Bhagat Singh (1907-1931)

Bhagat Singh was one of the most influential revolutionary freedom fighters of India, known for his courage, intellect, and sacrifice for the independence movement.

• Born: September 28, 1907, Banga, Punjab (now in Pakistan)
• Died: March 23, 1931 (aged 23), Lahore Central Jail
• Family: Sikh family with strong patriotic background
• Father: Kishan Singh (involved in Ghadar movement)
• Uncle: Ajit Singh (revolutionary)

• Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (1919) - Deeply impacted him at age 12
• Family environment - Patriotic atmosphere at home
• Kartar Singh Sarabha - His role model and inspiration

• D.A.V. High School, Lahore
• National College, Lahore (left to join freedom struggle)
• Voracious reader - European revolutionary literature
• Languages: Punjabi, Urdu, English, Hindi

• 1921: Participated in Non-Cooperation Movement (age 14)
• 1923: Joined Naujawan Bharat Sabha
• 1926: Founded Naujawan Bharat Sabha in Lahore

• Co-founded HSRA with Chandrashekhar Azad and others
• Objective: Complete independence through revolutionary means
• Philosophy: Atheist, socialist, and secular ideology

Background:

• October 30, 1928: Lala Lajpat Rai died after police beating during Simon Commission protest
• Vow: To avenge his death

The Plan:

• Target: British police officer James A. Scott (responsible for beating)
• Mistake: Shot John Saunders instead of Scott
• Date: December 17, 1928
• Associates: Rajguru, Sukhdev, Chandrashekhar Azad

Objective:

• Protest against Trade Disputes Bill and Public Safety Bill
• “Make the deaf hear” - Create awareness about freedom struggle

The Incident:

• Date: April 8, 1929
• Location: Central Legislative Assembly, Delhi
• Associates: Batukeshwar Dutt
• Action: Threw non-lethal bombs and pamphlets
• Slogan: “Inquilab Zindabad” (Long Live Revolution)

Aftermath:

• Voluntarily surrendered instead of escaping
• Strategy: Use trial as platform for revolutionary propaganda

• Defended themselves in court
• Refused to hire lawyers
• Used court as platform for revolutionary ideas
• Long political statements explaining their ideology

• June 1929: Started hunger strike in prison
• Demands:
  1. Equal treatment for political prisoners
  2. Better living conditions
  3. Right to read newspapers and books
• Duration: 116 days (Jatin Das died during this strike)

• “Why I am an Atheist” (1930) - Written in prison
• “The Philosophy of the Bomb” - Justification for revolutionary violence
• Prison diary and letters

• “Inquilab Zindabad” (Long Live Revolution)
• “It is easy to kill individuals but you cannot kill the ideas”
• “Revolution is the inalienable right of mankind”

• Verdict: Death sentence for killing John Saunders
• Date of execution: March 23, 1931
• Age: 23 years
• Last wish: To die for the motherland

• Location: Lahore Central Jail
• Time: 7:30 PM (ahead of scheduled time)
• Associates executed: Rajguru and Sukhdev
• Last words: “Inquilab Zindabad”

• Mass outrage across India
• Inspiration for youth to join freedom struggle
• Symbol of sacrifice and patriotism

• Secular nationalism ideal
• Youth icon and revolutionary symbol
• Alternative path to Gandhi's non-violence
• Socialist ideals in Indian politics

• Paper: General Studies Paper I (Modern History)
• Topics: Revolutionary movement, socialism in freedom struggle
• Previous Year Questions:
  1. Role of revolutionary movements in freedom struggle (2020)
  2. Compare revolutionary and moderate approaches (2019)
  3. Youth's role in independence movement (2018)

• 1907: Birth
• 1919: Jallianwala Bagh impact (age 12)
• 1926: Founded Naujawan Bharat Sabha
• 1928: Lajpat Rai's death revenge
• 1929: Assembly bombing
• 1931: Execution (March 23)

• Rajguru - Fellow martyr, shot Saunders
• Sukhdev - Close friend and fellow martyr
• Chandrashekhar Azad - HSRA leader and mentor
• Batukeshwar Dutt - Assembly bombing partner
• Ashfaqullah Khan - Muslim revolutionary friend

• Compare with Gandhi's approach
• Contemporary mass movements

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Sources: NCERT Class 12 History, Revolutionary movements in India