1

BHAGAT SINGH

Born: September 27, 1907

Place of Birth: Village Banga, Tehshil Jaranwala, District Lyallpur, Punjab (in modern day
Pakistan)
Parents: Kishan Singh (father) and Vidyavati Kaur (mother)
Education: D.A.V. High School, Lahore; National College, Lahore
Associations: Naujawan Bharat Sabha, Hindustan Republican Association, Kirti Kisan Party, Kranti
Dal.
Political Ideology: Socialism; Nationalism; Anarchism; Communism
Religious Beliefs: Sikhism (childhood and teen); Atheism (youth
Publications: Why I Am An Atheist: An Autobiographical Discourse, The Jail Notebook And Other
Writings, Ideas of a Nation
Death: Executed on March 23, 1931
Memorial: The National Martyrs Memorial, Hussainwala, Punjab

Bhagat Singh is considered to be one of the most influential revolutionaries of Indian Nationalist
Movement. He became involved with numerous revolutionary organizations and played an important
role in the Indian National movement. He died a martyr at the age of just 23 years. Following his
execution, on March 23, 1931, the supporters and followers of Bhagat Singh regarded him as a
"Shaheed" (martyr).

Childhood and Early Life

Bhagat Singh was born on 27 September 1907 at Banga in Lyallpur district (now Pakistan) to Kishan
Singh and Vidyavati. At the time of his birth, his father Kishan Singh, uncles Ajit and Swaran Singh
were in jail for demonstrations against the Colonization Bill implemented in 1906. His uncle, Sardar
Ajit Singh, was a proponent of the movement and established the Indian Patriots' Association. He
was well-supported by his friend Syed Haidar Raza in organizing the peasants against the Chenab
Canal Colony Bill. Ajit Singh had 22 cases against him and was forced to flee to Iran. His family was
the supporter of the Ghadar party and the politically aware environment at home helped incite a sense
of patriotism in the heart of young Bhagat Singh.

Bhagat Singh studied till the fifth class in his village school, after which his father Kishan Singh got
him enrolled at the Dayanand Anglo Vedic High School in Lahore. At a very young age, Bhagat
Singh started following Non-Cooperation Movement, initiated by Mahatma Gandhi. Bhagat Singh
had openly defied the British and had followed Gandhi's wishes by burning the government-
sponsored books. He even left the school to enrol at the National College in Lahore. Two incidents
 2

during his teen days shaped his strong patriotic outlook - the Jallianwala Bagh Masacre in 1919 and
killing of unarmed Akali protesters at the Nankana Sahib in 1921. His family believed in the
Gandhian ideology of non-violent approach to attain Swaraj and for a while Bhagat Singh also
supported the Indian National Congress and the causes behind the Non-Cooperation Movement.
Following the violent incidents of "Chauri Chaura", Gandhi called for the withdrawal of the Non-
Cooperation movement. Unhappy with the decision, Bhagat Singh, isolated himself from Gandhi's
nonviolent action and joined the Young Revolutionary Movement. Thus began his journey as the
most prominent advocate of violent insurgency against the British Raj.

He was pursuing B.A. examination when his parents planned to have him married. He vehemently
rejected the suggestion and said that, if his marriage was to take place in Slave-India, my bride shall
be only death."

BOMBING OF THE ASSEMBLY (EIGHTH OF APRIL, 1929)

In the face of actions by the revolutionaries, the British government enacted the Defence of India Act
to give more power to the police.[36] The purpose of the Act was to combat revolutionaries like
Bhagat Singh.[36] However, the Act was then passed under the ordinance that claimed that it was in
the best interest of the public. In response to this act, the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association
planned to explode a bomb in the Central Legislative Assembly where the ordinance was going to be
passed. This idea was originated by Bhagat Singh, who was influenced by a similar bombing by a
martyr anarchist Auguste Vaillant in the French Assembly.[37] It was decided that Bhagat Singh
should go to Russia, while Batukeshwar Dutt should carry on the bombing with Sukhdev.[37]
Sukhdev then forced Bhagat Singh to call for another meeting and here it was decided, against the
initial agreement, that Batukeshwar Dutt and Bhagat Singh would carry on the bombing.[37] Bhagat
Singh also disapproved that the two should be escorted after the bombing by the rest of the party.[37]

On 8 April 1929, Singh and Dutt threw a bomb onto the corridors of the assembly and shouted
“Inquilab Zindabad!” (“Long Live the Revolution!”).[38] This was followed by a shower of leaflets
stating that it takes a loud voice to make the deaf hear.[39]

The bomb neither killed nor injured anyone; Singh and Dutt claimed that this was deliberate on their
part, a claim substantiated both by British forensics investigators who found that the bomb was not
powerful enough to cause injury, and by the fact that the bomb was thrown away from people.[40]
Singh and Dutt gave themselves up for arrest after the bomb.[40] He and Dutt were sentenced to
‘Transportation for Life‘ for the bombing on 12 June 1929.
 3

ससससस ससस सससस, सस ससस ससस सससस ससससस सस सस ससससससससससससससस

सस सससस ससस सससससससस सस ससस ससससस सससस ससस सस ससस सससससस ससस
सससससस ससससस ससससस सस ससस सस सससस ससस ससससससससस सस सससस
ससससस सस ससस सस सससस सस सस ससस सस ससस सससससस सस ससससस

सससस सस सस ससस सससस ससससससस सस ससससससससससस ससससससस सस ससससस

सससस

Quote 1: Lovers, Lunatics and poets are made of same stuff.

In Hindi: सससससस, सससस, सस ससस सस सस ससस सस ससस सससस सससस

Quote 2: Every tiny molecule of Ash is in motion with my heat I am such a Lunatic that I am free
even in Jail.
In Hindi: ससस सस सस सस सस सससस ससससस सस सससससस सस ससस सस ससस सससस
ससस सस ससस ससस सस ससससस सस.

Quote 3: If the deaf are to hear, the sound has to be very loud. When we dropped the bomb, it was
not our intention to kill anybody. We have bombed the British Government. The British must quit
India and make her free.
In Hindi: ससस ससससस सस ससससस सस सस ससससस सस सससस सससससस सससस
सससस. सस सससस सस सससससस सस ससससस ससससस सससस सस ससससस सससस स.
सससस सससससससस सससससस सस सस सससससस सस . ससससससससस सस सससस
सससससस ससससस सस ससस ससससस सससस ससससस.

Quote 4: One should not interpret the word “Revolution” in its literal sense. Various meanings and
significances are attributed to this word, according to the interests of those who use or misuse it.
In Hindi: सससस सस “ससससससस ” सससस सस सससससससस ससससससस सससस ससस
सससस सससस सससससस सस ससस सस सससस सस ससससस सस सससससससस सससस
 4

ससस सससस ससससस सस ससससस सस ससस ससस ससस सससस सस सससससससस ससस
सससस सस.

Quote 5: Revolution did not necessarily involve sanguinary strife. It was not a cult of bomb and
pistol.
In Hindi: सससससस सससस सस सस ससससससस ससस ससससससस सससससस ससससस
ससस सस सस सस ससससससस सस ससस सससस सस.

Quote 6: The people generally get accustomed to the established order of things and begin to tremble
at the very idea of a change. It is this lethargical spirit that needs be replaced by the revolutionary
spirit.
In Hindi: सस ससस सस ससस ससससस सससस ससस सससस ससस सस सससस ससस सस
ससससस सस ससससस सस सस सससससस सससस सससस सससस ससस ससससससससससस
सस ससससस सस ससससससससससस ससससस सस ससससस सस सससससस सस.

Quote 7: Any man who stands for progress has to criticize, disbelieve and challenge every item of
the old faith.
In Hindi: सस ससससससस सस ससससस सस ससस सससस सस ससस सस सस ससससससससस
ससस सस सससससस सससस सससस , सससस सससससससस सससस सससस ससस ससस
सससससस सससस सससस.

Quote 8: I emphasize that I am full of ambition and hope and of full charm of life. But I can
renounce all at the time of need, and that is the real sacrifice.
In Hindi: ससस सस ससस सस ससस सससस ससस सस ससस ससससससससससससससस , ससस
सस सससस सस ससससस सससससस सस ससस ससस ससस. सस ससस सससससस ससससस
सस सस सस ससससस सससस ससस, सस ससस ससससस सससससस सस.

Quote 9: Non-violence is backed by the theory of soul-force in which suffering is courted in the
hope of ultimately winning over the opponent. But what happens when such an attempt fail to
achieve the object? It is here that soul-force has to be combined with physical force so as not to
remain at the mercy of tyrannical and ruthless enemy.
In Hindi: सससससस सस सससस-सस सस सससससससस सस सससससस ससससससस सस
ससससस सससस: ससससससससससस सस ससस सस ससस ससस सससस ससस सससस सस .
ससससस सस सससस सस सस सस सससससस सससस सससससस ससससससस सससस ससस
सससस सस सससस ? ससस सससस सससस -सस सस ससससससस सस सस सससससस सस
सससससस ससससस सस सससस सस ससससससससस सस ससससस सससससस सस
ससससससस सस सस सससससस सससस .