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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 . 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 , he Congress - B.G. Tilak, B.C. Pal lost faith on Gandhi and his and . Almost all technique, alongwith other the revolutionary groups joined revolutionaries. the Congress while maintaining Inspiration : and endeavouring to strengthen Throughout his short life, their secret organization. Many 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 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 activities were planned. Early in 1922 the failure reformist movement . His uncles, Ajit of the Non-Cooperation movement led to the Singh and Swaran Singh as well as his father were

42 Orissa Review August - 2007 part of the Ghadar party led by Kartar Singh movement in India. Subsequently, he wrote Sarabha. Bhagat Singh was born in 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 : 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 , 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 , 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 , a small station near richer and poor would only get poorer. His , 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 case, 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 . 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 . In 1928 the London the 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 . 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 "" 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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