Shaheed Diwas - Story of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru
Martyrs’ Day or Shaheed Diwas is celebrated in India several times a year to remember freedom fighters who laid down their lives for India to become independent from British colonization.
Martyrs’ Day or Shaheed Diwas is celebrated in India several times a year to remember freedom fighters who laid down their lives for India to become independent from the British. Many schools organize functions on these days and students perform patriotic songs and plays. There are a total of seven Martyrs’ Days celebrated in India. Many people fought for India’s independence and later even for the rights of people. These 7 days are in the memory of the people who sacrificed their lives for the country. For example, the 30th January is celebrated as Martyrs day as Mahatma Gandhi was killed on that day. Another one is the 23rd of March. Let me tell you what happened on that day and why we celebrate it. Lala Lajpat Rai was a freedom fighter. He was leading a protest against the Simon Commission. The British government appointed the Simon Commission to make political changes in India. But there was no Indian member on the commission. So Rai was taking out a protest for this. It was a silent and non-violent march, but the police responded with violence.
James Scott was the Superintendent of Police in the British Raj. It was Scott who ordered the police to lathi-charge the protesters and Scott personally attacked Rai. This inflicted serious injuries on Rai and soon he died. Bhagat Singh witnessed this horrific incident. After the death of Lala Lajpat Rai, in November 1928, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev and others vowed to take revenge, as Rai was a major leader of India's independence movement. They conspired to kill Scott who was responsible for Rai’s death. However, they killed the assistant superintendent of police, John Saunders, mistakenly. After the attack on Saunders, they managed to escape and evade the police for some time. Then on April 8, 1929, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw two bombs inside the Central Legislative Assembly in Delhi. No lives were lost but they were arrested. Later Sukhdev and Rajguru were also arrested. Later, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were charged with the murder of Saunders and after a trial sentenced to death. The date of execution was fixed on March 24, but Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were hanged on the night of March 23, 1931 in Lahore jail.
When these three were hanged, Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev were 23-year-old, while Rajguru was just 22-year-old. The sacrifices of these young revolutionaries continue to inspire the youth today. The Punjab government has declared a public holiday on 23rd March. Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said that on this occasion the people of Punjab, elders and children would be able to pay homage to Bhagat Singh by visiting his village Khatkarkalan.
