One of the greatest freedom fighters who fought till his last breath to drive out the British Raj from India, Bhagat Singh is an inspiration to all Indians. The reason why is Bhagat Singh famous is because the young man dedicated his short-lived life to achieving Indian independence. 28th September marks the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Jayanti, the birth anniversary of the revolutionary freedom fighter. On the auspicious occasion of Bhagat Singh’s birth anniversary, let us take a look into the life history of Bhagat Singh in English to understand Bhagat Singh contribution to freedom struggle, some unknown facts about Bhagat Singh, and finally, why Bhagat Singh hanged by the British Government.
Bhagat Singh – An Inspiring Saga Of The Bravest Freedom Fighter
The life history of Bhagat Singh in English hints at the fact that he welcomed death gracefully but was not ready to accept slavery under British rule. Such was the will and determination of this brave heart! One of the bravest sons of Mother India, Bhagat Singh, was hanged to death at the tender age of 23 years for his contribution to the freedom struggle. Read more about the bravest freedom fighter of India.
Why Is Bhagat Singh Famous?
Shaheed Bhagat Singh participated in the struggle for Indian independence at a very young age. He is considered one of the greatest freedom fighters who fought till his last breath to drive out the British from Indian soil. But, what is special about Bhagat Singh? Why do our heads bend in respect when we talk about the youngest martyr of India? Why is Bhagat Singh famous?
The fearlessness and courage of Bhagat Singh make him stand out. He had initiated some great steps in an effort to bring an end to British Raj. Of all the key events of his life, Bhagat Singh, along with his associates once attempted to bomb the Central Legislative Assembly.
Another event that makes Bhagat Singh famous in the pages of Indian history is his failed attempt to assassinate one of the British officials, James Scott. Though the group failed to execute their plan successfully, their courage and fearlessness have kept them alive in the hearts of the Indians.
Life History Of Bhagat Singh In English
Shaheed Bhagat Singh was born on 28th September 1907 in the Punjab region which now falls under the dominion of Pakistan. Singh attended his primary education at DAV school in Lahore after which he joined the National College in Punjab. But, his passion for the Indian independence struggle grew at a very tender age. Born to a family which had deep connections with the Indian freedom movement, Bhagat Singh too developed a deep interest in India’s struggle for independence.
Later, he joined the Non-Cooperation Movement organised by Mahatma Gandhi, but soon turned towards revolutionary movements as his ideology was far different from that of Bapu. In his attempt to drive out the British government from our motherland, he established the Naujawan Bharat Sabha in the year 1926 and urged the peasants and farmer classes to oppose the British rule of tyranny.
Two years later, the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) came into existence with the joint efforts of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Chandrashekhar Azad, and other prominent personalities. But, the HSRA had a short life as it turned into ashes soon after Azad was shot in 1930. By this time, Bhagat Singh was also sent to jail for his influential writings against British rule. The British feared that such revolutionary writings might instigate patriotism in the minds of Indians and the situation would then go out of the hand of the British Government.
In the year of 1929, Shaheed Bhagat Singh was hanged to death on charges of the Saunders murder case. Though this young and fearless soul lived a short life, he left behind a legacy that is still alive in the hearts of many Indians. Shaheed Bhagat Singh is not dead, he is still living in our hearts. He will always remain our favourite hero!
The Ideology Of Bhagat Singh
The life history of Bhagat Singh in English proves the fact that the seeds for patriotism were sown in the mind of Bhagat Singh at a very early age. His parents took an active part in the Ghadar movement and thus, young Bhagat too developed a love for his country. Soon, he joined the Non-Cooperation Movement but later turned to Revolutionary movements after Gandhi gave up on the Non-cooperation struggle.
Bhagat Singh was deeply inspired by the ideas of Mazzini and Risorgimento and thus, he always opposed capitalism. By this time, the Chauri Chaura incident and the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre shook him up from the inside. He turned his back on the ideologies of Bapu and instead, identified himself as an extremist revolutionary and joined Lala Lajpat Rai.
He believed in actions rather than thoughts. He considered himself an atheist and urged others too to look for practical reasons rather than surrendering themselves to human emotions.
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Bhagat Singh Contribution To Freedom Struggle
Bhagat Singh contribution to freedom struggle cannot be described in just a few words. His tireless efforts and contributions to the Indian independence movement are unparalleled! Despite him being jailed several times for his revolutionary acts, he never failed in his duties and continued the freedom struggle on his part courageously.
1. Establishment Of Naujawan Bharat Sabha
The first and foremost contribution of this living legend to the Indian freedom struggle is the establishment of Naujawan Bharat Sabha. This organization urged the farmers and peasants to take a stand against British rule. Bhagat Singh through this organization wanted them to stand up for their rights and demand a free India.
2. Establishment Of The HSRA
The establishment of the HSRA is another revolutionary contribution of Bhagat Singh to India’s freedom struggle. Though this organization existed for a short span of time, it could, to some extent, ignite the minds of young Indians to stand up against British tyranny.
3. Spreading Patriotism Through His Writings
Another important Bhagat Singh contribution to freedom struggle is his writings. Through his influential pieces, he spread the essence of patriotism in every nook and corner of India. In 1927, he was jailed for his article regarding the Kakori train robbery case. Bhagat Singh had disguised himself as ‘Vidrohi’ in the article.
4. Planning Revenge Of Lala Lajpat Rai’s Death
By this time, Lala Lajpat Rai was announced dead as he could not survive a lathi charge by British police officials. Veer Bhagat Singh along with his associates decided to take revenge for the death of their leader. Soon, they planned an attack on James Scott but unfortunately, Saunders was killed in the incident. Though Singh, along with others, was hanged to death in charge of murdering a British official, their story of courageousness still can be heard in Indian households.
5. Bombing At Central Assembly in Delhi
In the year of 1929, Singh along with Batukeshwar Dutt bombed the Central Assembly in Delhi. Their main aim was not to create panic or to kill anyone but they only wanted to instigate the feeling of patriotism in the hearts of Indians.
Unknown Facts About Bhagat Singh
- We have always known Shaheed Bhagat Singh as an extremist revolutionary leader. But, did you know that Bhagat Singh in his early life was a staunch follower of Gandhian policies of non-violence? Things changed after Gandhiji gave up the Non-cooperation Movement. Disheartened by this act, he turned toward the revolutionary movement.
- Another one among the unknown facts about Bhagat Singh is that he was greatly inspired by Marxist ideas and concepts. Besides, he also followed the writings of Lenin, Leon Trotsky, and others.
- Bhagat Singh had been sent to jail many times. But, his passion for revolution could not be curbed by any! He launched a hunger strike during his days in jail to demand equal treatment for both Indian and British prisoners. But, soon he had to withdraw his protest after the death of his associate.
- When his parents tried to marry him, he said, ‘my bride shall only be death’. Later he joined the HSRA and took active participation in India’s freedom struggle.
- Bhagat Singh was a Sikh. But, in order to escape the eyes of the British police, he had to cut his beard and long hair. He remained in disguise to prevent his arrest and killing.
- Bhagat Singh never welcomed the sympathy of the British. He rather went to the gallows smiling and hugged death with a broad smile on his face. His last words were, ‘Inquilaab Zindabaad’! and ‘Down with British imperialism’.
- It is said that during his trial period, he never opted for defence. Rather, he utilized the golden opportunity to spread the ideas of India’s freedom struggle. The youngest martyr of our motherland left us in the year of 1931. He was only 23 years old at the time of his death.
Why Bhagat Singh Hanged?
Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev’s story tells us a tale of courage and valour. The year was 1928. Lala Lajpat Rai succumbed to the hands of death as he could not survive the injuries from a lathi charge. Soon after Bhagat Singh came to know of his death, he learned that the orders for the same were given by police superintendent James Scott.
The Saunders Murder Case
Raged with anger, Singh along with Rajguru and Sukhdev started planning to take revenge for the death of Lala Lajpat Rai. But, they failed to execute their plan successfully. A case of mistaken identity took the life of another British official, P. Saunders which was also known as the Lahore Conspiracy Case.
When the trio learned about their failed assassination attempt, they were deeply saddened. To escape the police, Bhagat Singh fled from Lahore and took shelter in Kolkata. The incident reopened when Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw a bomb into the Central Assembly. Soon after the British Government came to know about the involvement of Bhagat Singh in the JP Saunders murder case, he was sentenced to death!
Although various leaders including Mahatma Gandhi pleaded with the British government to withdraw the death sentence, all was in vain. The trio was offered to be hanged on 24th March 1931, but the proceedings were preponed a day earlier in the Lahore jail.
Bhagat Singh And Mahatma Gandhi
As mentioned in the previous section, various leaders including Bapu ji too tried their best to suspend the death sentence. Gandhiji, soon after being released from jail, went to visit Lord Irwin and requested the officer to reconsider his death sentence. But, the end result was totally different from what was expected. Lord Irwin later replied to Gandhiji that he could not find any legitimate grounds to suspend the death sentence. Thus, on 23rd March 1931, Bhagat Singh, along with Rajguru and Sukhdev was hanged to death.
This event led to the sudden downfall of Mahatma Gandhi. Many believed that he had a great influence on the viceroy but he didn’t care more to put his best efforts to save the young hearts. Some even pointed out that as the ideologies of both differed greatly, Gandhiji didn’t want to make further contributions to stop their death sentence.
As history says it all, Bhagat Singh too had no trust in the Gandhian system of freedom fight. He even was ready to go to the gallows rather than stay in inhumane conditions in jail. He believed that the Gandhi Irwin pact would be of no importance to him because the British government would never reconsider the suspension of his death sentence.
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Conclusion
The youngest martyr of India, Shaheed Bhagat Singh left us at a very tender age of 23 years. But, his selfless acts of sacrifice and courageousness still have kept him alive in our hearts! Long live our heroes!