Bhagat Singh remembered

* Legendary hero sacrificed his life to liberate the oppressed

By Shahnawaz Khan

LAHORE: The 73rd death anniversary of Sardar Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhadev, was celebrated in the city on Tuesday.

Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign held a rally, which started from Faletti’s Hotel and ended at Shadman Chowk where all the three leaders were hanged in 1931.

Kiran Jeet Singh, the nephew of Bhagat Singh, was especially invited from India to participate in the rally.

Alan woods, a renowned Marxist leader, Estefen Volcov, the grandson of Leon Trotsky, Member of the National Assembly Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmad, Munoo Bhai and Javed Shaheen led the rally and people from all walks of life participated in it.

The participants including the People Youth Organization (PYO) Lahore President Sadaf Zahra, Youth for International Socialism (YIS) Organiser Hina Zain, Shahida Jabben, a Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader and others gave rich tributes to Mr Singh for his efforts and his ideology.

The Mazdoor Kisan Party also arranged a seminar to mark the occasion at Chopal (Nasir Bagh) in which a large number of poets, writers and intellectuals participated.

Mr Singh was born on September 27, 1907 in a Sikh family, who were farmers by occupation, in Banga Village in Layalpur (currently Faisalabad) District.

His family stood for patriotism, reforms, and freedom of the country. His father Kishen Singh and uncle Ajit Singh were members of Ghadr Party founded in the early years of British rule in India. Both were jailed for anti-government activities.

Mr Ajit had 22 cases against him and was forced to move to Iran. Thereafter he went to Turkey, Austria, Germany and finally to Brazil to avoid Kalapani punishment (the Indians were deported to undergo life imprisonment on an Island in Indian Sea) for his revolutionary activities in India.

Mr Singh studied at the National College, founded by a great revolutionary leader and reformist Lala Lajpatrai. Mr Singh ran away from his house to avoid en early marriage and became a member of the youth organization ‘Noujawan Bharat Sabha’ that had members from all sects and religions.

He met Chandra Shekhar Sharma (alias Azad), BK Dutt and other revolutionaries, who used to print handouts and newspapers in Urdu, Punjabi and English languages secretly to raise political awareness in India, which were banned activities in those days.

The British government constituted a commission led by Sir John Simon in 1928 to report on political activities. There was no single nominee from India in this commission, so all the political parties decided to boycott the commission when it planned to visit major cities.

In Lahore, Lala Lajpatrai and Pandit Madan Mohan Malavia decided to openly hold a protest against the commission. It was a silent protest march, but the Police Chief Scott had banned meetings or processions. Thousands of people joined the protest rally without giving rise to any untoward incident. Despite this Mr Scott beat Mr Lajpatrai severely with a Lathi (stick) on his head and Mr Lajpatrai succumbed to his injuries later.

Mr Singh who saw the bloody scene, and vowed to take revenge. Mr Singh, Mr Rajguru and Mr Sukhadev plotted to kill Mr Scott. However, they killed Sanders, a junior officer, instead because of mistaken identity.

Mr Singh and Mr Dutt distributed handbills at Delhi Central Assembly on April 8, 1929. They also threw a bomb in the Assembly corridor, though, no casualties were reported. Mr Singh continuously chanted slogans Inquilab Zindabad (Long Live, Revolution!).

Later, Mr Singh, Mr Rajguru and Mr Sukhdev were arrested and were sentenced to death. Mr Singh was hanged on March 23,1931 and became a legendary hero.

Numerous songs were composed on his personality, and young men throughout the country idealised him, as he was a symbol of bravery who fought for the freedom of the motherland.

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