BHAGAT SINGH - A Humanist Hero.
Bhagat Singh was identified as a revolutionary, but he is one of the greatest humanist heroes of India. Bharat Singh never advocated violence, except in his early revolutionary life. Even when Bhagat and his fellow revolutionaries killed a British police officer, as a reaction to avenge the killing of Lala Lajpat Rai, they expressed their deep regrets for the killing of fellow human. Walls of Lahore streets were surfaced with stickers and posters, after John Saunders was shot dead,which said we are sorry to kill aman. But, this man was a part of cruel, despicable and unjust system and killing him was a necessity.” ”we are sorry for shedding human blood but it becomes necessary to bathe the altar of revolution with blood. Our aim is to bring about a revolution which would end all exploitation of man by man”.
Bhagat Singh knew that, to carry out the political work among the masses is an only successful way of revolution to unleash a popular wide-range movement. Bhagat helped in founding ’Naujawan Bharat Sabha’ in 1926. He said before NBS execution,” let me announce with all the strength at my command that I am not a terrorist and I was never, except perhaps in the beginning of my career. I am convinced that we cannot gain anything through these methods”. Bombing in assembly is not meant to kill, both Dutt and Bhagat wanted to get themselves arrested, Bhagat and his team wanted to counter the propaganda by the British as “HRS is a group of terrorists” with this move. Leaflets threw in the assembly to read with the statement, “It takes a loud voice to make the deaf hear”. With these immortal words uttered on a similar occasion by Valliant, a French anarchist, do we strongly justify this action of ours. Bhagat Singh never meant revolution as violence and strife, but a systemic change. Bhagat Singh played a major role, while drafting the HRSA manifesto, and made it clear, as opposed to "murder and incendiarism" per se. "Revolution is not a philosophy of despair or a creed of desperadoes. Revolution may be anti-God but is certainly not anti-Man," the manifesto went on.
Bhagat Singh strongly opposed the communal system in India. He said religion was one's private matter and communalism is the enemy to be fought with. He encouraged the young people who belongs to various communal groups and religious beliefs to join NBS. Bhagat Singh declared himself as an atheist, in his words, “I totally reject the existence of an Omnipresent, all powerful, all knowing God”. Why so? I will discuss it later in the essay. Here I wish to emphasise that I am not an atheist for the reason that I am arrogant or proud or vain; nor am I a demi-god, nor a prophet; no, nor am I God myself.” Bhagat Singh always condemned blind beliefs in the society and advocated reason, he said that, “It is necessary for every person who stands for progress to criticize every tenet of old beliefs”. Item by item he has to challenge the efficacy of old faith. If after rigorous reasoning, one is led to believe in any theory of philosophy, his faith is appreciated. His reasoning may be mistaken and even fallacious. But there is chance that he will be corrected because Reason is the guiding principle of his life. But belief, I should say blind belief is disastrous. It deprives a man of his understanding of power and makes him reactionary.”
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