Posted
on September 28, 2015
Bhagat
Singh is considered by some to be one of the heroes of the Indian
Independence Movement.
 |
 have been used over and over and over again, on posters and t-shirts and memes and book covers and and and.... |
However,
Singh's actions included violence, revenge, and even murder – and
that is one reason that some uplift the pacifist Gandhi as a hero but
consider Singh more of a villain.
Some
people just shrug and say that, like everyone else, Singh did good
things AND bad things. He is not so easy to categorize, and it is
interesting that many different and contradictory movements have
tried to use his popularity to further their own agendas.
Bhagat
Singh was born in British India on this date in 1907. His family had
been involved with revolutionary activities against the British even
before Singh was born, and when he was a teenager he dabbled in ideas of anarchy (having no government at all) and Marxism (an attempt for a “classless society” by getting rid of capitalism).
An author and politician named Lala Lajpat Rai was leading a non-violent protest against British rule and was badly injured by British police officers. He ended up dying from those injuries. It was Rai's death that caused Singh to seek revenge, and he murdered a British police officer and cut his hair in order to escape capture. He also threw non-lethal bombs – along with leaflets – inside the Central Legislative Assembly. That time, he didn't elude police; he allowed himself to be arrested. He ended up gaining a lot of public support among Indians while fasting for 116 days in jail!
An author and politician named Lala Lajpat Rai was leading a non-violent protest against British rule and was badly injured by British police officers. He ended up dying from those injuries. It was Rai's death that caused Singh to seek revenge, and he murdered a British police officer and cut his hair in order to escape capture. He also threw non-lethal bombs – along with leaflets – inside the Central Legislative Assembly. That time, he didn't elude police; he allowed himself to be arrested. He ended up gaining a lot of public support among Indians while fasting for 116 days in jail!
Singh
was convicted of murder, and he was hung. He was
just 23 years old.
Like
I said, Bhagat Singh's legacy is mixed. He inspired a lot of Indian
youth to fight for independence, back in the first half of the
Twentieth Century. Even today, Singh is an idol for some, and there
are memorials, statues, and movies devoted to keeping his memory
alive.
 |
| ..and even on money! |
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