Bhagat Singh His legacy prompted the Indian youth to fight for independence of India and today in the modern India; Bhagat Singh continues to be a youth icon. The Reserve Bank had issued Rs.5 denomination coins to commemorate Bhagat Singh's birth anniversary. The face of the coin displays the portrait of 'Bhagat Singh' with words in Hindi and English.
Bhagat Singh is often termed as the 'youth icon' or the 'revolutionary of the youth' but his stature is one that equals some of the prominent names in the Indian freedom struggle. His patriotism was not restricted to the strong violent outburst against the British; he rather had a mind and intellect of a genius who could foresee division of India on communal lines which many of the much esteemed leaders of the time were unable to see. Keeping the cause of country ahead of the religion was another signs of his mature and rational mind. His educational qualifications establish the fact that his opinions and ideas were well thought and not just a product of hysterical mass movements.
One of the most prominent revolutionaries of India, Bhagat Singh was born on 28 September 1907 in a Sikh family in the village of Banga in Layalpur district of present-day Pakistan. The third son of Sardar Kishan Singh and Vidyavati, Bhagat Singh's father and uncle were members of Ghadar party.
He was greatly attracted towards socialism. Believed to be one of India's earliest Marxists, Bhagat Singh was one of the leaders and founders of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA). Bhagat Singh was deeply saddened by the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919. Though he participated in the non-cooperation movement, he was disappointed when Gandhi called off the agitation after the Chauri Chaura incident. He studied at the National College in Lahore where he came into contact with other revolutionaries such as Bhagwati Charan, Sukhdev and others. He fled from home to escape early marriage and became a member of the organisation Naujawan Bharat Sabha.
Bhagat Singh was against individual acts of terrorism and gave a clarion call for mass mobilisation. In 1928, he came in contact with another famous revolutionary Chandrasekhar Azad. The two combined to form the 'Hindustan Samajvadi Prajatantra Sangha'. During the Simon Commission's visit to India in February 1928, there were protests against the Simon Commission's visit to Lahore. In one of these protests, Lala Lajpat Rai was injured in a lathi charge and later on succumbed to his injuries. To avenge Lajpat Rai's death, Bhagat Singh decided to kill the British official responsible for the killing, Deputy Inspector General Scott. But he accidentally shot Assistant Superintendent Saunders instead, mistaking him for Scott.
Bhagat Singh threw a bomb in the Central Legislative Assembly on 8 April 1929 and thereafter courted arrest. Bhagat Singh, Sukh Dev and Raj Guru were awarded death sentence by a court for their subversive activities. They were hanged on 23 March 1931. Bhagat Singh is still seen as the role model by a large number of young people in India. His sense of sacrifice, patriotism and courage are something that will be revered and looked upon by generations to come.
| Born | 09/07 |
| Religion | Sikh |
| Place of Birth | Banga, Jaranwala Tehsil, Lyallpur district, Punjab, British India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Died | 23 March 1931 (aged 23), Lahore, Punjab, British India |
| Education | He studied at the National College in Lahore where he came into contact with other revolutionaries such as Bhagwati Charan, |
| Profession before joining politics | European revolutionary movements and was attracted to anarchist and Marxist ideologies. |
| Associated with | Hindustan Socialist Republican Association |
| Political Career | Naujawan Bharat Sabha, Kirti Kisan Party, |
| Publications and Writings | He wrote for and edited Urdu and Punjabi newspapers, published from Amritsar, as well as contributing to low-priced pamphlets published by the Naujawan Bharat Sabha that excoriated the British. He also wrote briefly for the Veer Arjun newspaper, published in Delhi, and for Kirti, the journal of the Kirti Kisan Party ("Workers and Peasants Party"). He often used pseudonyms, including names such as Balwant, Ranjit and Vidhrohi. |
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