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Our Heroes
India's Favourite Icon & "Calendar Boy"
by BALWANT GARG & NAV SHARMA
What do you prefer on the wall? A handcuffed Shaheed Bhagat Singh, the martyr defiantly twirling his moustache, or him reading a book on a cot in jail, captioned Inquilab Zindabad (Long live the revolution).
Shaheed Bhagat Singh is India's favourite icon and "calendar boy" this year.
He was a revolutionary and a martyr who gave his life for the independence of India. Born on 27 September 1907 at village Banga in Lyallpur district, Punjab - an area now in Pakistan - he was the second son of Sardar Kishan Singh and Vidyavati.
Young Bhagat Singh was imbued from childhood with his family's spirit of patriotism. The year 2007 marked the beginning of the celebrations of the centenarian anniversary of the legendary freedom fighter.
Bhagat Singh became "Shaheed Bhagat Singh", or martyr, at the age of 23. The stories of his courage and commitment became an inspiration at that time, especially for the youth who wanted to see India independent. Even today, Shaheed Bhagat Singh's memory continues to inspire the nation, as many poems and songs have been written about him.
After celebrating his birth anniversary in September 2007 with much enthusiasm, a large number of voluntary organizations and many government employee unions have come out this year with New Year calendars on the Shaheed Bhagat Singh theme.
Desh Bhagat Yaadgari Hall in Jalandhar is being flooded with requests for photos of Sardar Bhagat Singh from NGOs and other organizations.
According to Gurmit Singh, secretary of the Cultural Wing of the Hall, over 200,000 Bhagat Singh calendars and posters have been published in the last few months. Apart from this, they receive at least one call a day from abroad. The photo of the martyr in a bare joora, sitting on a charpai (cot) in CID custody, is the most sought.
Strangely, the official calendar of the Punjab government for 2008 does not reflect the "martyr veneration". It doesn't even have a small space devoted to the Shaheed, even in this, his birth centenary year.
But last week, at India's Republic Day Parade in New Delhi, a huge bust of one of its proudest sons, the fiery revolutionary and freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, was the theme for Punjab's float. It also depicted the trial of the Shaheed Sardar, and a re-enactment of the 1928 boycott of the Simon Commission.
Bhagat Singh remains the reigning icon. The Tarksheel Society has, for the last decade, been devoting its New Year calendars to Bhagat Singh, and his birth centenary year is no different.
"He is an idol of the youth and a household name, which arouses admiration and respect", said Swaran Ram Lakehwali, a senior functionary of the society.
Punjab Field and Workshop Workers' Union has come out with 10,000 calendars.
"Bhagat Singh is a real hero, so the calendar is devoted to him", said Suresh Sharma, president of the union. A majority of printing press owners of Bathinda vouch that most calendars printed this year bear photographs of Sardar Bhagat Singh.
He continues to live in our hearts and is an indispensable part of our freedom struggle:
Shaheedon ki chitaaon par lagenge har baras mele,
Watan par marne waalon ka baaki yahi nishaan hoga.
These lines have never been more true!
January 30, 2008
[Courtesy: The Times of India, MeriNews]
Conversation about this article
1: Varinder (U.S.A.), January 30, 2008, 11:31 PM.
Growing up in India, we heard and read lots about this great son of Punjab in the news, at school and in folklore. As life went on and I learned more about Sardar Bhagat Singh, he seemed more human than ever, but still great. And here are a few things I learned: Bhagat Singh was actually arrested in Ferozepur, contrary to the official story. I was shown the chaobara where he was arrested, by a freedom fighter who himself spent 20 years underground until independence. Bhagat Singh never killed Sauders; in a meeting with Bhai Randhir Singh, he said he knew that the British were going to kill him anyway. So, he accepted the blame for this murder, this way the cause would get publicity from the "Hindu press". He was an atheist for a period, but after he met with Bhai Randheer Singh, he accepted the fact that there was some power governing the world and had started keeping his hair unshorn as a fully-observant Sikh. His last photograph evidence it. Interesting, how a great hero of folklore became a great human for me.
2: Bhupinder Singh Ghai (New Delhi, India), February 01, 2008, 6:00 AM.
The only good thing that the SAD( Shromani Akali Dal) government has done is to pressurize the central goverment to change the picture of Bhagat Singh genrally seen in popular media wearing a British hat to the current one featuring a turban. Sikh youth - and, of course, all Indians - need these great role models.
3: Satvir Kaur (Boston, U.S.A.), February 01, 2008, 10:58 AM.
Sirdar Kapur Singh has written good details about Bhagat Singh and the making of him into an icon. He mentions that Bhagat Singh did become a keshadhari when he met Bhai Randhir Singh and how this was not acceptable to the "rulers".
4: Chintan Singh (San Jose, U.S.A.), February 04, 2008, 1:55 PM.
It is sad to note that there have been three mega bollywood films made on Shaheed Bhagat Singh in addition to the famous B&W 1970's bollywood production, "Shaheed", but all show him as cleanshaven in his final days - contrary to the facts.
5: Jessie Kaur (Toronto, Canada), February 12, 2008, 10:39 PM.
I implore the writers of this article and future contributors to this website to give sufficient, relevant background information for the benefit of readers. This article would have been a great opportunity to introduce thousands of people to the story of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and to showcase the great contribution he made to our history, but sadly, there are no details provided and the writers assume that all readers are familiar with this chapter in Indian history.
6: Pranith (Hyderabad, India), October 15, 2008, 5:18 AM.
I love Bhagat Singh. He sacrificed his life for the nation ... he is my role model.
7: Sant Singh (Delhi, India), September 23, 2010, 5:06 AM.
I love S. Bhagat Singh kyoon ki yehi hai real! Singh is King!