Shaheed Diwas 2021: Remembering Bhagat Singh on his 90th death anniversary and his famous quotes

Every year March 23 is celebrated as 'Shaheed Diwas' or Martyrs' Day in India. This year is the 90th death anniversary of the legendary revolutionary Shaheed Bhagat Singh. The day commemorates the hanging of India's three young freedom fighters - Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar, and Shivaram Rajguru. 

Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar, and Shivaram Rajguru were hanged by the British on March 23, 1931, in Lahore jail. The three young revolutionaries were arrested for their involvement in the Lahore conspiracy case and were awarded death punishment by a British court.

On Tuesday, tweeting on Shaheed Diwas Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote, "Salute to the revolutionaries of independence, Amar Shaheed Veer Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru on Martyrdom Day. The sacrifice of these great sons of Maa Bharati will remain an inspiration for every generation of the country. Jai Hind!"

आजादी के क्रांतिदूत अमर शहीद वीर भगत सिंह, सुखदेव और राजगुरु को शहीदी दिवस पर शत-शत नमन। मां भारती के इन महान सपूतों का बलिदान देश की हर पीढ़ी के लिए प्रेरणास्रोत बना रहेगा। जय हिंद! #ShaheedDiwas pic.twitter.com/qs3SqAHkO9

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 23, 2021

Revisiting History

Bhagat Singh was born on September 28, 1907, in Lyallpur, Punjab. Together with his companions Rajguru, Sukhdev, Azad, and Gopal, he fought against the British. Sukhdev, born on May 15 1907 in Ludhiana, came in contact with Bhagat Singh in 1921 when he was a student of National College. 

Sukhdev joined the underground revolutionary organisation, Hindustan Republican Association (HRA), which included Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Chandrashekhar Azad. The association declared itself socialist in 1928.

The group was deeply affected by the assassination of Lala Lajpat Rai. A lawyer by profession, Rai led a non-violent protest against the Simon Commission when it visited Lahore on October 30, 1928. The British Raj police reverted with lethal force, carrying out a lathi-charge.

It was during this lathi charge that Singh witnessed a brutal attack on Rai, who suffered serious injuries in the police assault and eventually died on November 17, 1928, of a heart attack.

In 1928, Bhagat Singh and his team planned to kill the police chief responsible for the death of Rai, one of the founders of National College, during a silent march opposing the Simon Commission. However, they failed to identify their target and junior officer JP Saunders was killed. Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev had to flee Lahore to escape the death penalty.

In 1929, he and an associate threw a bomb at the Central Legislative Assembly in Delhi to protest the implementation of the Defence of India Act by cheering the slogan of 'Inquillab Zindabad (long live the revolution)'. 

Famous Quotes of Bhagat Singh

"They may kill me, but they cannot kill my ideas. They can crush my body, but they will not be able to crush my spirit."

"If the deaf are to hear, the sound has to be very loud."

''Revolution did not necessarily involve sanguinary strife. It was not a cult of bomb and pistol.''

''Any man who stands for progress has to criticize, disbelieve and challenge every item of the old faith. Item by item he has to reason out every nook and corner of the prevailing faith."

"Bombs and pistols do not make a revolution. The sword of revolution is sharpened on the whetting stone of ideas."