Remembering Bhagat Singh (1907-1931)

By Mubarak Ali

Dawn: October 07, 2007

IN 1947, the subcontinent was not only partitioned into two countries, but as a result of partition history too was divided, with two distinct characteristics developing their own interpretations in India and Pakistan. In Pakistani historiography the emphasis is on the Pakistan Movement rather than on anti-colonialism. That is why movements and those individuals who had taken part in the anti-colonial struggle are not part of our history. Sardar Bhagat Singh is one such individual.

He was a revolutionary who wanted not only freedom from foreign rule but also to radically change society in favour of the common people; he is portrayed in different hues and colours, suiting the purpose of various political parties and groups. The Congress Party in India recognises him as a freedom fighter who struggled against the British rule, but his revolutionary character is sidelined and not appreciated.

Similar is the case with the right-wing political parties in India for whom he was a son of Bharat, a patriot, but his anti-communalist and egalitarian views on society are concealed by them. In Pakistan, Bhagat Singh is recognised by Punjabi nationalists and the leftist groups, but in other provinces of Pakistan he is not so well known. In official circles there is silence, and no function was organised last week here to mark his birth centenary.

There are two important aspects for which Bhagat Singh stands out. He used terrorist methods to create awe and shock among alien rulers of India; more important, he spread his revolutionary ideas among the young generation, inspiring it to struggle against foreign rule and to change the basic structure of society. Terrorist activities in British India began after the partition of Bengal in 1905, when all other methods to annul that partition had failed.

Most probably, the early terrorists were inspired by secret societies at the time in Italy, Germany and Russia, where young people organised themselves to topple tyrannical regimes. The method was to target important members of the ruling class in order to create fear and terror among them so as not to let them act against the people. As in most of these countries, individuals were responsible for anti-people policies; the terrorists made attempts at assassinating members of the ruling elite as a warning.

In India, Bengali rebel groups followed this tactic and succeeded in forcing the British government to annul the partition of their province in 1911.

Bhagat Singh and his companions were arrested on charges of murder of a police officer and for throwing bombs in the Central Assembly. While in prison, Singh did not waste his time and read revolutionary literature. He also jotted down his thoughts which were recently published as The jail notebook and other writings compiled by Chaman lal. Some of his notes are titled as: ‘Statement before the sessions court’; ‘To make the deaf hear’; ‘Regarding Suicide’; and ‘Why I am an atheist’.

Bhagat Singh’s case was widely publicised at the time. Gandhi did not support him and his tactics and kept quiet; Muhammad Ali Jinnah fully supported Bhagat Singh and condemned the British government for following anti-people policies which forced young people to resort to violence.

Why should we remember Bhagat Singh today? The answer lies in his legacy. Some elements of it are still relevant while some have changed with the passage of time. First of all, his commitment to the cause of liberation is laudable. He sacrificed his life for it. He wanted India free from foreign domination and exploitation. Both India and Pakistan are now independent countries but Pakistan is not so fully independent. We are still influenced by foreign powers and international financial institutions. Therefore, there is still need to liberate ourselves from such foreign clutches.

Secondly, the whole phenomenon of terrorism has changed. Bhagat Singh and his friends used it to create shock among the ruling classes and to inspire the people with the thought that the British empire was not invincible. They never intended to hurt civilians. Nowadays terrorism is used by imperial and state powers to kill both civilians and militants. Extremist groups too are using it indiscriminately against civilians as well as their adversaries. That is why it is creating havoc among the people everywhere. People are the real victims of terrorism today.

Thirdly, Bhagat Sing wanted to change the structure of society radically. In a brief essay on the slogan ‘Long live the revolution,’ he writes: “The sense in which the word revolution is used in this phrase is the spirit, the longing for a change for the better. The people generally get accustomed to the established order of things and begin to tremble at the very idea of change. It is this lethargic spirit that needs to be replaced with the revolutionary spirit.”

The idea still is valid as class differences grow and the number of have-nots increases in countries like ours. Society cannot get peace and security without solving this problem. The question is how to resolve the dilemma: by following a revolutionary or a constitutional process? If there are no constitutional ways to fulfill political ambition, people, and especially young people, will resort to violent means to achieve their ideals. Therefore, the lesson of history is to strengthen democratic institutions and empower people.