Author Topic: Bhagat Singh - What Gandhi Did & Didn't Do. (Read 6733 times)

LondonPunjabi · « **on:** June 05, 2010, 09:10:58 PM »

Bhagat Singh is a hero of mine and it is with pleasure I write the following. It is entirely my own view.

It is well known that Bhagat Singh was disillusioned with Gandhi's methods of gaining freedom for India; some would argue it was for good reason. In his zeal to spiritualize the freedom movement, Gandhi made tactical mistakes, calling off the Non-Cooperation Movement is but one. There is a possibility that independence could have come sooner and partition may have been avoided. Remember that Bhagat Singh was only 23 when he was executed in 1931.

Bhagat Singh was no less patriotic than Ghandi; nor was Subhash Chandra Bose or for that matter Khan Bahadur Khan Rohilla in 1857. Let’s not forget; it wasn’t just Hindus and Sikhs who died for India, Muslims stood against the British too.

Bhagat Singh suffered from the lack of recognition for his cause. The Congress Party branded him a hothead even before the British did. This was a direct result of Gandhi’s influence on the Congress Party members.

Many Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims from Northern India never forgave Gandhi and Nehru for the bloodshed caused during the Partition and to this day some still feel that way. It also has to be borne in mind the Punjab covered an area from Pakistan’s NWF all the way to Delhi. It was probably the most powerful state of India and that power had to be broken. So, was that in the interest of the Nehru, Gandhi and the Congress Party? I guess that is another debate but it looks like it.

Bhagat Singh’s hunger strike in prison to get better conditions for prisoners (prisoners of Hindu, Muslim and Sikh faiths) is one of the most memorable events in the history of Indian freedom struggles. In their heart of hearts even the most ardent Congress Party supporters acknowledged this, most Punjabis certainly did. Remember we are talking about a period when there was no Pakistan.

Ghandi’s “Satyagraha” actually made Bhagat Singh a household name with Northern Indians and soon the whole of India knew of him. He became a hero who cared for his motherland. Even modern Indians recognize him; even if they don’t know what he actually did, indeed they know Bhagat Singh really matters despite all the efforts made by the Congress Party after India's independence, to ignore him.

To many Punjabis in 1931 it is precisely for this reason it was painful to realise that Bhagat Singh might have been saved with an effort by leaders of the Congress Party in general and Gandhi in particular. However, there are some who might argue that Bhagat Singh had to die in order to unite the people of India. I do not subscribe to that point of view. I believe that if people like him were not sacrificed partition might not have occurred.

People like Bhagat Singh are our nation's pride and should never be forgotten for they give us hope. It would be good for the current Bhangra generation to know of a man, who lived by his ideals till he breathed his last for his beliefs and the freedom of a nation.

There are many Indians and Pakistanis who believe to this day that Gandhi will not be forgiven for certain things. That does not make everyone a hater. Yes indeed Gandhi has become a legend. But that is more to do with the Congress Party immediately after 1947. After that Richard Attenborough’s movie added further kudos to Gandhi’s story. However the movie ignored a substantial part of his history.

Author Topic: Bhagat Singh - What Gandhi Did & Didn't Do. (Read 6733 times)

LondonPunjabi

Bhagat Singh - What Gandhi Did & Didn't Do.

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