Bhagat Singh
He belongs to the front rank of Punjabi heroes martyred for the cause of national movement. He was the scion of a Saadhu Jat family which originally resided in the village Khatkar Kalan in District Jullundur but. at the time of Bhagat Singh’s birth, wits settled at the village Bangs (Chak No. 105) in District Lyallpur. He was born on September 27, 1907. His grandfather Arjan Singh, his father Kishan Singh and his uncle Ajit Singh were all well-known for their advocacy of reforms and their revolutionary activities. His mother Vidya Vati had the reputation of being a pious and devoted woman. Professionally, his father was en insurance agent, incharge of the Punjab branch of the Industrial-Prudential and Wulhan Insurance Company.
Bhagat Singh received his early education at the primary school in his village. Having passed the fifth class examination front that school, he joined the D.A V. School, Lahore in 1916. Here he came into contact with some well-known political leaders of his time. namely Anand Kishore Mehta, Lala Pindi Das, Sufi Amba Parsad, Lala Lajpat Rai, Ras Bihari Bose, etc. Kartar Singh Sarabha’s supreme sacrifice and the proceedings of the Lahore Conspiracy Case left a deep impact on his sensitive mind. A similar effect was produced on him by the Jallianwala Ragh Tragedy (1919) and the Khilafat Movement. In response to Mahatma Gandhi’s call for noncooperation in 1921, Bhagat Singh left his school and joined the Nations College. newly opened at Lahore. At this college which was a centre of revolutionary activities, he cane into contact with revolutionrics such as Bhagwati Charan. Sukhdev, Ranbir Singh, Ram Kishan and Tirth Ram.
He passed his F.A. examination bus left his studies while he was a B.A. student- He went to Kanpur early in 1924 where he met Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi, B.K. Dun, Chander Shekhar Arai and some Bengali revolutionaries. He row became member of the Hindustan Republican Association formed by the revolutionaries of Uttar Pradesh and was initiated into revolutionary activities,
On the request of his father, He returned to lahore ray in 1925. On reaching his village, he arranged for the reception of an Akali Jatha which was on its way to Jaito Morcha. Thercafter,He worked for a newspaper of Delhi, Vir Arjan but only fur about five or six months. He returned to Lahore and joined the Kirti Kisan Party founded by Sohan Singh Josh and Santokh Singh Shortly after. in association with other revolutionaries, he founded a new association known as Nau Jawarn Bharat Sabha, with himself as its Secretary.
In October, 1927 Bhagat Singh was arrested for his objectionable activities and was bound for Rs. 60,000. In July 1928 prominent rcvolutiorauics of India decided to accentuate their activities and held a meeting in September 1928 at Kotla Feroz Shah in Delhi. Bhagat Singh was race of the key figures in this meeting. When the country was in the trip of ‘Simon, go bac agitation, lain Lljpat Rai organised a procession to register the protest of Lahore people against the Simon Comsnissiun. Bhagat Singh and his co-workers marcbod in the (ore¬front of this procession. The brutal attack of the police on Lain Lajpat Rat caused his death on November 17, 1928. The whole of the Punjab was in rage at the death of their beloved leader and Bhagat Singh determined to avenge his death by shooting Scott and other British officials responsible fee this foul deed. He shot down Assistant Superintcr4cnt Sounders mistaking him for Scott and making a dramatic escape from Lahore travelled to Calcutta in the guise of a rich man acconpsnied by his wife and a servant.
After some time. he left Calcutta and established a bomb factory at Agra. Having no faith in Gandhijis nonviolence, the nevohnionaries decided to attack the attention of people by throwing bombs in the Central Assembly Hall. In pursuance of this decision Bhagat Singh and B.K. Dull threw two bombs while the Assembly was in session. Bhagat Singh was arrested on the spot
D,sring his trial. Bhstynt Singh refused to employ any defence counsel. In the Jail, he went on hunger strike to secure humanitarian treatn,er.t for fellow-political prisoners. Bhagat Singb along with Sukh Den an4 Raj Guru was awarded death sentence by a special tribunal on October 7, 1930. Despite great popular pressure and numerous appeals by pnlitical leaders of India, Bhagat Singh and his associates were hanged in the early hours of 23rd March, 1931. Their bodies were cremated on the bank of the Sutiej in Fcrozcpur. Then he was Just 23 years 5 months and 27 days old, but when he died be had lived lung enough to become a legend. a symbol and a source of inspiration for all future freedom-tighten of India.
- Brief Life sketch
- Bhagat Singh and the Revolutionary Movement
- Gems Collected by Shaheed Bhagat Singh in Jail
Articles by on Shaheed Bhagat Singh