The date March 23 is etched in the pages of history as the day when freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar attained martyrdom in the pursuit of independence for India from the British. This year marks the 86th martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, the most revered figures of the anti-colonial movement. Bhagat Singh attained martyrdom at the young age of 23 and became an inspiration and the face of nationalism for generations to come.
History
On March 23, 1931, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were hanged by the British Raj for their involvement in the killing of John Saunders, who they mistook for British police superintendent, James Scott. Scott was their target because they believed he was instrumental in the death of nationalist leader Lala Lajpat Rai.
- It all began with Lala Lajpat Rai succumbing to injuries caused during a lathi charge while he was protesting against the Simon Commission.
- Simon Commission was a report on the political situation in India, but the panel did not have any Indians in it.
- Bhagat Singh, a member of Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), with the aim to avenge the death of Lala Lajpat Rai conspired to attack James A. Scott, who had ordered the lathi charge.
- Rajguru, Sukhdev and Chandrashekhar Azad were also a part of this conspiracy.
- However, because of a case of mistaken identity they shot John P. Saunders instead.
- A massive manhunt was launched to capture the group.
- In the meanwhile, Bhagat Singh, accompanied by Batukeshwar Dutt, threw two crude bombs into the Central Assembly chamber to protest against the Public Safety Bill, and the Trade Dispute Act on April 8, 1929.
- The crude bombs were not designed to kill, but injured a few.
- Singh and Dutt instead of escaping stayed on after throwing the bomb shouting slogans of “Inquilab Zindabad” and threw leaflets that read: It is easy to kill individuals but you cannot kill the ideas. Great empires crumbled while the ideas survived.
- The duo was arrested and lodged in a series of jails in Delhi.
- Sukhdev was arrested during a raid on the bomb factory of HRSA in Lahore.
- All the three, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were convicted of the killing of Saunders in what came to be known as the Lahore Conspiracy case, and were sentenced to death.
- While the execution was slated for March 24, 1931, they were hanged a day prior on March 23, at 7.30 pm in Lahore.
- They were cremated at Hussainiwala at the banks of the Sutlej river in the Ferozepur district of Punjab.
