Shaheed Diwas: A salute to the never-ending saga of courage and sacrifice

Proud British rulers were truly scared of an Indian teenager who had enough courage to break the barriers for motivating the Indian youth. Bhagat Singh, the freedom fighter from Punjab added an unforgettable chapter in the history of India’s freedom struggle. Born and brought up in a family of freedom fighters, Bhagat was completely obsessed with the perception of freedom which according to him was foreseeable and very much needed after so many years of slavery under British rule. His senses were completely filled with the spirit of freedom fight.  When the nation needed true fighting spirits and motivations to move ahead with the ongoing fights against the British, Bhagat played the lead role to inspire and mobilize Indian youth.

Life was never easy for Bhagat as he was actively involved in the freedom movement right from his childhood.  He grew up amidst the frustrating period when nothing was going right for the nation. Bhagat had a very clear vision that only united nation especially united youth can make the difference and a forceful active movement would enable us to achieve freedom. 

It was the watershed period of Indian’s freedom struggle when Bhagat Singh along with his fellow mates ignited the enthusiasm among youth with his motivational speeches that actually frightened the British. They wanted to suppress his voice that was speaking boldly and loudly against the British rules and stimulating the Indians to go for a violent fight against them.

Bhagat believed that independence can never come with compromises but with sacrifices and decided to go for end-to-end fight against the British. He was involved in two high profile attacks – one on a Police Chief, John Saunders in December 1928 and the other attack was on the Central Legislative Assembly, Delhi.  Bhagat Singh and two other brave heart revolutionaries Sukhdev Thapar and Shivaram Rajguru were convicted of killing Saunders and they were hanged till death on 23rd March, 1931 in Lahore jail. Bhagat was only 23 at the time of his death and British government was so much anxious that they did not even hand over the dead body of Bhagat Singh to his family. They broke the rule and cremated Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru’s mortal remaining in absence of their families.

The day of the execution of three freedom fighters- Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar and Shivaram Rajguru has been marked as Shahid Diwas and is dedicated to the martyrs who sacrificed their precious lives for India’s freedom movement.