Bhagat Singh: A Great Martyr, an Intrepid Warrior

 

Bhagat Singh: free download image

"Let us declare that the state of war does exist and shall exist so long as Indian toiling masses and the natural resources are being exploited by a handful of parasites. They may be purely British capitalists or mixed British and Indian or even purely Indian. They may be carrying on their insidious exploitation through mixed or even on purely Indian bureaucratic apparatus."

                (Quoted from "No Hanging, please shoot us", a collection of writings by Bhagat Singh)

 

Bhagat Singh, the eternal martyr, wrote in his last petition in which he demanded death by firing squad rather than hanging to gallows. His commitment, zeal and overall determination of the great soul oozing out from every word that he wrote. Bhagat Singh, along with Rajguru and Sukhdev happily accepted the gallows rather than compromising with his principles. He and his comrades did not want a mere change of guards but an overall change - a change where everyone should get ones due without toiling for it. It may sound utopian, but his views reflect his sentiments about the sufferings of mankind and his motherland. He longed for an oppression free and classless society.

 

The classless society is the linchpin of Marxism. Marx propounded that Communism was the highest stage of Socialism, a theory that seems rosy but difficult to effectuate. Is it not easy to have a classless society devoid of oppression and exploitation? The answer lies in the thought process. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to attain a classless society. Even in the so-called Communist countries, a class - the ruling class - has emerged. The concept of a classless society seems more close to the "Ram Rajya" in the sense that people have equitable rights over resources and a level playing field for their development without any further consideration. Long before, the Greek philosopher Plato had mooted the concept of Philosopher King for a reasonable society. It shows thinkers have since long been thinking and struggling for an equal and just society.

 

Let us come back to Bhagat Singh. He was a revolutionary. He wanted a radical change, not cosmetic. He, who attached great values to human lives, was very disturbed to see Jallianwala bagh carnage and avenged the brutal killing of Lala Lajpat Rai by killing Saunders. His commitment to a radical change in the life of Indian people was intrinsic. Bhagat Singh strongly believed that the war against oppression would continue until the goal was achieved. He did not hesitate using violent means as well to make his point loud and clear. He, with Batukeshwar Dutt, hurled a voice bomb in Central Assembly Hall, New Delhi, to make their point heard by the deaf autocratic imperialist English government. Instead of escaping, they remained there, raised the slogan "Inquilab Zindabad!" (Long Live the Revolution) and threw red pamphlets explaining and justifying their actions. "IT TAKES A LOUD VOICE TO MAKE THE DEAF HEAR with these immortal words uttered on a similar occasion by Valient, a French anarchist martyr, do we strongly justify this action of ours." This was the opening paragraph of the red pamphlet.  

The British considered him a potential threat to the imperialist regime of the time. He was framed, or rather he let Britishers do it, trialled and ultimately surreptitiously executed. In the wake of mounting public anger, the execution of the three Bravehearts was preponed. Ignoring protocols, customs and prevailing rules they were sent to gallows during the evening. On the fateful day of March 23, 1931, when he, along with Sukhdev and Rajguru was hanged, people outside the precipitous walls of the jail were becoming restless and agitated. A man of principle was dead. However, his ideas are eternal.

 

Could he be saved? It is a question people often ask. There are divergent views regarding it. Even the role of Gandhiji is also under clouds. However, it is not in the ambit of this write-up.

 

Did we achieve what the intrepid warriors longed for? It is a point of cogitation for the nation. They did not merely want freedom from the yoke of foreign rule. Their sacrifice was for the larger benefit of the country. Albeit the strife was for self-rule, but the strong undercurrent was for an equitable society and upliftment. They hecatomb to the altar of motherland so that we, their children, could breathe in free air. It should not be that we ceremoniously remember them and forget. To follow their principles is also desired.