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BhagatSingh
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Thisarticleisabouttherevolutionary.FortheearlyimmigranttoUnitedStates,seeBhagatSinghThind.
BhagatSingh(IPA:[p
t
s
]( listen)1907[a]23March1931)

BhagatSingh

wasanIndianrevolutionarysocialistwhowasinfluentialintheIndian
independencemovement.BornintoaJat[4][5]PunjabiSikhfamily
whichhadearlierbeeninvolvedinrevolutionaryactivitiesagainst
theBritishRaj,hestudiedEuropeanrevolutionarymovementsasa
teenagerandwasattractedtoanarchistandMarxistideologies.He
workedwithseveralrevolutionaryorganisationsandbecame
prominentintheHindustanRepublicanAssociation(HRA),which
changeditsnametotheHindustanSocialistRepublican
Association(HSRA)in1928.
SeekingrevengeforthedeathofLalaLajpatRai,Singhassassinated
JohnSaunders,aBritishpoliceofficer.Heeludedeffortsbythepolice
tocapturehim.Soonafter,heandBatukeshwarDuttthrewtwo

BhagatSinghaftercuttinghishairinLahoreto
escapedetectionbypolicein1929
Born

27or28September1907[a]
Banga,Jaranwala
Tehsil,Lyallpur
district,Punjab,British
India(presentdayPakistan)

Died

23March1931(aged23)
Lahore,Punjab,British
India(presentdayPakistan)

bombsandleafletsinsidetheCentralLegislativeAssembly,and
offeredthemselvesforarrest.Heldinjailonachargeofmurder,he
gainedwidespreadnationalsupportwhenheundertookan116
dayhungerstrikedemandingequalrightsforEuropeanprisoners,
andthoseIndiansimprisonedforwhathebelievedwerepolitical
reasons.Duringthisperiod,sufficientevidencewasbroughtagainst

convictedandhangedforhisparticipationintheassassination,atthe

Organization NaujawanBharatSabha
HindustanSocialistRepublican
Association
KirtiKisanParty

ageof23.

Movement

himforaconvictionintheSaunderscaseaftertrialbySpecial
Tribunal,andanappealtothePrivyCouncilinEngland.Hewas

HislegacypromptedyouthinIndiatocontinuefightingfor

IndianIndependence
movement

independenceandheremainsaninfluenceonsomeyoungpeoplein
modernIndia,aswellastheinspirationforseveralfilms.Heiscommemoratedwitharangeofmemorialsincluding
alargebronzestatueintheParliamentofIndia.
Contents[hide]
1 Earlylife
2 Revolutionaryactivities
2.1 LalaLajpatRai'sdeathandkillingofSaunders
2.2 Escape
2.3 1929Assemblyincident
2.4 Furthertrialandexecution
3 Idealsandopinions
3.1 Atheism
3.2 Killingtheideas
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4 Criticism
5 Popularity
6 LegacyandMemorials
6.1 Moderndays
7 Seealso
8 References
9 Furtherreading
10 Externallinks

Earlylife
BhagatSingh,aSandhuJat,[6]wasbornin1907[a]toKishanSinghand
VidyavatiatChakNo.105GB,Banga,Pakistanvillage,JaranwalaTehsilin
theLyallpurdistrictofthePunjabProvinceofBritishIndia.Hisbirth
coincidedwiththereleaseofhisfatherandtwouncles,AjitSinghand
SwaranSingh,fromjail.[7]HisfamilymemberswereSikhssomehadbeen
activeinIndianIndependencemovements,othershadservedinMaharaja
RanjitSingh'sarmy.HisancestralvillagewasKhatkarKalan,nearthetown
ofBanga,IndiainNawanshahrdistrict(nowrenamedShaheedBhagat
SinghNagar)ofthePunjabandhisfamilyhadmovedtothecanalcolonies
ofBanga,PakistanintheLyallpurdistrictatthetimeofhisbirth.[8]

TheancestralhomeatKhatkar
Kalan.ThoughSinghneverlivedinthe
house,itispreservedasamuseum.

Hisfamilywaspoliticallyactive.[9]Hisgrandfather,ArjunSingh
followedSwamiDayanandaSaraswati'sHindureformistmovement,AryaSamaj,whichhadaconsiderable
influenceonBhagat.[8]HisfatherandunclesweremembersoftheGhadarParty,ledbyKartarSingh
SarabhaandHarDayal.AjitSinghwasforcedintoexileduetopendingcourtcasesagainsthimwhileSwaran
SinghdiedathomeinLahorein1910followinghisreleasefromjail.[10][b]
UnlikemanySikhsofhisage,SinghdidnotattendtheKhalsaHighSchoolinLahore.Hisgrandfatherdidnot
approveoftheschoolofficials'loyaltytotheBritishgovernment.[12]HewasenrolledinsteadintheDayanand
AngloVedicHighSchool,anAryaSamajiinstitution.[13]
In1919,whenhewastwelveyearsold,SinghvisitedthesiteoftheJallianwalaBaghmassacrehoursafter
hundredsofunarmedpeoplegatheredatapublicmeetinghadbeenkilled.[7]Whenhewasfourteenyearsold,he
wasamongthoseinhisvillagewhowelcomedprotestersagainstthekillingofalargenumberofunarmedpeople
atGurudwaraNankanaSahibon20February1921.[14]SinghbecamedisillusionedwithGandhi'sphilosophyof
nonviolenceafterhecalledoffthenoncooperationmovement.Gandhi'sdecisionfollowedtheviolentmurdersof
policemenbyvillagerswhowerereactingtothepolicekillingthreevillagersinthe1922ChauriChauraincident.
SinghjoinedtheYoungRevolutionaryMovementandbegantoadvocatefortheviolentoverthrowoftheBritish
GovernmentinIndia.[15]
In1923,SinghjoinedtheNationalCollegeinLahore,[c]wherehealsoparticipatedinextracurricularactivitieslike
thedramaticssociety.In1923,hewonanessaycompetitionsetbythePunjabHindiSahityaSammelan,writingon
theproblemsinthePunjab.[13]InspiredbytheYoungItalymovementofGiuseppeMazzini,[9]hefoundedtheIndian
nationalistyouthorganisationNaujawanBharatSabhainMarch1926.[17]HealsojoinedtheHindustanRepublican
Association,[18]whichhadprominentleaders,suchasChandrashekharAzad,RamPrasadBismilandShahid
AshfaqallahKhan.[19]Ayearlater,toavoidanarrangedmarriage,SinghranawaytoCawnpore.[13]Inaletterhe
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leftbehind,hesaid:
Mylifehasbeendedicatedtothenoblestcause,thatofthe
freedomofthecountry.Therefore,thereisnorestorworldly
desirethatcanluremenow.[13]
PolicebecameconcernedwithSingh'sinfluenceonyouthsandarrested
himinMay1927onthepretextthathehadbeeninvolvedinabombing
thathadtakenplaceinLahoreinOctober1926.Hewasreleasedon
asuretyofRs.60,000fiveweeksafterhisarrest.[20]Hewrotefor,and

Inthishistoricalphotographof
studentsandstaffofNationalCollege,
Lahore,Singhcanbeseenstanding
fourthfromtheright.

edited,UrduandPunjabinewspapers,publishedinAmritsar[21]andalso
contributedtolowpricedpamphletspublishedbytheNaujawanBharatSabhathatexcoriatedtheBritish.[22]He
alsowroteforKirti,thejournaloftheKirtiKisanParty("WorkersandPeasantsParty")andbrieflyfortheVeer
Arjunnewspaper,publishedinDelhi.[17][d]Heoftenusedpseudonyms,includingnamessuchasBalwant,Ranjit
andVidhrohi.[23]

Revolutionaryactivities
LalaLajpatRai'sdeathandkillingofSaunders
In1928,theBritishgovernmentsetuptheSimonCommissiontoreportonthepoliticalsituationinIndia.Some
IndianpoliticalpartiesboycottedtheCommissionbecauseitdidnotincludeasingleIndianinits
membership[e]andtherewereprotestsacrossthecountry.WhentheCommissionvisitedLahoreon30October
1928,LalaLajpatRailedamarchinprotestagainstit.Policeattempttodispersethelargecrowdresultedin
violence.Thesuperintendentofpolice,JamesA.Scott,orderedthepolicetolathicharge(usebatonsagainst)the
protestersandpersonallyassaultedRai,whowasinjured.Raidiedofaheartattackon17November1928.
Doctorsthoughtthathisdeathmighthavebeenhastenedbytheinjurieshehadreceived.Whenthematterwas
raisedintheParliamentoftheUnitedKingdom,theBritishGovernmentdeniedanyroleinRai'sdeath.[25][26][27]
BhagatwasaprominentmemberoftheHRAandwasprobablyresponsible,inlargepart,foritschangeofname
toHSRAin1928.[9]TheHSRAvowedtoavengeRai'sdeath.[20]SinghconspiredwithrevolutionarieslikeShivaram
Rajguru,SukhdevThapar,andChandrashekharAzadtokillScott.[17]However,inacaseofmistakenidentity,the
plottersshotJohnP.Saunders,anAssistantSuperintendentofPolice,ashewasleavingtheDistrictPolice
HeadquartersinLahoreon17December1928.[28]
Contemporaryreactiontothekillingdifferssubstantiallyfromtheadulationthatlatersurfaced.TheNaujawan
BharatSabha,whichhadorganisedtheLahoreprotestmarchalongwiththeHSRA,foundthatattendanceatits
subsequentpublicmeetingsdroppedsharply.Politicians,activists,andnewspapers,includingThePeople,which
Raihadfoundedin1925,stressedthatnoncooperationwaspreferabletoviolence.[24]Themurderwas
condemnedasaretrogradeactionbyMahatmaGandhi,theCongressleader,butJawaharlalNehrulaterwrote
that:

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HSRApamphletafterSaunder's
murder,signedbyBalraj,apseudonym
ofChandrashekharAzad

BhaghatSinghdidnotbecomepopularbecauseofhisactofterrorismbutbecauseheseemedto
vindicate,forthemoment,thehonourofLalaLajpatRai,andthroughhimofthenation.Hebecamea
symbol,theactwasforgotten,thesymbolremained,andwithinafewmonthseachtownandvillage
ofthePunjab,andtoalesserextentintherestofnorthernIndia,resoundedwithhisname.
Innumerablesongsgrewabouthimandthepopularitythatthemanachievedwassomething
amazing.[29]

Escape
AfterkillingSaunders,thegroupescapedthroughtheD.A.V.Collegeentrance,acrosstheroadfromtheDistrict
PoliceHeadquarters.ChananSingh,aHeadConstablewhowaschasingthem,wasfatallyinjuredby
ChandrashekharAzad'scoveringfire.[30]Theythenfledonbicyclestoprearrangedsafehouses.Thepolice
launchedamassivesearchoperationtocatchthem,blockingallentrancesandexitstoandfromthecity
theCIDkeptawatchonallyoungmenleavingLahore.Thefugitiveshidforthenexttwodays.On19December
1928,SukhdevcalledonDurgawatiDevi,sometimesknownasDurgaBhabhi,wifeofanotherHSRA
memberBhagwatiCharanVohra,forhelp,whichsheagreedtoprovide.Theydecidedtocatchthetraindeparting
fromLahoretoBathindaenroutetoHowrah(Calcutta)earlythenextmorning.[31]
SinghandRajguru,bothcarryingloadedrevolvers,leftthehouseearlythenextday.[31]Dressedinwesternattire,
andcarryingDevi'ssleepingchild,SinghandDevipassedasayoungcouple,whileRajgurucarriedtheirluggage
astheirservant.Atthestation,Singhmanagedtoconcealhisidentitywhilebuyingtickets,andthethreeboarded
thetrainheadingtoCawnpore.TheretheyboardedatrainforLucknowsincetheCIDatHowrahrailwaystation
usuallyscrutinisedpassengersonthedirecttrainfromLahore.[31]AtLucknow,Rajguruleftseparately
forBenareswhileSingh,DeviandtheinfantwenttoHowrah,withallexceptSinghreturningtoLahoreafewdays
later.[32][31]
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1929Assemblyincident
Forsometime,SinghhadbeenexploitingthepowerofdramaasameanstoinspiretherevoltagainsttheBritish,
purchasingamagiclanterntoshowslidesthatenlivenedhistalksaboutrevolutionariessuchasRamPrasad
BismilwhohaddiedasaresultoftheKakoriconspiracy.In1929,heproposedadramaticacttotheHSRA
intendedtogainmassivepublicityfortheiraims.[22]InfluencedbyAugusteVaillant,aFrenchanarchistwhohad
bombedtheChamberofDeputiesinParis,[33]Singh'splanwastoexplodeabombinsidetheCentralLegislative
Assembly.ThenominalintentionwastoprotestagainstthePublicSafetyBill,andtheTradeDisputeAct,which
hadbeenrejectedbytheAssemblybutwerebeingenactedbytheViceroyusinghisspecialpowerstheactual
intentionwasfortheperpetratorstoallowthemselvestobearrestedsothattheycouldusecourtappearancesas
astagetopublicisetheircause.[23]
TheHSRAleadershipwasinitiallyopposedtoBhagat'sparticipationinthebombingbecausetheywerecertain
thathispriorinvolvementintheSaundersshootingmeantthathisarrestwouldultimatelyresultinhisexecution.
However,theyeventuallydecidedthathewastheirmostsuitablecandidate.On8April1929,Singh,accompanied
byBatukeshwarDutt,threwtwobombsintotheAssemblychamberfromitspublicgallerywhileitwasin
session.[34]Thebombshadbeendesignednottokill,[24]butsomemembers,includingGeorgeErnestSchusterthe
financememberoftheViceroy'sExecutiveCouncil,wereinjured.[35]Thesmokefromthebombsfilledthe
AssemblysothatSinghandDuttcouldprobablyhaveescapedintheconfusionhadtheywished.Instead,they
stayedshoutingtheslogan"InquilabZindabad!"("LongLivetheRevolution")andthrewleaflets.Thetwomen
werearrestedandsubsequentlymovedthroughaseriesofjailsinDelhi.[36]
Assemblycasetrial
AccordingtoNeetiNair,associateprofessorofhistory,"publiccriticismofthisterroristactionwas
unequivocal."[24]Gandhi,onceagain,issuedstrongwordsofdisapprovaloftheirdeed.[29]Nonetheless,thejailed
Bhagatwasreportedtoberelated,andreferredtothesubsequentlegalproceedingsasa"drama".[36]Singhand
DutteventuallyrespondedtothecriticismbywritingtheAssemblyBombStatement:
Weholdhumanlifesacredbeyondwords.Weareneitherperpetratorsofdastardlyoutrages...nor
arewe'lunatics'astheTribuneofLahoreandsomeotherswouldhaveitbelieved...Forcewhen
aggressivelyappliedis'violence'andis,therefore,morallyunjustifiable,butwhenitisusedinthe
furtheranceofalegitimatecause,ithasitsmoraljustification.[24]
ThetrialbeganinthefirstweekofJune,followingapreliminaryhearinginMay.On12June,bothmenwere
sentencedtolifeimprisonmentfor:"causingexplosionsofanaturelikelytoendangerlife,unlawfullyand
maliciously."[36][37]DutthadbeendefendedbyAsafAli,whileSinghdefendedhimself.[38]Doubtshavebeenraised
abouttheaccuracyoftestimonyofferedatthetrial.OnekeydiscrepancyconcernstheautomaticpistolthatSingh
hadbeencarryingwhenhewasarrested.Somewitnessessaidthathehadfiredtwoorthreeshotswhilethe
policesergeantwhoarrestedhimtestifiedthatthegunwaspointeddownwardwhenhetookitfromhimandthat
Singh"wasplayingwithit."[39]AccordingtotheIndiaLawJournal,whichbelievesthattheprosecutionwitnesses
werecoached,theseaccountswereincorrectandSinghhadturnedoverthepistolhimself.[40]Singhwasgivena
lifesentence.[41]

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