Bhagat Singh was Martyred on this day in 1931 with his other two revolutionary friends, Sukhdev and Raj guru.
by MD Jakir Ali
India’s one of the most charismatic revolutionary and national hero, Bhagat Singh, was Martyred on this in 1931 with his other two revolutionary friends, Sukhdev and Raj guru. They were hanged in Lahore Central Jail.
Singh, a voracious reader and great orator was just 23 years old when he stood with his head high on the gallows. Many of his fellow comrades did not agree with his aggressive views but still they had great impact on them.
In the current political atmosphere in the country, where people are roaming with notion of Nationalism, ever than before, Bhagat Singh would have declared Anti-national for his views on idea of India.
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The man who kept firm belief in atheism, till his last days of his life and believed that “Merciless criticism and independent thinking are two traits of revolutionary thinking”, would have been called anti nationalist as today there is no scope for the other trait.
Today, most of the people who support a particular political party and its agenda and call themselves nationalists and cannot listen to second opinion, completely go against what Bhagat Singh believed in.
To substantiate the claim, you may go through any news or social media post that favors the BJP led government. With a single comment of criticism, you may receive bundle of abuses, even rape and death threats by the Right- Wing trolls. If you check out their profile you may find the Display Pictures (DP) and bio with nationalist photos and rhetoric like: nation first, I love Indian Army, I support PM Modi, Proud Bhagwadhari, Akhand Hindu Rashtra, Jai Sri Ram, etc.
You will find these people are full of hatred for a certain community or anyone who goes against their ideology, which many of them follow unknowingly. Most of them sharing fake news in the feeds as they believe it to be true, even by those who hold important posts like doctors, professors, teachers and government officials. For them, being religious, being “Kattar Hindu” is like mandatory to be a true son of soil. But the real hypocrisy comes when they express their devotion for Bhagat Singh and show their allegiance for him every year on his death and birth anniversaries.
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Bhagat Singh was influenced by Carl Marx, Lenin and Trotsky and the likes and believed in socialism, is felicitated and revered by Right- Wing followers. This shocking and extensive practice mainly can have two reasons, either they are totally ignorant about what Bhagat Singh did in his life and what was his ideology.
Apart from being an atheist, he was strongly against capitalism. In 1928, he created the Hindustan ‘Socialist’ Republican Association (HSRA), along with Sukhdev, Chandrasekhar Azad and others. If he was still alive today, as socialist, he would have been raising his firm voice against capitalistic policies like now abrogated ‘three Farm laws’ introduced by the government of India. And, for that matter, he would have been facing a lot of flak as farm bill protesters did.
He considered himself an atheist and pure humanist and with that identity he would surely be standing against CAA/NRC laws which are based upon religious discrimination.
In 1929, Bhagat Singh with his associates threw bomb at the Central Legislative Assembly in Delhi to protest against the imposition of defense of India act. He did not try to flee but willingly surrendered as he doesn’t desire to kill any assemblymen.
His sole intention was to register his protest against his ideological enemies whom he did not wish to kill even when he had bombs in his hands.
The man who did not even kill his enemies out of hatred, how would he be feeling in current scenario where leaders are spewing hatred against the fellow citizens (read Muslims).
Had Bhagat Singh alive today, how he would have reacted to students who got barred from their fundamental right to education just because they cover their head with a piece of cloth called Hijab. Where Vice President says there is no harm in Saffronization the Education system. Where leaders say that Bhgawa flag can replace Tiranga in future. Where a sitting member of parliament says that “we are here to change constitution”, that very constitution, for which Bhagat Singh sacrificed his life 91 years ago.
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