Martyrs' Day: Remembering Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru's sacrifice
Every March 23, India marks Martyrs's Day to remember Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar, and Shivaram Rajguru, the young revolutionaries who were executed by the British in 1931 for standing up to colonial rule.
Their story is a powerful chapter in India's freedom movement.
The revolutionaries who shook the British Empire
It all started when they avenged the death of national leader Lala Lajpat Rai by killing British officer John Saunders in 1928.
Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt also made headlines by throwing nonlethal bombs in the Central Legislative Assembly to protest unfair laws, with the stated intention of not harming anyone; the bombs were deliberately nonlethal and caused no serious injuries (only minor scratches reported).
Hunger strike and death sentence
Even after being arrested, Singh and his friends went on a hunger strike for better treatment as political prisoners.
Their hunger strike drew national attention and prompted government-level responses, including some concessions on prison conditions, but it did not prevent the death sentences.
They were sentenced to death in the Lahore Conspiracy Case (date not specified in the source) and were executed on March 23, 1931.
Significance of their sacrifice
Their courage and commitment keep inspiring new generations.
On Martyrs's Day, we remember not just their sacrifice but also what it means: standing up for justice and freedom, even when the odds are huge.