The entire country mourned when the three youth were hanged. It rekindled the spark of patriotism in freedom fighters. At the backdrop of martyrs Day of freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Rajaguru and Sukdev on Saturday March 23, here is a memorial.
The New Delhi sessions court was jam packed with audience, Bhagat Singh said, ‘I wish to draw your attention to Sergeant Terry’s statement that it’s a lie that he had snatched the pistol from one of us. Truly, when did not have pistols when we offered ourselves to will of God. Those who stand witness at the court have only seen us exploding the bomb and nothing more. It’s indeed a great lie,’ said Bhagat Singh during the hearing at the court.
We love all fellow Indians and in now way we hate them. It’s impossible to explain in worth the sacredness that we attach to human lives. The veteran socialist Divan Chamanlal has labeled as terrorists and brings disgrace to our nation. Besides, Tribune, English daily published from Lahore and others labeled us as fools. It’s not true and a mockery.
We had the aim of protesting against Assembly that is ineffective in addressing the issues of masses and indirectly ignites divisions among Indians. The Assembly was the plank for imperial forces to display the helplessness and misery to the world. The rulers were laundering the taxes that are collected from Indians toiling in menial jobs on displaying monarchial splendor. It’s a waste of money and of poor display of splendor, conspiracy. The imperial rulers have no empathy for wage earners who are silently bearing the ill treatment.
We have been inspired by the words of the late C R Das, member of governor general executive Committee. We strongly believed to explode the bomb in order to caution the British rulers. We planted the bomb on the floor of Assembly as vengeance. We did not have any other way to show our misery. We had just one purpose that is to send a strong message to the deaf ears of British.
We have no personal enmity to all those injured in the explosion. Not only that. We have no jealousy on Assembly members who were present. We believed in humanity and never intended to induce agony on fellowmen. None can contain the fire of Indian freedom struggle, despite prohibitory orders. The wildfire of freedom struggle cannot be contained by hanging all those patriotic youth.
Highlights of Bhagat Singh’s statement in Lahore court
My Lord,
I am neither a lawyer nor an English expert. I have no degrees. You will have to make an effort to know the facts without giving importance to vocabulary.
First of all, when we exploded the bomb in the Assembly, it has not caused bodily injury or loss of property. We have been given capital punishment for a minor crime. It is being given as vengeance. Secondly, as long as one does not understand the real emotions of an inmate, one would not get the idea of his real intention. If in case, one hides the real motive, he would not get justice. If one does not take the real motive into consideration, then the commanders in the world look like criminals. If one hides the motive, even Jesus Christ will be a troublemaker and perpetrator. Despite this, we worship Him. We deeply love and regard for Him. The people in His times did not realize anything; instead they were observing the worldly affairs of Jesus Christ. Since then, nineteen centuries elapsed, but what we have achieved anything worthwhile? The intention has greater significance in law.
Our case is not a complicated one. We have planted 2 bombs in central Assembly on April 8 1929. A few people were injured and chaos prevailed in the chamber. I was sitting in visitors’ gallery along with my associate B K Dutta. If at all, we wanted to run away, we could have done so. Even the sessions’ judge agreed in this regard. We confessed our wrongdoing and clarified our real motive. We did not fear the punishment, but we wished none of them would misunderstand us. A few paragraphs of our statements are deleted. We voiced our grievances with caution.
The statement related to our slogan ‘Inquilab Zindabad and Samrajyvad Murdabad’ is distorted. Our true motive lies in that slogan. The people pursue different meaning for Inquilab Zindabad that we don’t mean. Bomb and pistol will not bring Inquilab, instead it is the sharp thinking that is a sickle which gets sharper by sharpening on the surface of polishing stone. We believe, Inquilab is ending the capitalist rule and their overtures forever. It’s an injustice to wrongly accuse us. We are running out of patience that will explode any time.
You had to take note of another key issue. If in case, we had no expertise to plant the bomb, we could have exploded the bomb in front of Pandit Motilal Nehru, Keskar, Jayakar, Jinna and other veteran nationalists. Why should we take the lives of our leaders? I were not crazy, to do so. We had mastery over assembling the bomb. It’s not a difficult a task, to plant the bomb in the midst of people. We chose to plant the bomb in a deserted spot. It was indeed difficult. If one was nervous in doing his task, it would have missed the target of deserted spot, and there is likelihood that the bomb would have landed in benches amidst people sitting. We are worried that none understood us. We are here, not to beg to have mercy on us and reduce our punishment. Instead, we are here to clarify our stand. We only hope that we should not be misunderstood. We are not worried of punishment.’
