been made capturing the life and times of Singh. The first is Shaheed-e-Azad Bhagat Singh (1954), followed by Shaheed Bhagat Singh (1963), starring Shammi Kapoor
Shammi Kapoor
Shammi Kapoor was an Indian film actor and director. He was a prominent lead actor in Hindi cinema from the late 1950s until the early 1970s....
as Singh. Two years later, Manoj Kumar
Manoj Kumar
Manoj Kumar is an award-winning Indian actor and director in the Bollywood film industry. He is known for acting in and directing films with patriotic themes, and has been given the nickname "Mr Bharat"...
portrayed Bhagat Singh in an immensely popular and landmark film, Shaheed
Shaheed (1965 film)
Shaheed is a 1965 Hindi movie based on Bhagat Singh's life. Produced by Kewal Kashyap and directed by S Ram Sharma the film stars Manoj Kumar , Kamini Kaushal, Pran, Iftekhar, Nirupa Roy, Prem Chopra, Madan Puri, Asit Sen, Indrani Mukherjee and Anwar Hussain...
. Three major films about Singh were released in 2002: Shaheed-E-Azam
Shaheed-E-Azam
Shaahed-E-Azam is a 2002 Hindi film directed by Sukumar Nair. The film, based upon the life of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, caused some controversy as the Punjab and Haryana High Court issued a notice to the producers calling for a ban of the movie....
, 23rd March 1931: Shaheed and The Legend of Bhagat Singh
The Legend of Bhagat Singh
The Legend of Bhagat Singh is a 2002 Hindi historic biographical film about Bhagat Singh, a freedom fighter who fought for Indian independence. It was directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and starred Ajay Devgan, Sushant Singh, and Ian Davies...
. The Legend of Bhagat Singh is Rajkumar Santoshi
Rajkumar Santoshi
Rajkumar Santoshi is a Filmfare award-winning Indian film director and producer of Hindi films. He is the son of producer-director P.L. Santoshi.-Career:...
's adaptation, in which his character was portrayed by Ajay Devgan
Ajay Devgan
Ajay Devgan , born Vishal Veeru Devgan on 2 April 1969, is an Indian film actor, director, and producer.He made his film debut with Phool Aur Kaante in 1991 and received a Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut for his performance in the film and for which he won a Filmfare Best Debut Award...
. 23rd March 1931: Shaheed was directed by Guddu Dhanoa and starred Bobby Deol
Bobby Deol
Bobby Deol is a Bollywood actor. Deol is the son of the acclaimed Bollywood actor Dharmendra and the brother of Sunny Deol, also a successful actor in the Mumbai based Indian film industry....
as Singh, with Sunny Deol
Sunny Deol
Sunny Deol often credited as "Action King of Bollywood" is an Indian film actor, producer and director. Deol was born to Bollywood actor Dharmendra. He has won two National Film Awards and two Filmfare Awards. He went to England to study acting...
and Aishwarya Rai
Aishwarya Rai
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is an Indian film actress. She worked as a model before starting her acting career, and ultimately won the Miss World pageant in 1994...
in supporting roles. Another major film Shaheed-E-Azam, starring Sonu Sood
Sonu Sood
Sonu Sood is a former model and Indian actor who has acted in Hindi,, Telugu and Tamil films. A participant in the Mr. India contest, he has appeared in commercials for Apollo Tyres, Airtel etc. In Tollywood he is best known for his role as the antagonist, Pasupathi, in the film...
, Manav Vij, Rajinder Gupta, and Sadhana Singh, and directed by Sukumar Nair, was produced by Iqbal Dhillon under the banner of Surjit Movies. The 2006 film Rang De Basanti
Rang De Basanti
Rang De Basanti is a 2006 Indian drama film written and directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. It features an ensemble cast comprising Aamir Khan, Soha Ali Khan, Madhavan, Kunal Kapoor, Siddharth Narayan, Sharman Joshi, Atul Kulkarni and British actress Alice Patten in the lead roles...
is a film drawing parallels between revolutionaries of Singh's era and modern Indian youth. It covers a lot of Singh's role in the Indian freedom struggle. The movie revolves around a group of college students and how they each play the roles of Singh's friends and family. In 2008, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) and Act Now for Harmony and Democracy
ANHAD
ANHAD is an Indian socio-cultural organization established in March 2003, as a response to 2002 Gujarat riots. Shabnam Hashmi, sister of the slain activist Safdar Hashmi and founder of SAHMAT, Marxian historian Prof. K N Panikkar and social activist Harsh Mander are the founding members of ANHAD...
(ANHAD), a non-profit organisation, co-produced a 40-minute documentary on Bhagat Singh entitled Inqilab
Inqilab
Inqilab is a 2008 Indian documentary film directed by Gauhar Raza, about Indian freedom fighter, Bhagat Singh, co-produced by Nehru Memorial Museum and Library and Act Now for Harmony and Democracy in connection with birth centenary Bhagat Singh...
, directed by Gauhar Raza
Gauhar Raza
Gauhar Raza is an Indian scientist by profession, and a leading Urdu poet, social activist and documentary film maker working to popularize the understanding of science among general public, known for his films like Jung-e-Azadi, on the India's First War of Independence, and Inqilab on Bhagat Singh...
.
List of Bollywood films on Singh
- Shaheed-e-Azad Bhagat Singh (1954)
- Shaheed Bhagat Singh (1963)
- ShaheedShaheed (1965 film)Shaheed is a 1965 Hindi movie based on Bhagat Singh's life. Produced by Kewal Kashyap and directed by S Ram Sharma the film stars Manoj Kumar , Kamini Kaushal, Pran, Iftekhar, Nirupa Roy, Prem Chopra, Madan Puri, Asit Sen, Indrani Mukherjee and Anwar Hussain...
(1965) - Shaheed-E-AzamShaheed-E-AzamShaahed-E-Azam is a 2002 Hindi film directed by Sukumar Nair. The film, based upon the life of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, caused some controversy as the Punjab and Haryana High Court issued a notice to the producers calling for a ban of the movie....
(2002) - 23rd March 1931: Shaheed (2002)
- The Legend of Bhagat SinghThe Legend of Bhagat SinghThe Legend of Bhagat Singh is a 2002 Hindi historic biographical film about Bhagat Singh, a freedom fighter who fought for Indian independence. It was directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and starred Ajay Devgan, Sushant Singh, and Ian Davies...
(2002) - Rang De BasantiRang De BasantiRang De Basanti is a 2006 Indian drama film written and directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. It features an ensemble cast comprising Aamir Khan, Soha Ali Khan, Madhavan, Kunal Kapoor, Siddharth Narayan, Sharman Joshi, Atul Kulkarni and British actress Alice Patten in the lead roles...
(2006)
Songs
The patriotic Urdu and Hindi songs, "Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna
Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna
Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna is a poem in Urdu, written by Ram Prasad Bismil, the great Indian Independence leader, famously involved with Kakori Train Robbery The poem was written as an ode to the young freedom fighters of the Indian Independence Movement.It has also been associated with the younger...
" (Urdu: The desire to sacrifice") and "Mera Rang De Basanti Chola" (Punjabi: My light-yellow-coloured cloak); while created by Ram Prasad Bismil
Ram Prasad Bismil
Ram Prasad Bismil Ram Prasad Bismil Ram Prasad Bismil (Hindi: राम प्रसाद 'बिस्मिल', Gujarati: રામપ્રસાદ બિસ્મિલ, (Malayalam: രാം പ്രസാദ് ബിസ്മിൽ, Tamil: ராம் பிரசாத் பிஸ்மில், Born: 11 June 1897, Executed: 19 December 1927) was an Indian revolutionary who participated in Mainpuri Shadyantra of...
, are largely associated to Singh's martyrdom and have been used in a number of Singh-related films.
Other
In 1968, a postal stamp was issued in India commemorating the 61st birth anniversary of Singh. In September 2006, Indian Government decided to issue commemorative coins in his memory. However, the coins were not issued until June 2011.
Criticism
Singh was criticised both by his contemporaries and by people after his death, both for his violent and revolutionary stance towards the British as well as his strong opposition to the pacifist stance taken by the Indian National CongressIndian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
, in particular Mahatma Gandhi. The methods he used to convey his message—shooting Saunders and throwing non-lethal bombs stood in stark contrast to Gandhi's non-violent methodology.
Quotations
- "The aim of life is no more to control the mind, but to develop it harmoniously; not to achieve salvation here after, but to make the best use of it here below; and not to realise truth, beauty and good only in contemplation, but also in the actual experience of daily life; social progress depends not upon the ennoblement of the few but on the enrichment of democracy; universal brotherhood can be achieved only when there is an equality of opportunity—of opportunity in the social, political and individual life." — Bhagat Singh's prison diary, p. 124.
- "Any man who stands for progress has to criticize, disbelieve and challenge every item of the old faith. Item by item he has to reason out every nook and corner of the prevailing faith. If after considerable reasoning one is led to believe in any theory or philosophy, his faith is welcomed. His reasoning can be mistaken, wrong, misled and sometimes fallacious. But he is liable to correction because reason is the guiding star of his life. But mere faith and blind faith is dangerous: it dulls the brain, and makes a man reactionary." — Why I am an Atheist? (1930)
See also
- Ram Prasad BismilRam Prasad BismilRam Prasad Bismil Ram Prasad Bismil Ram Prasad Bismil (Hindi: राम प्रसाद 'बिस्मिल', Gujarati: રામપ્રસાદ બિસ્મિલ, (Malayalam: രാം പ്രസാദ് ബിസ്മിൽ, Tamil: ராம் பிரசாத் பிஸ்மில், Born: 11 June 1897, Executed: 19 December 1927) was an Indian revolutionary who participated in Mainpuri Shadyantra of...
- Sukhdev Thapar
- Chandra Shekhar Azad
- Udham SinghUdham SinghUdham Singh was an Indian independence activist, best known for assassinating Michael O'Dwyer in March 1940 in what has been described as an avenging of the Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre....
- Rajguru
- Batukeshwar DuttBatukeshwar DuttBatukeshwar Dutt was an Indian revolutionary and a freedom fighter in the early 1900s. He is best known for having exploded a few bombs, along with Bhagat Singh, in the Central Legislative Assembly in New Delhi on 8 April 1929...
External links
- Letters written by Bhagat Singh to British authorities, The HinduThe HinduThe Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
. - Shaheed Bhagat Singh in Jail — An alternative perspective
- Bhagat Singh — comic
- Freedom fighter Bhagat Singh
- Biography of Bhagat Singh at freeindia.org
- Bhagat Singh biography, and letters written by Bhagat Singh
- Martyrdom of Sardar Bhagat Singh by Jyotsna Kamat
- His Violence Wasn't Just About Killing, OutlookOutlook (magazine)Outlook is one of India's four top-selling English weekly newsmagazines. Like many other Indian magazines, it is reluctant to reveal its circulation, but the 2007 National Readership Survey suggested 1.5 million copies...
. - Khushwant Singh accused of twisting facts to shield father in Bhagat Singh case. India TodayIndia TodayIndia Today is an Indian weekly news magazine published by Living Media India Limited, in publication since 1975 based in Mumbai. India Today is also the name of its sister-publication in Hindi...
.