Give Bhagat Singh his due place in history, demand Netizens
1 Nov 2007, 1732 hrs IST,Poonam Bisht,INDIATIMES NEWS NETWORK
He was revered by the youth, loathed by British Raj and opposed by none other than the greatest freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi. Like his fellow revolutionaries, idealistic and visionary, he dreamt of freeing his motherland from the clutches of the British rule. And at the young age of 23, Bhagat Singh laid down his life for his countrymen, setting an example of putting one's self before one's nation.
Several decades have passed since then. The martyr's name has once again made headlines. However, this time it is for different reasons. A debate has been triggered by the Union Public Service Commission's reference to the brave freedom fighter as "a revolutionary terrorist", in its general studies paper of UPSC's civil services exams recently.
It rarely happens that the struggle for country's Independence is being talked about by the masses and the contribution of Bhagat Singh doesn't feature in it. Ironically, history text books at the school or college level for decades tell a different story altogether. While historians chose to ignore the revolutionary efforts of the youth icon in the freedom struggle, Bhagat Singh's supporters believe that their hero has never got his due over all these years, thanks to the iconic names of great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel, which completely dominated history lessons.
When Timesofindia.com ran a story on how the UPSC entrance exam termed Bhagat Singh as a 'revolutionary terrorist', Netizens overwhelmingly raised strict objections to the reference. Most of them call it an act of blasphemy and an insult to the great freedom fighter's 'unmatched' contribution in the freedom struggle and nationalist movement.
Prateek Singh, Delhi, says, "This is an insult to some of greatest freedom strugglers. How can Bhagat Singh be equated to Osama Bin Laden? It is ironic that even after sixty odd years of our Independence, we have not been able to judge the role of our revolutionaries and give them proper respect. And regarding terrorism, the best explanation of means used by Bhagat Singh can be found in his statements (during his trial) and his letters. It would be highly appropriate if those letters and statements are taken into account while assessing the role of our revolutionaries."
Expressing dismay over the issue, Prabha from Dubai, says, "Those personnel involved and collaborated in bringing out such humiliating words as "revolutionary terrorist" for Shaheed Bhagat Singh should be punished as traitors of our nation."
Voicing his opinion all the way from Washington, Jayantsays,"Terrorism in all forms endorses killing of innocents bystanders. It cannot be justified for any cause. If Bhagat Singh can be called a revolutionary terrorist, then Gandhi should be called revolutionary terrorist as well since he was responsible for millions of death during Partition. Bhagat Singh never killed any innocent people for India's Independence. There is no place for any kind of terrorism in today's world. Those who support the term 'revolutionary terrorism' may be interested to see today's actual terrorists (including Naxals) getting a legal status."
In 1928, Bhagat Singh and his comrades shot Lahore Deputy Police Superintendent J P Saunders (who was mistaken for Police Chief Scott), to avenge the lathi-charge on Lala Lajpat Rai which led to his death. The next year, they hurled a harmless bomb in the National Assembly and threw pamphlets.
However, they made it clear in the court later that their only intention was 'to make the deaf hear'. Many Netizens feel that Bhagat Singh never wanted to unleash bloodshed. Rather, he was using such modes to make his countrymen aware of the existing scenario and the suffering of their brethren.
There are many who admit that Bhagat Singh's ways were not peaceful in nature but he certainly could not be referred to as a terrorist, a term which has now become synonymous with the likes of ULFA, LTTE, Al-Qaida, Lashkar-e-Toiba and Hizbul Mujaheedin and many other outfits responsible for killing several innocent people all over the world, in the name of freedom struggle.
Bhagat Singh and his brave comrades displayed remarkable grit, determination and patriotism and were guided by the sole intention of securing freedom for the motherland. They never shied away from owning the responsibilities for their acts. Should those heroes be branded as "terrorists", who kissed the gallows with smiles on their vibrant faces, without showing any traces of fear and died with only one slogan Inquilab Zindabad on their lips?
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Give Bhagat Singh his due place in history, demand Netizens-India-The Times of India