Bhagat Singh Martyrdom Day

Bhagat Singh and his associate Shivaram Rajguru shot a 21-year-old police officer, John Saunders, in December 1928. However, their main intention was to assassinate James Scott. They believed that Scott was the main figure behind Lala Lajpat Rai's death. Lajpat Rai was one of the prominent freedom fighters who died after succumbing to the injuries he underwent after a British battalion allegedly led by Scott lathi-charged the protesters.

After evading the British police for the next few months, Bhagat Singh along with another freedom fighter and revolutionary, Batukeshwar Dutt, appeared at the Legislative Assembly and caused explosions by detonating two bombs. However, the main reason to cause the explosions was to garner the British Government's attention and not to harm anyone. They raised pro-freedom slogans in the assembly, showered leaflets bearing their manifesto, and later surrendered themselves.

While in jail, Bhagat Singh joined educationist and freedom fighter Jatin Das's hunger strike movement, demanding better prison conditions for Indian prisoners. Jatin Das died from starvation while in the jail in September 1929. Bhagat Singh was later convicted and hanged in March 1931.

Singh's popularity has grown over the past few decades. He was a learned man, an atheist, and a proponent of class struggle. To pay homage to Singh's contribution in India's freedom struggle, May 23rd is observed as Martyrdom Day. Other than Singh, people also pay respect to Sukhdev Thapar and Shivaram Rajguru, Bhagat Singh's two other associates who were hanged to death on the same day.

A Brief Biography of Bhagat Singh

The original name of Bhagat Singh was Bhaganwala. He was born on 26 September 1907, into a middle-class Sandhu Jat family residing in the Jullundur Doab region of Punjab. His life spanned a unique historical gap, as he entered the world just as the era of the “Lal-Bal-Pal" extremists was ending, and the new era of Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violent protest movements was beginning to take shape across India. 

The horrific incident of Jallianwala Bagh tragedy and the sacrifice of martyrs like Kartar Singh Sarabha left a lasting impression on Bhagat Singh’s mind, both of which served as powerful catalysts for his lifelong commitment to the independence movement. These tragedies led him to join the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) where he helped plan significant protests, including the 1929 bombing of Central Legislative Assembly in Delhi. 

Early Revolutionary Years

1. Educational Background: In 1923, Bhagat Singh enrolled in the National college in Lahore, an institution established by Lala Lajpat Rai and Bhai Parmanand to provide a nationalistic education. 

1. Swadeshi Movement: The college served as a local alternative to British government schools, promoting the Swadeshi principle of self-reliance within the Indian education system. 

1. Revolutionary Affiliation: By 1924, Bhagat Singh moved to Kanpur and joined the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA), a group founded by Sachindranath Sanyal in 1923. 

1. Key Leadership: While working within the association, he became a close associate of Chandra Shekhar Azad, who served as the primary organizer of the group’s revolutionary activities. 

Evolution of Revolutionary Activities

1. Founding of Naujawan Bharat Sabha: After returning to Lahore in 1925, Bhagat Singh and his associates established a militant youth group known as the Naujawan Bharat Sabha the following year. 

1. Political Collaborations: In April 1926, he initiated a partnership with Sohan Singh Josh and the Workers and Peasants Party, contributing to the development of Kirti, a monthly Punjabi magazine. 

1. First Legal Charges: Bhagat Singh faced his first arrest in 1927 for his alleged links to the Kakori case, specifically due to an article he authored using the pen name “Vidrohi.” 

1. Formation of the HSRA: In 1928, he was instrumental in renaming the Hindustan Republican Association to the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) to reflect its evolving ideologies. 

1. Dissolution of the Group: The HSRA eventually ceased to function as a cohesive organization following the death of Chandra Shekhar Azad in 1930. 

Historical Impact

The prolonged prison strike concluded in September 1929 following the death of Jatin Das, who succumbed to starvation during the protest. Two years after the conclusion of the strike, Bhagat Singh was convicted by the British authorities and executed by hanging. 

The legacy of Bhagat Singh remains a significant source of inspiration globally and especially in India due to his steadfast dedication to achieving Indian sovereignty.

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