Difference between revisions of "Bhagat Singh" - New World Encyclopedia
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| − | '''Bhagat Singh''' ([[Punjabi]]: ਭਗਤ ਸਿੰਘ بھگت سنگھہ, {{IPA2|pə˨gət̪ sɪ˦ŋg}}) (September 28,<ref>[http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070101/region.htm Tribune Chandigarh] ''In memory of Bhagat Singh''</ref> 1907–March 23, 1931) | + | '''Bhagat Singh''' ([[Punjabi]]: ਭਗਤ ਸਿੰਘ بھگت سنگھہ, {{IPA2|pə˨gət̪ sɪ˦ŋg}}) (September 28,<ref>[http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070101/region.htm Tribune Chandigarh] ''In memory of Bhagat Singh''</ref> 1907–March 23, 1931) fought an [[India]]n freedom fighter, considered one of the most famous [[revolutionary|revolutionaries]] of the [[Indian independence movement]]. For that reason, Indians often refer to him as ''Shaheed'' Bhagat Singh (the word ''[[martyrdom in Islam|shaheed]]'' means "[[martyr]]"). Many believe him one of the earliest [[Marxism|Marxists]] in India.<ref>[http://pd.cpim.org/2006/0319/03192006_surjeet.htm Communist Party of India (Marxist)]</ref> He had been one of the leaders and founders of the [[Hindustan Socialist Republican Association]] (HSRA). |
| − | Born to a family which had earlier been involved in [[revolutionary]] activities against the [[British Raj]] in India, Bhagat Singh, as a teenager, | + | Born to a family which had earlier been involved in [[revolutionary]] activities against the [[British Raj]] in India, Bhagat Singh, as a teenager, having studied European revolutionary movements, had been attracted to [[anarchism]] and [[communism]].<ref>[http://www.revolutionarydemocracy.org/rdv3n1/bsingh.htm Revolutionary Democracy] ''IBhagat Singh and the Revolutionary Movement''</ref> He became involved in numerous revolutionary organizations. He quickly rose in the ranks of the [[Hindustan Republican Association]] (HRA) and became one of its leaders, converting it to the HSRA. Singh gained support when he underwent a sixty three day fast in jail, demanding equal rights for Indian and British political prisoners. Hanged for shooting a police officer in response to the killing of veteran social activist [[Lala Lajpat Rai]], his legacy prompted youth in India to begin fighting for Indian independence and also increased the rise of socialism in India.<ref name="whatif">[http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20010321/edit.htm#6 Tribune India] ''What if Bhagat Singh had lived''</ref> |
==Early life== | ==Early life== | ||
[[Image:Bhagat17.jpg|thumb|Bhagat Singh at the age of 17]] | [[Image:Bhagat17.jpg|thumb|Bhagat Singh at the age of 17]] | ||
| − | + | Bhagat Singh had been born into a [[Sandhu]] family to Sardar Kishan Singh Sandhu and Vidyavati in the Khatkar Kalan village near Banga in the [[Faisalabad District|Lyallpur district]]<ref>[http://in.com/people/2005/03/18/singh.html Bhagat Singh Biography]</ref><ref>[http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/itihas/sbsingh.htm Martyrdom of Shaheed Bhagat Singh]</ref> of [[Punjab region|Punjab]] on September 28, 1907. [[Singh]]'s given name of Bhagat meant "devotee." His had been a patriotic [[Sikh]] family, participating in numerous movements supporting independence of India.<ref name="Desam">[http://www.bharatadesam.com/people/bhagat_singh.php Bharat Desam Biographies] ''Bhagat Signh''</ref> The Hindu reformist [[Arya Samaj]] influenced his father. His uncles, Ajit Singh and Swaran Singh, as well as his father, both took part in the [[Ghadr]] Party led by [[Kartar Singh Sarabha]]. Ajit Singh fleed to [[Iran]] because of pending cases against him while Swaran Singh died from hanging.<ref name="Kamat">[http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/itihas/sbsingh.htm Martyrdom of Sardar Bhagat Singh] ''by Jyotsna Kamat''. Cited by [[University of California]] Berkely Library on [http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/SSEAL/SouthAsia/india_colonial.html South Asian History]</ref><ref name="Desam"/> | |
| − | As a child, | + | As a child, the [[Amritsar Massacre|Jalianwala Bagh Massacre]] that took place in Punjab in 1919 deeply affected him.<ref name="Kamat"/> When [[Mahatma Gandhi]] started the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920, he became an active participant at the age of 13. He had great hopes that Gandhi would bring freedom in India. But he felt disappointed when Gandhi called off that movement following the [[Chauri Chaura]] riot in 1922. At that point he had openly defied the [[British Raj|British]] and had followed Gandhi's wishes by burning his government-school books and any British-imported clothing. In 1923, Bhagat famously won an essay competition set by the Punjab Hindi Sahitya Sammelan. That grabbed the attention of members of the Punjab Hindi Sahitya Sammelan including its General Secretary Professor Bhim Sen Vidyalankar. At that age, he quoted famous Punjabi literature and discussed the ''Problems of the Punjab''. He read a lot of poetry and literature written by Punjabi writers, [[Allama Iqbal]], a Indian freedom fighter from [[Sialkot]] became his favorite poet.<ref>[http://www.shahidbhagatsingh.org/index.asp?link=problem_of_pb Bhagat Singh Documents] ''Problems of the Punjab''</ref> |
| − | In his teenage years, Bhagat Singh | + | In his teenage years, Bhagat Singh studying at the National College in Lahore,<ref name="Kamat"/> running away from home to escape early marriage, and became a member of the organization ''Naujawan Bharat Sabha'' (Translated to 'Youth Society of India').<ref name="Kamat"/> In the Naujawan Bharat Sabha, Singh and his fellow revolutionaries grew popular amongst the youth. He also joined the [[Hindustan Republican Association]] at the request of Professor Vidyalankar, then headed by [[Ram Prasad Bismil]] and [[Shahid Ashfaqallah Khan|Ashfaqulla Khan]].<ref name="Kamat"/> He may have had knowledge of the [[Kakori train robbery]]. He wrote for and edited [[Urdu]] and [[Punjabi]] [[newspapers]] published from [[Amritsar]].<ref name="Kamat"/> In September 1928, a meeting of various revolutionaries from across India had been called at [[Delhi]] under the banner of the ''Kirti Kissan Party''. Bhagat Singh served as the secretary of the meeting. His carried out later [[revolutionary]] activities as a leader of that association. The capture and hanging of the main HRA Leaders necessitated his and [[Sukhdev]] quick promotion to higher ranks in the party.<ref name="Desam"/> |
==Later revolutionary activities== <!--Feel free to change this heading if you think of something better—> | ==Later revolutionary activities== <!--Feel free to change this heading if you think of something better—> | ||
===Lala Lajpat Rai's death and the Saunders murder=== | ===Lala Lajpat Rai's death and the Saunders murder=== | ||
| − | The [[British government]] created a [[Simon Commission|commission]] under [[John Allsebrook Simon, 1st Viscount Simon|Sir John Simon]] to report on the current political situation in India in 1928. The Indian political parties boycotted the commission because | + | The [[British government]] created a [[Simon Commission|commission]] under [[John Allsebrook Simon, 1st Viscount Simon|Sir John Simon]] to report on the current political situation in India in 1928. The Indian political parties boycotted the commission because Indian had been excluded from representation, protests erupting through out the country. When the commission visited Lahore on October 30, 1928, [[Lala Lajpat Rai]] led the protest against the commission in a silent non-violent march, but the police responded with violence.<ref name="Kamat"/> The police chief beat Lala Lajpat Rai severely and he later succumbed to his injuries. Bhagat Singh, an eyewitness to that event, vowed to take revenge.<ref name="Kamat"/> He joined with other revolutionaries, [[Shivaram Rajguru]], Jai Gopal and [[Sukhdev Thapar]], in a plot to kill the police chief. Jai Gopal had been assigned to identify the chief and signal for Singh to shoot. In a case of mistaken identity, Gopal signaled Singh on the appearance of J. P. Saunders, a Deputy Superintendent of Police.<ref name="Desam"/> Thus, Singh sot Saunders, instead of Scott.<ref name="Kamat"/><ref name="Desam"/> He quickly left [[Lahore]] to escape the police. To avoid recognition, he shaved his beard and cut his hair, a violation of one of the sacred tenets of [[Sikhism]].<ref name="Desam"/> |
===Bomb in the assembly=== | ===Bomb in the assembly=== | ||
| − | In the face of actions by the revolutionaries, the British government enacted the Defence of India Act to give more power to the police.<ref name="Kamat"/> The | + | In the face of actions by the revolutionaries, the British government enacted the Defence of India Act to give more power to the police.<ref name="Kamat"/> The Act, defeated in the council by one vote, purposed to combat revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh.<ref name="Kamat"/> The Act later passed under the ordinance that claimed the Act served the best interest of the public. In response to that act, the [[Hindustan Socialist Republican Association]] planned to explode a bomb in the assembly where the ordinance would be passed. Originally, Azad attempted to stop Bhagat Singh from carrying out the bombing; the remainder of the party forced him to succumb to Singh's wishes, deciding that Bhagat Singh and [[Batukeshwar Dutt]], another revolutionary, would throw the bombs in the assembly.<ref name="Kamat"/> |
| − | On April 8, 1929, Singh and Dutt threw bombs onto the corridors of the assembly | + | On April 8, 1929, Singh and Dutt threw bombs onto the corridors of the assembly and shouted "''Inquilab Zindabad!''" ("Long Live the Revolution!").<ref name="Kamat"/> A shower of leaflets stating that it takes a loud voice to make the deaf hear followed.<ref>[http://www.shahidbhagatsingh.org/index.asp?link=april8 Bhagat Singh Writings] ''Leaflet Thrown in the Central Assembly Hall''</ref> The bomb neither killed nor injured anyone; Singh and Dutt claimed they deliberately avoided death and injury, a claim substantiated both by British [[forensics]] investigators who found that the bomb too weak to cause injury, and the bomb had been thrown ''away'' from people. Singh and Dutt gave themselves up for arrest after the bomb.<ref name="Kamat"/> He and Dutt received life sentences to '[[Penal transportation|Transportation for Life]]' for the bombing on June 12, 1929. |
===Trial and execution=== | ===Trial and execution=== | ||
Revision as of 23:50, 15 December 2007
| Bhagat Singh ਭਗਤ ਸਿੰਘ بھگت سنگھہ | |
|---|---|
| File:Bhagat21.jpg Bhagat Singh at the age of 21 | |
| Place of birth: | Lyallpur, Punjab, British India |
| Place of death: | Lahore, Punjab, British India |
| Movement: | Indian Independence movement |
| Major organizations: | Naujawan Bharat Sabha, Kirti Kissan Party and Hindustan Socialist Republican Association |
Bhagat Singh (Punjabi: ਭਗਤ ਸਿੰਘ بھگت سنگھہ, IPA: [pə˨gət̪ sɪ˦ŋg]) (September 28,[1] 1907–March 23, 1931) fought an Indian freedom fighter, considered one of the most famous revolutionaries of the Indian independence movement. For that reason, Indians often refer to him as Shaheed Bhagat Singh (the word shaheed means "martyr"). Many believe him one of the earliest Marxists in India.[2] He had been one of the leaders and founders of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA).
Born to a family which had earlier been involved in revolutionary activities against the British Raj in India, Bhagat Singh, as a teenager, having studied European revolutionary movements, had been attracted to anarchism and communism.[3] He became involved in numerous revolutionary organizations. He quickly rose in the ranks of the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) and became one of its leaders, converting it to the HSRA. Singh gained support when he underwent a sixty three day fast in jail, demanding equal rights for Indian and British political prisoners. Hanged for shooting a police officer in response to the killing of veteran social activist Lala Lajpat Rai, his legacy prompted youth in India to begin fighting for Indian independence and also increased the rise of socialism in India.[4]
Early life
Bhagat Singh had been born into a Sandhu family to Sardar Kishan Singh Sandhu and Vidyavati in the Khatkar Kalan village near Banga in the Lyallpur district[5][6] of Punjab on September 28, 1907. Singh's given name of Bhagat meant "devotee." His had been a patriotic Sikh family, participating in numerous movements supporting independence of India.[7] The Hindu reformist Arya Samaj influenced his father. His uncles, Ajit Singh and Swaran Singh, as well as his father, both took part in the Ghadr Party led by Kartar Singh Sarabha. Ajit Singh fleed to Iran because of pending cases against him while Swaran Singh died from hanging.[8][7]
As a child, the Jalianwala Bagh Massacre that took place in Punjab in 1919 deeply affected him.[8] When Mahatma Gandhi started the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920, he became an active participant at the age of 13. He had great hopes that Gandhi would bring freedom in India. But he felt disappointed when Gandhi called off that movement following the Chauri Chaura riot in 1922. At that point he had openly defied the British and had followed Gandhi's wishes by burning his government-school books and any British-imported clothing. In 1923, Bhagat famously won an essay competition set by the Punjab Hindi Sahitya Sammelan. That grabbed the attention of members of the Punjab Hindi Sahitya Sammelan including its General Secretary Professor Bhim Sen Vidyalankar. At that age, he quoted famous Punjabi literature and discussed the Problems of the Punjab. He read a lot of poetry and literature written by Punjabi writers, Allama Iqbal, a Indian freedom fighter from Sialkot became his favorite poet.[9]
In his teenage years, Bhagat Singh studying at the National College in Lahore,[8] running away from home to escape early marriage, and became a member of the organization Naujawan Bharat Sabha (Translated to 'Youth Society of India').[8] In the Naujawan Bharat Sabha, Singh and his fellow revolutionaries grew popular amongst the youth. He also joined the Hindustan Republican Association at the request of Professor Vidyalankar, then headed by Ram Prasad Bismil and Ashfaqulla Khan.[8] He may have had knowledge of the Kakori train robbery. He wrote for and edited Urdu and Punjabi newspapers published from Amritsar.[8] In September 1928, a meeting of various revolutionaries from across India had been called at Delhi under the banner of the Kirti Kissan Party. Bhagat Singh served as the secretary of the meeting. His carried out later revolutionary activities as a leader of that association. The capture and hanging of the main HRA Leaders necessitated his and Sukhdev quick promotion to higher ranks in the party.[7]
Later revolutionary activities
Lala Lajpat Rai's death and the Saunders murder
The British government created a commission under Sir John Simon to report on the current political situation in India in 1928. The Indian political parties boycotted the commission because Indian had been excluded from representation, protests erupting through out the country. When the commission visited Lahore on October 30, 1928, Lala Lajpat Rai led the protest against the commission in a silent non-violent march, but the police responded with violence.[8] The police chief beat Lala Lajpat Rai severely and he later succumbed to his injuries. Bhagat Singh, an eyewitness to that event, vowed to take revenge.[8] He joined with other revolutionaries, Shivaram Rajguru, Jai Gopal and Sukhdev Thapar, in a plot to kill the police chief. Jai Gopal had been assigned to identify the chief and signal for Singh to shoot. In a case of mistaken identity, Gopal signaled Singh on the appearance of J. P. Saunders, a Deputy Superintendent of Police.[7] Thus, Singh sot Saunders, instead of Scott.[8][7] He quickly left Lahore to escape the police. To avoid recognition, he shaved his beard and cut his hair, a violation of one of the sacred tenets of Sikhism.[7]
Bomb in the assembly
In the face of actions by the revolutionaries, the British government enacted the Defence of India Act to give more power to the police.[8] The Act, defeated in the council by one vote, purposed to combat revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh.[8] The Act later passed under the ordinance that claimed the Act served the best interest of the public. In response to that act, the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association planned to explode a bomb in the assembly where the ordinance would be passed. Originally, Azad attempted to stop Bhagat Singh from carrying out the bombing; the remainder of the party forced him to succumb to Singh's wishes, deciding that Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt, another revolutionary, would throw the bombs in the assembly.[8]
On April 8, 1929, Singh and Dutt threw bombs onto the corridors of the assembly and shouted "Inquilab Zindabad!" ("Long Live the Revolution!").[8] A shower of leaflets stating that it takes a loud voice to make the deaf hear followed.[10] The bomb neither killed nor injured anyone; Singh and Dutt claimed they deliberately avoided death and injury, a claim substantiated both by British forensics investigators who found that the bomb too weak to cause injury, and the bomb had been thrown away from people. Singh and Dutt gave themselves up for arrest after the bomb.[8] He and Dutt received life sentences to 'Transportation for Life' for the bombing on June 12, 1929.
Trial and execution
Shortly after his arrest and trial for the Assembly bombing, the British came to know of his involvement in the murder of J. P. Saunders. Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev were charged with the murder. Bhagat Singh decided to use the court as a tool to publicize his cause for the independence of India.[8] He admitted to the murder and made statements against the British rule during the trial.[8] The case was ordered to be carried out without members of the HSRA present at the hearing. This created an uproar amongst Singh's supporters as he could no longer publicise his views.
While in jail, Bhagat Singh and other prisoners launched a hunger strike advocating for the rights of prisoners and undertrials. The reason for the strike was that British murderers and thieves were treated better than Indian political prisoners, who, by law, were meant to be given better 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 toilet necessities and other hygienic necessities. He also demanded that political prisoners should not be forced to do any labour or undignified work.[11] During this hunger strike that lasted 63 days and ended with the British succumbing to his wishes, he gained much popularity among the common Indians. Before the strike his popularity was limited mainly to the Punjab region.[12]
Bhagat Singh also maintained the use of a diary, which he eventually made to fill 404 pages. In this diary he made numerous notes relating to the quotations and popular sayings of various people whose views he supported. Prominent in his diary were the views of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.[13] The comments in his diary led to an understanding of the philosophical thinking of Bhagat Singh.[14] Before dying he also wrote a pamphlet entitled "Why I am an atheist," as he was being accused of vanity by not accepting God in the face of death.
On March 23, 1931, Bhagat Singh was hanged in Lahore with his fellow comrades Rajguru and Sukhdev. His supporters, who had been protesting against the hanging, immediately declared him as a shaheed or martyr.[15] According to the Superintendent of Police at the time, V.N. Smith, the hanging was advanced:
Normally execution took place at 8 am, but it was decided to act at once before the public could become aware of what had happened...At about 7 pm shouts of Inquilab Zindabad were heard from inside the jail. This was correctly, interpreted as a signal that the final curtain was about to drop.[16]
Singh was cremated at Hussainiwala on banks of Sutlej river. Today, the Bhagat Singh Memorial commemorates freedom fighters of India.[17]
Ideals and opinions
Marxism
Bhagat Singh's political thought evolved gradually from Gandhian nationalism to revolutionary Marxism. By the end of 1928, he and his comrades renamed their organization the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association. He had read the teachings of Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, and Vladimir Lenin and believed that, with such a large and diverse population, India could only survive properly under a socialist regime. These ideals had been introduced to him during his time at the National College at Lahore and he believed that India should re-enact the Russian revolution. In the case that India were not socialist, he believed that the rich would only get richer and the poor would only get poorer. This, and his militant methods, put him at odds with Gandhi and members of the Congress. He became the first socialist leader in India to make any gain. Even today, socialist leaders sometimes refer back to him as the founder of Indian socialism.[18][19]
Atheism
While in a condemned 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 while in a condemned cell, 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.[20]
Death
Bhagat Singh was known for his appreciation of martyrdom. His mentor as a young boy was Kartar Singh Sarabha.[21] Singh is himself considered a martyr by many Indians for acting to avenge the death of Lala Lajpat Rai, also considered a martyr. In the leaflet he threw in the Central Assembly on 8th April 1929, he stated that It is easy to kill individuals but you cannot kill the ideas. Great empires crumbled while the ideas survived.[22] After engaging in studies on the Russian Revolution, he wanted to die so that his death would inspire the youth of India to unite and fight the British Empire.[7]
While in prison, Bhagat Singh and two others had written a letter to the Viceroy asking him to treat them as prisoners of war and hence to execute them by firing squad and not by hanging. Prannath Mehta, Bhagat 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.[23]
Conspiracy theories
Many conspiracy theories exist regarding Singh, especially the events surrounding his death.
Mahatma Gandhi
One of the most popular ones is that Mahatma Gandhi had an opportunity to stop Singh's execution but did not. This particular theory has spread amongst the public in modern times after the creation of modern films such as The Legend of Bhagat Singh, which portray Gandhi as someone who was strongly at odds with Bhagat Singh and did not oppose his hanging.[24] A variation on this theory is that Gandhi actively conspired with the British to have Singh executed. Both theories are highly controversial and hotly contested. Gandhi's supporters say that Gandhi did not have enough influence with the British to stop the execution, much less arrange it. Furthermore, Gandhi's supporters assert that Singh's role in the independence movement was 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, but that he simply disapproved of his violent methods. He also said 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."[25] Gandhi also once said, on 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 pretext of "relieving political tension," in the Gandhi-Irwin Pact. According to a report in the Indian magazine Frontline, he did plead several times for the commutation of the death sentence of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, including a personal visit on March 19, 1931, and in a letter to the Viceroy on the day of their execution, pleading fervently for commutation, not knowing that the letter would be too late.[23]
Lord Irwin, the Viceroy, later said:
As I listened to Mr. Gandhi putting the case for commutation before me, I reflected first on what significance it surely was that the apostle of non-violence should so earnestly be pleading the cause of the devotees of a creed so fundamentally opposed to his own, but I should regard it as wholly wrong to allow my judgment to be influenced by purely political considerations. I could not imagine a case in which under the law, penalty had been more directly deserved.[23]
Saunders family
On October 28, 2005, a book entitled Some Hidden Facts: Martyrdom of Shaheed Bhagat Singh—Secrets unfurled by an Intelligence Bureau Agent of British-India [sic] 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 says that this was a prison operation codenamed "Operation Trojan Horse." Scholars are skeptical of the book's claims.[26]
Legacy
Indian independence movement
Bhagat Singh's death had the effect that he desired and he inspired thousands of youths to assist the remainder of the Indian independence movement. After his hanging, youths in regions around Northern India rioted in protest against the British Raj.[8]
Modern day legacy
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) itself acknowledges Bhagat Singh's contribution to Indian society[18][19] and, in particular, the future of socialism in India. To celebrate the centenary of his birth, a group of intellectuals have set up an institution to commemorate Singh and his ideals.[27]
Several popular Bollywood films have been made capturing the life and times of Bhagat Singh.[28] The oldest was Shaheed in 1965, starring Manoj Kumar as Singh. Two major films about Singh were released in 2002, The Legend of Bhagat Singh and 23rd March 1931: Shaheed. The Legend of Bhagat Singh is Rajkumar Santoshi's adaptation, in which Ajay Devgan played Singh and Amrita Rao was featured in a brief role. 23 March 1931: Shaheed was directed by Guddu Dhanoa and starred Bobby Deol as Singh, with Sunny Deol and Aishwarya Rai in supporting roles.
The 2006 film Rang De Basanti (starring Aamir Khan) is a film drawing parallels between revolutionaries of Bhagat Singh's era and modern Indian youth. It covers a lot of Bhagat 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 Bhagat's friends and family.
The patriotic Urdu and Hindi songs, Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna (translated as "the desire to sacrifice") and Mera Rang De Basanti Chola ("my light-yellow-colored cloak"; Basanti referring to the light-yellow color of the Mustard flower grown in the Punjab and also one of the two main colors of the Sikh religion as per the Sikh rehat meryada(code of conduct of the Sikh Saint-Soldier) ), while created by Ram Prasad Bismil, are largely associated to Bhagat Singh's martyrdom and have been used in a number of Bhagat Singh-related films.[28]
In September 2007 the governor of Pakistan's Punjab province announced that a memorial to Bhagat Singh will be displayed at Lahore museum, according to the governor “Singh was the first martyr of the subcontinent and his example was followed by many youth of the time."[29][30]
Criticism
Bhagat Singh was criticized both by his contemporaries and by people after his death because of his violent and revolutionary stance towards the British opposed to the pacifist stance taken by the Indian National Congress and particularly Mahatma Gandhi.[31] The methods he used to make his point—shooting Saunders and throwing non-lethal bombs—were quite different to the non-violent non-cooperation used by Gandhi.[31] He was accused as having knowledge of the Kakori train robbery by the British.[20]
Bhagat Singh has also been accused of being too eager to die, as opposed to staying alive and continuing his movement. It has been alleged that he could have escaped from prison if he so wished, but he preferred that he die and become a legacy for other youths in India. Some lament that he may have done much more for India had he stayed alive.[4]
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." — from Bhagat Singh's prison diary, p. 124
See also
- Hindustan Socialist Republican Association
- Communist Party of India (Marxist)
- Sukhdev Thapar
- Chandrashekar Azad
- Udham Singh
- Rajguru
- Shaheed
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- ↑ Tribune Chandigarh In memory of Bhagat Singh
- ↑ Communist Party of India (Marxist)
- ↑ Revolutionary Democracy IBhagat Singh and the Revolutionary Movement
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Tribune India What if Bhagat Singh had lived
- ↑ Bhagat Singh Biography
- ↑ Martyrdom of Shaheed Bhagat Singh
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 Bharat Desam Biographies Bhagat Signh
- ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 8.12 8.13 8.14 8.15 8.16 Martyrdom of Sardar Bhagat Singh by Jyotsna Kamat. Cited by University of California Berkely Library on South Asian History
- ↑ Bhagat Singh Documents Problems of the Punjab
- ↑ Bhagat Singh Writings Leaflet Thrown in the Central Assembly Hall
- ↑ Bhagat Singh Documents Bhagat Singh and BK Dutt's Demands from the British Government
- ↑ Communist Party of India (Marxist) Bhagat Singh Remains Our Symbol of Revolution
- ↑ Shahid Bhagat Singh Jail Note Book of Shahid Bhagat Singh
- ↑ Shahid Bhagat Singh Bhagat Singh quotes from his jail note book
- ↑ CPIM Bhagat Singh Memorial Day Observed
- ↑ The Tribune India Excerpts out of Martyrdom of Shaheed Bhagat Singh
- ↑ CPIM Bhagat Singh Memorial Day Observed
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 CPIM Bhagat Singh remains our symbol of revolution Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "CPIM Surjeet" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 19.0 19.1 Communist Party of India 25th January 2006, letter to Manmohan Singh
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Singh, Bhagat. Why I am an Atheist: Bhagat Singh. (People's Publishing House, New Delhi, India. Retrieved 2007-07-21.
- ↑ Tribune India What if Bhagat Singh had lived
- ↑ Bhagat Singh Documents Leaflet thrown in the Central Assembly Hall, New Delhi
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Frontline - Of Means and Ends by Paresh R. Vaidya.]
- ↑ The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002 film)
- ↑ Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi. Ahmedabad, Navjivan. vol. 45, p.359-61 (Gujarati)
- ↑ The Sunday Tribune Was Bhagat Singh shot dead?
- ↑ The Tribune Chandigarh In memory of Bhagat Singh
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 The Hindu ...A non-stop show
- ↑ Memorial will be built to Bhagat Singh, says governor - Daily times Pakistan
- ↑ Requiem for a freedom fighter
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 Punjabi Lok Sukhdev's letter to Gandhi
External links
- Bhagat Singh at freeindia.org
- Bhagat Singh Biography and Contains letters written by Bhagat Singh
- Why I Am An Atheist, an essay by Bhagat Singh
| Indian Independence Movement | |
|---|---|
| History: | Colonisation - British East India Company - Plassey - Buxar - British India - French India - Portuguese India - More... |
| Philosophies: | Indian nationalism - Swaraj - Gandhism - Satyagraha - Hindu nationalism - Indian Muslim nationalism - Swadeshi - Socialism |
| Events and movements: | Rebellion of 1857 - Partition of Bengal - Revolutionaries - Ghadar Conspiracy - Champaran and Kheda - Jallianwala Bagh Massacre - Non-Cooperation - Flag Satyagraha - Bardoli - 1928 Protests - Nehru Report - Purna Swaraj - Salt Satyagraha - Act of 1935 - Legion Freies Indien - Cripps' mission - Quit India - Indian National Army - Bombay Mutiny |
| Organisations: | Indian National Congress - Ghadar - Home Rule - Khudai Khidmatgar - Swaraj Party - Anushilan Samiti - Azad Hind - More... |
| Indian leaders: | Mangal Pandey - Rani of Jhansi - Bal Gangadhar Tilak - Gopal Krishna Gokhale - Lala Lajpat Rai - Bipin Chandra Pal - Mahatma Gandhi - M. Ali Jinnah - Sardar Patel - Subhash Chandra Bose - Badshah Khan - Jawaharlal Nehru - Maulana Azad - Chandrasekhar Azad - Rajaji - Bhagat Singh - Sarojini Naidu - Purushottam Das Tandon - Tanguturi Prakasam - Alluri Sitaramaraju - More... |
| British Raj: | Robert Clive - James Outram - Dalhousie - Irwin - Linlithgow - Wavell - Stafford Cripps - Mountbatten - More... |
| Independence: | Cabinet Mission - Indian Independence Act - Partition of India - Political integration - Constitution - Republic of India |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Singh, Bhagat |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Indian Freedom Activist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 27, 1907 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Lyallpur, Punjab, British India |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 23, 1931 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Lahore, Punjab, British India |
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