On March 23, Shaheed Diwas is observed annually to honor and remember the unmatched and extraordinary sacrifice of the three revolutionary freedom fighters, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar, and Shivaram Rajguru, who played an essential role in India’s independent movement. On 23 March 1931, they were hanged to death as involved in the Lahore conspiracy case.
Bhagat Singh was convicted of taking revenge for the death of Lajpat Rai. He went ahead to assassinate a British police officer, John Saunders, and successfully evaded the police, who tried to capture him later. Bhagat Singh blew up the Legislative Assembly by throwing two bombs and surrendered himself.
Even though he is renowned in history, lesser-explored aspects of Bhagat’s life activism reveal the depth of his character and principles. Here, we unveil the lesser-explored facts about the Indian Revolution.
Bhagat Singh (1907–1931)
Bhagat Singh was born on September 27, 1907, in Lyallpur, western Punjab, into a Sikh family. He attended Dayanand Anglo-Vedic High School and later enrolled at the National College Lahore. He performed his duty as an editor and writer for newspapers in two languages, Urdu and Punjabi.
He started protesting against British rule at a young age, became a leading figure, and fought for national independence. Bhagat is known for popularizing the slogan “Inquilab Zindabad.
In 1928, Bhagat Singh and others planned to kill the chief police just because he was responsible for the death of an Indian politician, writer, and one of the founders of the National College of Lala Lajpat. During the March opposing the Simon Commission, they mistakenly killed another officer, J.P. Saunder. To avoid the death penalty, Singh had to flee Lahore. It was the time of 1929 when Bhagat and his companion threw a bomb at the central legislative assembly. They protest the implementation of the Defense of India Act.
23 March 1931, Bhagat Singh Sukhdev and Shivaram were hanged
The most notable period in Bhagat Singh’s life unfolded during his imprisonment following his arrest on April 8, 1929. This marked the beginning of struggles throughout the time he was in jail. It initiated a hunger strike on June 15, demanding recognition as political prisoners for 112 days. This hunger strike was one of the world’s most prolonged strikes. The hunger strike garnered immense press coverage and public support for their precious pearl. His prisoner friend Jatindra Das’s demise after fasting for 63 days heightened public disapproval towards the authorities.
Bhagat’s one hundred and sixteen-day (116) strike ended on 5 October 1929 at the request of his father and the Congress leadership. On March 23, 1931, the court ordered the implementation of Bhagat Singh in the Lahore conspiracy case. Two protestants, Sukhdev and Shivaram, were hanged with Bhagat Singh in Lahore.
Bhagat Singh reprimanded his father for pleading for mercy from the British
As we know, a father-son relationship is very emotional. That’s why, even though he was in the right, his father, Kishan, requested the judge have mercy on his son. He wrote to the judge that his son was innocent and that he should please forgive him. But when Bhagat Singh learned that his father made the request, he objected to his father’s statement that we cannot break our principles for the sake of our lives.