Orissa Review August - 2007

Bhagat Singh : Revolutionary

with a Difference
Smruti Ranjan Mishra

If Gandhi and Subhas deserve a bust in the remote controversy over the means-non-violent or violent
corridors of human consciousness then there must to be employed. The revolutionaries got
be a room for an effigy of Bhagat Singh. The disillusioned with Gandhian teachniques. The
revolutionaries made an abiding contribution to revolutionaries discarded the "Philosophy of non-
the struggle for Independence of India. They made violence as a philosophy arising out of despair."
supreme sacrifices. They helped in spreading Bhagat Singh played a dominant role in
national consciousness among the people. The revolutionary activities in the post non-
slogan of "Inquilab Zindabad" by Bhagat Singh cooperation movement. Earlier
still echoes in the minds of he was drawn to Gandhi's
freedom loving people of our peaceful movement when he got
country. disturbed by the Jalianwala Bagh
The revolutionaries massacre. But due to the sudden
discovered their fount of cancellation of the movement
inspiration in the 'trio' of the after Chauri Chaura incident, he
Congress - B.G. Tilak, B.C. Pal lost faith on Gandhi and his
and Lala Lajpat Rai. Almost all technique, alongwith other
the revolutionary groups joined revolutionaries.
the Congress while maintaining Inspiration :
and endeavouring to strengthen
their secret organization. Many Throughout his short life,
Bhagat Singh emulated the
of their leaders obtained
examples of his ancestors. The
responsible positions in district
generations of the Singh family
congress committees and used
i.e. Arjun Singh and his sons -
their positions to consolidate their
Kishan Singh, Ajit Singh and Swaran Singh- had
followers. This penetration of the congress had a
set an example for the service of the nation. After
very important consequence for it helped the
the occupation of Punjab by the British, a large
revolutionaries internally in the matter of
part of the family's Jagir was confiscated. Bhagat
recruitment and organization, and externally in the
Singh's ancestors were among those who were
matter of public sympathy. not reconciled to the foreign domination. Bhagat
During 1920-22 no major extremist Singh's father was influenced by the Hindu
activities were planned. Early in 1922 the failure reformist movement Arya Samaj. His uncles, Ajit
of the Non-Cooperation movement led to the Singh and Swaran Singh as well as his father were

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part of the Ghadar party led by Kartar Singh movement in India. Subsequently, he wrote
Sarabha. Bhagat Singh was born in Lahore and it articles in Kirti and Pratap. Moreover in the court
was in the city that the British launched the first on 6th June 1929, a full text of the statement of
Lahore conspiracy case in 1915, sentencing more Bhagat Singh and B.K. Dutta was read by Asaf
than two dozen youths to death and hundreds of Ali.
others to life imprisonment and other harsh jail Marxism :
sentences. Though the govt was able to crush the
Ghadar Party revolutionaries through such brutal Bhagat Singh's political thought evolved
repression, their saga left an indelible impression gradually from Gandhian nationalism to
on the minds of later generations of Indians. Those revolutionary Marxism. By the end of 1928 he
who went to the gallows in this case included and his comrades renamed their organisation the
Kartar Singh Sarabha, a youth of merely 16 years, Hindustan Socialist Republican Association. He
whose image got etched in Bhagat Singh's psyche. had read the teachings of Karl Marx, Friedrich
Engles and Vladimirlenin and believed that with
As for revolutionaries who were seriously such large and diverse population, India could
disillusioned after the withdrawal of the Non- only survive properly under a socialist regime.
cooperation movement, then began to regroup These ideals had been introduced to him during
all over north India. Sachindranath Sanyal formed his time at the National College at Lahore and he
the Hindustan Republican Association in 1924. believed that India should reenact the Russian
Bhagat Singh and his friend in Lahore joined it. revolution. In the case that Indians were not
This grouping soon led, in August 1925, to socialist, he believed that the rich would only get
a train hold up at Kakori, a small station near richer and poor would only get poorer. His
Lucknow, where the Hindustan Republican aggressive stance of violence, put him at odds
association revolutionaries looted government with Gandhi and members of the congress.
money as a direct challenge to the British authority. Socialist leaders sometimes refer back to him as
In the Kakori conspiracy case, Ram Prasad Bismil the founder of Indian Socialism.
and his three friends were hanged. The sarifice of Atheism
these great freedom fighters influenced Bhagat
Singh immediately. September 8 and 9, 1928 was While in a condemned cell in 1931, he
a milestone in the history of national revolutionary wrote a pamphlet entitled 'why' I am an Atheist in
movement in India because of its momentus which he discusses and advocates the philosophy
decision. First, the movement accepted socialism of atheism. This pamphlet was a result of some
as its goal and, as its reflection, the Hindustan criticism by fellow revolutionaries on his failure to
Republican Association was renamed as Hindustan acknowledge religion and God while in a
Socialist Republican Association. Secondly, the condemned cell, the accusation of vanity was also
meeting also realised the futility of individual dealt with in this pamphlet. He supported his own
violence and decided to abstain as far as possible, beliefs and claimed that he used to be a firm
from killing British officials or approvers. Here believer in the Almighty, but could not bring himself
Bhagat Singh was allowed to play a key role. to believe the myths and beliefs that others held
close to their hearts. In this Pamphlet, he
Dominant Ideas : acknowledged the fact that religion made death
Bhagat Singh spent the years from 1924 easier, but also said that unproved Philosophy is
to 1928 in studying the history of revolutionary a sign of human weakness.

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Anarchism : As the next significant action by Hindustan

Bhagat Singh's articles written in Kirti gives Socialist Republican Party (the rechristened name
an idea about his leaning for anarchism. Proudhon of Hindustan Republican Party) Bhagat Singh and
is the father of Anarchism and Bakunin and Batukeshwar Dutta threw bombs in the central
Kropotkin are its other advocates. The ultimate Assembly on April 8, 1929, in protest against the
goal of anarchism is complete independence, Trade disputes Bill and Public safety Bill. Though
according to which, no one will be obsessed with for this action of their bravery they were punished
Government or religion nor will any body be crazy deportation, Bhagat Singh had to sacrifice his life
for money or other worldly desires. Bhagat Singh along with his other two comrades for the Lahore
being imbibed with these lofty ideals had made conspiracy case.
the supreme sacrifice. Modern Day Legacy
Significant Actions : Bhagat Singh's death had the effect that he
In 1924, Bhagat Singh joined Hindustan desired and he inspired thousands of youths to
Republican Association formed by Sachindranath assist the reminder of the Indian Independence
Sanyal. Along with other members of the movement. After his hanging, youths in regions
Association he joined Lala Lajpat Rai to protest around Northern India rioted in protest against
the Simon Commission. In 1928 the London the British Raj and also against the indifference of
Commission constituted a commission under Sir the congress.
John Simon to review the Mantagu Chelmsford
The Communist Party of India (Marxist)
reforms of 1919 and suggest constitutional
itself acknowledges Bhagat Singh's contribution
changes for India. The Commission was not
welcomed since it was a wholly British to Indian society and in particular the future of
Commission. It was greeted by the people with socialism in India. To celebrate the centenary of
the cries of "Simon go Back', 'Angrej Murdabad' his birth, a group of intellectuals have set up an
"Down with the British" and Inquilab Zindabad. institution to commemorate Singh and his ideals.
A slogan coined by Bhagat Singh to give a new Several popular Bollywood films have been made
edge, a new meaning to that of revolt. The crowd capturing the life and times of Bhagat Singh. The
was also chanting a rhyme. 2006 film "Rang De Basanti" is a film drawing
parallels between revolutionaries of Bhagat Singh's
Hindustani Hain hum, Hindustan Hamara era and modern Indian youth. Here it is apt to
Murjao Simon, Jahan hai Desh Tumara mention that through his organization Naujawan
Meaning : We are Indians and India is ours. Go Bharat Sabha he trained the youths for fighting
back Simon to the country to which you belong. against the British Raj. He expected the youth to
In 1928 at Lahore, a great protest rally was be courageous and brave and to work with a
organized. It was led by Bhagat Singh. In the sense of patriotism which is lacking in modern
protest when police resorted to brutal lathi charge, day.
Lalaji got seriously injured and died. The members
of the Association under the leadership of Bhagat
Singh avenged Lalaji's death by assassinating J.P.
Saunders, the police officer responsible for Lalaji's Smruti Ranjan Mishra is working in the Utkal University
death. of Culture, Orissa, Bhubaneswar.

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