Bhagat Singh – The Legend

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. He was kind of a leader that his times were so desperately in need of, when the British needed to be answered back in their very tone. His educational qualifications establish the fact that his opinions and ideas were well thought and not just a product of hysterical mass movements.

Personal Life of Bhagat Singh:

One of the most prominent revolutionaries of India, Bhagat Singh was born on September 27, 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.

Influences on Bhagat Singh:

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 Jalianwala 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 organization Naujawan Bharat Sabha.

Deeds of Bhagat Singh:

Bhagat Singh was against individual acts of terrorism and gave a clarion call for mass mobilization. In 1928 he came into 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 lathicharge 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 April 8, 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 March 23, 1931. Bhagat Singh is seen as the role model by a large number of young people in India.