The Complete Writings of Bhagat Singh (Indian Masterpieces): Why I am an Atheist, The Red Pamphlet, Introduction to Dreamland, Letter to Jaidev Gupta...and other works

by Bhagat Singh

This ebook is a collection of the complete writings of Bhagat Singh, an Indian socialist revolutionary whose two acts of dramatic violence against the British in India and execution at age 23 made him a folk hero of the Indian independence movement. Works The Problem of Punjab's Language and Script Blood Sprinkled on the Day of Holi Babbar Akalis on the Crucifix Beware, Ye Bureaucracy Letter to Shaheed Sukhdev The Red Pamphlet Joint Statement of Bhagat Singh and B. K. Dutt in the Assembly Bomb Case Hunger-strikers' Demands Letter to I.G. (Prisons), Punjab Mianwali Jail Message to Punjab Students' Conference Letter to Sukhdev Regarding Suicide Reasons for Refusing to Attend the Court Telegram on Lenin's Death Anniversary Hunger-Strikers' Demands Reiterated Regarding the LCC Ordinance Letter to Jaidev Gupta Justice Hilton Must Also Go Letter to Father Why I am an atheist? Letter to B. K. Dutt To Young Political Workers Regarding Line of Defence In Hari Kishan's Case Last Petition Introduction to Dreamland

Genres: Nonfiction

160 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 10, 2019

About the author

Bhagat Singh was an Indian socialist considered to be one of the most influential revolutionaries of the Indian independence movement. He is often referred to as "Shaheed Bhagat Singh", the word "Shaheed" meaning "martyr" in a number of South Asian and Middle Eastern languages. Born into a Sikh family which had earlier been involved in revolutionary activities against the British Raj, as a teenager Singh studied European revolutionary movements and was attracted to anarchist and Marxist ideologies. He became involved in numerous revolutionary organisations, and quickly rose through the ranks of the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) to become one of its main leaders, eventually changing its name to the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) in 1928.

Reviews

[Pooja Prabhu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shaheed Bhagat Singh was ahed of his time. This collection of letters written by him gives us a peak into his mind. Someone so young has such a broad outlook at life and a deep insight into his idealistic ideas.

Every young mind needs to read this book, even if it is to form an opinion of thier own about his thoughts.

I highly recommend it.

[Dr.J.G.]

It's hard to know where to begin. Bhagat Singh has been known to every child of India sooner or later, sooner if one grows up closer to Punjab, and to see his most famous photograph with a hat worn stylishly at a slant is to be aware that he was educated, erudite and more - those things are somehow absorbed in atmosphere.

But to read this, it becomes startlingly clear just how much the politics ruling India mist of decades post independence was unjust to these freedom warriors of India, solely so as to push under rug, if not completely wipe off, everyone from memory of India, only to keep one or two names elevated, and one family in power, not only in the ruling party but in the country.

Bhagat Singh was a thinker, very erudite and very well educated, once a senior colleague - who was a professor of mathematics at a research institute and a mentor - had said; he said he'd been unaware of it, due to the ruling party politics. I'd not only agreed with the part about Bhagat Singh, but thought it was known generally, while being not as specifically aware about the political part about clouding his memory in India being intentional, which now is obvious. Same was done to other great freedom fighters, after all, from Lokamaanya Tilak to Subash Chandra Bose and Sardar Patel, and far greater personae. They were mentioned along with other names, in history books, is all.

But reading this brings alive a mind that's not just educated in normal stuff taught commonly in schools and colleges - he died at age of 23! - but far more. He was very aware of various world happenings, of world history and literature, politics and more, and his stance of revolution was based on a personality firmly rooted in thought and awareness, self giving, and national concerns that were neither based on negative views of others nor in desire of personal glory, kudos, fame, power or gain.

He writes of politics, history and literature, of not just his native Punjab, not just of England- that would be after all part of school curriculum during British rule - but of Russian political figures and of Russian literature, those of italy and Ireland, knowledge that wasn't part of curriculum- after all, British weren't about to teach revolution to India!

"Perhaps Garibaldi could not have succeeded in mobilising the army with such ease if Mazzini had not invested his thirty years in his mission of cultural and literary renaissance. The revival of Irish language was attempted with the same enthusiasm along with the renaissance in Ireland."

And then, suddenly, he writes of spiritual matters, not as a preacher, but as a normal person and a revolutionary!

If the British rulers had any brains, they could hsve used such minds as Bhagat Singh and Subash Chandra Bose to help them, not with keeping India down, but far more and far better objectives. As it is, the choices made by the Brits had consequences for England, too, that were neither pleasant nor wanted.

And a goosebumps moment is reading here when Bhagat Singh predicts this!

"As revolutionaries, we do not believe that there can be any sudden change in the attitude of our rulers, particularly in the British race. Such a surprising change is impossible without through sustained striving, sufferings and sacrifices. And it shall be achieved."

It took WWII, particularly the early years after fall of France, when nazis occupied most of Europe - all of West and North, certainly - and London blitz, Coventry and more!

*****

Contents

The Problem of Punjab’s Language and Script
Blood Sprinkled on the Day of Holi
Babbar Akalis on the Crucifix
Beware, Ye Bureaucracy
Letter to Shaheed Sukhdev
The Red Pamphlet
Joint Statement of Bhagat Singh and B. K. Dutt in the Assembly Bomb Case
Hunger-strikers' Demands Letter to I.G. (Prisons), Punjab Mianwali Jail
Message to Punjab Students' Conference
Letter to Sukhdev Regarding Suicide
Reasons for Refusing to Attend the Court
Telegram on Lenin's Death Anniversary
Hunger-Strikers' Demands Reiterated
Regarding the LCC Ordinance
Letter to Jaidev Gupta
Justice Hilton Must Also Go
Letter to Father
Why I am an atheist?
Letter to B. K. Dutt
To Young Political Workers
Regarding Line of Defence In Hari Kishan's Case
Last Petition
Introduction to Dreamland

*****
Review
*****

The Problem of Punjab’s Language and Script


"The Punjab Hindi Sahitya Sammelan had organised an essay competition on The Problem of Punjab’s Language and Script in 1923. It was for that competition that Bhagat Singh wrote this article. The General Secretary of Sahitya Sammelan, Shri Bhim Sen Vidyalankar liked the article much and preserved it. Bhagat Singh got a prize of Rs. 50 for this article. Subsequently, it was published in Hindi Sandesh on February 28, 1933."

"Perhaps Garibaldi could not have succeeded in mobilising the army with such ease if Mazzini had not invested his thirty years in his mission of cultural and literary renaissance. The revival of Irish language was attempted with the same enthusiasm along with the renaissance in Ireland."

"The main reason behind this is the unfortunate communalisation of language in our province, in other provinces, we find that Muslims have fully adopted their provincial languages."

"Punjab should have been the language of Punjab, like other provinces, but since this has not happened, as this question is a spontaneous question, Muslims have adopted Urdu. Muslims totally lack Indianness, therefore they want to propagate Arabic script and Persian language. While failing to understand the importance of Indianness in the whole of India, they fail to understand the importance of one language, which could only be Hindi. That is why they keep repeating the demand for Urdu like a parrot and take an isolated position."

"The urdu script cannot be called a perfect one and the most important point is that it is based on the Persian language. The flights of imagination of urdu poets – even if they are Hindi (Indian) – reach the saaqis (bar-maids) of Persia and date palms of the Arbs countries. Kazi Nazrul-Islam’s poems refer to Dhurjate, Vishwamitra and Durvasa quite frequently, but our Punjabi Hindi-Urdu poets could not even think of them. Is it not a matter which makes one sad? Their ignorance of Indianness and Indian literature is the main reason of this. When they cannot imbibe Indianness, how can their literature make us Indian? Students confined to the study of urdu cannot attain the knowledge of the classical literature of India. It is not that these texts cannot be translated into a literary language like urdu, but it will be useful only to a Persian in his pursuit concerning Indian literature."

*****

Blood Sprinkled on the Day of Holi
Babbar Akalis on the Crucifix


"In 1925-26 Bhagat Singh was at Kanpur, working under Ganesh Shankar Vidharthi in the Hindi weekly Partap. While at Kanpur he wrote this article, signing it “Ek Punjabi Yuvak” (a Punjabi youth), about the martyrs of Babbar Akali movement. It was published in Pratap on March 15, 1925."

Incidentally, it is interesting that Bhagat Singh subtitled this piece, "Babbar Akalis on the Crucifix", long before research and fortuitous discoveries brought out reality of deceptions and lies by church of Rome to light, but he hit the nail on the head in using the subtitle.

If only he'd used this intuitive instinct in another direction, he'd have gone much further - for he was aware of various spiritual great souls of India of the time, and of those immediately preceding his time; he speaks of various personae and their works.

*****

"ON THE DAY OF HOLI, FEBRUARY 27, 1926, WHEN WE were getting high on our enjoyment, a terrible thing was happening in a corner of this great province. When you will hear it, you will shudder! You will tremble! On that day, six brave Babbar Akalis were hanged in the Lahore Central Jail. Shri kishan Singhji Gadagajja, Shri Santa Singhji, Shri Dilip Sinhghji, Shri Nand Singhji, Shri Karam Singhji and Shri Dharam Singhji, had been showing a great indifference to the trial for the last two years, which speaks of their fond waiting for this day. After months, the judge gave his verdict. Five to be hanged, many for life imprisonment or exile, and sentences of very long imprisonments. The accused heroes thundered. Even the skies echoed with their triumphant slogans. Then an appeal was prefered. Instead of five, now six were sent to the noose. The same day the news came that a mercy petition was sent. The Punjab Secretary declared that the hanging would be put off. We were waiting but, all of a sudden, on the very day of Holi, we saw a small contingent of mourners carrying the dead bodies of the heroes towards the cremation site. Then last rites were completed quietly."

"The city was still celebrating. Colour was still being thrown on the passers-by. What a terrible indifference. ... The story is quite lengthy, we have to turn back a little to know about it."

"The Non-Cooperation Movement was at its peak. The Punjab did not lag behind. The Sikhs also rose from their deep slumber and it was quite an awakening. The Akali Movement was started. Sacrifices were made in abundance. Master Mota Singh, ex-teacher of Khalsa Middle School, Mahalpur (district Hoshiarpur), delivered a speech. A warrant was issued against him, but the idea of availing of the hospitality of the crown did not find his favour. He was against offering arrest to fill the jails. His speeches still continued. In Kot-Phatuhi village, a big 'Deevan' was called. Police cordoned the area off from all sides; even then Master Mota Singh delivered his speech. The whole audience stood up and dispersed on the orders of the persident of the meeting. The Master escaped mysteriously. This hide-and-seek continued for long. The government was in a frenzy. At last, a friend turned traitor, and Master Saheb was arrested after a year and a half. This was the first scene of that horrible drama.

"⁠The "Guru ka bagh" movement was started. The hired hoodlums were there to attack the unarmed heroes and to beat them half-dead. Could anyone who looked at or listened to this, help being mover ? It was a case of arrests and arrests everywhere. A warrant was also issued against Sardar Kishan Singhji Gadagajja, but he also belonged to the same category and did not offer arrest. The police strained all its nerves but he always escaped. He had an organisation of his own. He could not bear the violence against unarmed agitators. He felt the need of using arms along with this peaceful movement."

"On the one hand, the dogs, the hunting dogs of the government, were searching for the clues, to get his scent; on the other, it was decided to "reform" the sycophants (Jholi Chukkas). Sardar Kishan Singhji used to say that we must keep ourselves armed for our own security, but we should not take any precipitate action for the time being. The majority was against this. At last, it was decided that three of them should give their names, take all the blame on themselves and start reforming these sycophants. Sardar Karam Singhji, Sardar Dhanna Singhji and Sardar Uday Singhji stepped forward. Just keep aside the question of its propriety for a moment and imagine the scene when they took the oath:"

"Near a station on Shyam Churasi-Hoshiarpur railway branch line, a Subedar became the first victim. After that, all these three declared their names. The government tried its best to arrest them, but failed. Sardar Kishan Singh Gadagajja was once almost trapped by the police near Roorki Kalan. A young man who accompanied him, fell down after getting injured, and was captured. But even there, Kishan Singhji escaped with the help of his arms. He met a Sadhu on the way who told him about a herb in his possession which could materialise all his plans and work miracles. Sardarji believed him and visited this Sadhu unarmed. The Sadhu gave him some herbs to prepare and brought the police in the meanwhile. Sardar Saheb was arrested. That Sadhu was an inspector of the CID department. The Babbar Akalis stepped up their activities. Many pro-government men were killed. The doab land lying in between Beas and Sutlej, that is, the districts of Jullundur and Hoshiarpur, had been there on the political map of the country, even before this. The majority of martyrs of 1915 belonged to these districts. Now again, there was the upheaval. The police department used all its power at its command, which proved quite useless. There is a small river near Jullundur; "Chaunta Sahib" Gurudwara is located there in a village on the banks of the river. There Shri Karam Singhji, Shri Dhanna Singhji, Shri Uday Singhji and Shri Anoop Singhji were sitting with a few others, preparing tea. All of a sudden, Shri Dhanna Singhji said : "Baba Karam Singhji! We should at once leave this place. I sense something very inauspicious happening." The 75-year old Sardar Karam Singh showed total indifference, but Shri Dhanna Singhji left the place, along with his 18-year old follower Dilip Singh. Quite suddenly Baba Karam Singh stared at Anoop Singh and said: "Anoop Singh, you are not a good person", but after this, he himself became unmindful of his own premonition. They were still talking when police made a declaration: Send out the rebels, otherwise the village will be burnt down. But the villagers did not yield.

"⁠Seeing all this, they themselves came out. Anoop Singh ran with all the bombs and surrendered. The remaining four people were standing, surrounded from all sides. The British police captain said: "Karam Singh! drop the weapons and you will be pardoned." The hero responded challengingly: "We will die a martyr's death while fighting, as a real revolutionary, for the sake of our motherland, but we shall not surrender our weapons." He inspiringly called his comrades. They also roared like lions. A fight ensued. Bullets flew in all directions. After their ammunition exhausted, these brave people jumped into the river and bravely died after hours of ceaseless fighting.

"Sardar Karam Singh was 75 years old. He had been in Canada. His character was pure and behaviour ideal. The government concluded that the Babbar Akalis were finished, but actually they grew in strength. The 18-year old Dilip Singh was a very handsome and strong, well-built, though illiterate, young man. He had joined some dacoit gang. His association with Shri Dhanna Singhji turned him from a dacoit into a real revolutionary. Many notorious dacoits like Banta Singh and Variyam Singh, too, gave up dacoity and joined them.

"⁠There were not afraid of death. They were eager to wash their old sins. They were increasing in number day-by-day. One day when Dhanna Singh was sitting in a village named. Mauhana, the police was called. Dhanna Singh was down with drinks and caught without resistance. His revolver was snatched, he was handcuffed and brought out. Twelve policemen and two British officers had surrounded him. Exactly at that moment there was a thunderous noise of explosion. It was the bomb exploded by Dhanna Singhji. He died on the spot along with one British officer and ten policemen. All the rest were badly wounded."

"In the same fashion, Banta Singh, Jwala Singh and some others were surrounded in a village named Munder. They all were gathered on the roof of a house. Short were fired, a cross-fire ensued for some time, but then the police sprinkled kerosene oil by a pump and put the house on fire. Banta Singh was killed there, but Variyam Singh escaped even from there."

" ... After two years of suppression, the Akali Jatha came to an end. Then the cases started, one of which has been discussed above. Quite recently too, they had wished to be hanged soon. Their wish has been fulfilled; they are now quiet."

November 14, 2021 - November 14, 2021.

*****

Beware, Ye Bureaucracy


"[A handwritten leaflet explaining the reasons for Saunders’ murder, written on December 18, 1928 on Mozang House den and pasted at several places on the walls of Lahore in the night between the 18th and 19th. A copy in Bhagat Singh’s handwriting was produced as an exhibit in the Lahore Conspiracy Case.]

"Hindustan Socialist Republican Army Notice

"J.P. Sunders is dead; Lala Lajpat Rai is avenged Really it is horrible to imagine that so lowly and violent hand violent hand of an ordinary Police Official, J.P. Saunders could ever dare to touch in such an insulting way the body of one so old, so revered and so loved by 300 millions of people of Hindustan and thus cause his death. The youth and manhood of India was challenged by blows hurled down on the head of the India’s nationhood."

"Beware, Ye Tyrants; Beware Do not injure the felling of a downtrodden and oppressed country. Think twice before perpetrating such diabolical deed"

*****

Letter to Shaheed Sukhdev


"This letter deals with the views of Bhagat Singh on the question of love and sacrifice in the life of a revolutionary. It was written on April 5, 1929 in Sita Ram Bazar House, Delhi. The letter was taken to Lahore by Shri Shiv Verma and handed over to Sukhdev. It was recovered from him at the time of his arrest on April 13 and was produced as one of the exhbits in Lahore Conspiracy Case."

*****

The Red Pamphlet


"On April 8, 1929, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt showered copies of this leaflet written by Bhagat Singh on the floor of Central Assembly Hall in New Delhi after tossing two bombs into the Assembly Hall corridors."

*****

"“LONG LIVE THE REVOLUTION”!

"Sorry for the death of a man. But in this man has died the representative of an institution which is so cruel, lowly and so base that it must be abolished. In this man has died an agent of the British authority in India – the most tyrannical of Govt. of Govts. In the world.

"Sorry for the bloodshed of a human being; but the sacrifice of individuals at the altar of the Revolution that will bring freedom to all and make the exploitation of man by main impossible, is inevitable."

*****
Joint Statement of Bhagat Singh and B. K. Dutt
in the
Assembly Bomb Case
*****

"3 This document was primarily written by Bhagat Singh. On April 8, 1929, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt showered copies of the leaflet on the floor of Central Assembly Hall in New Delhi after tossing two bombs into the Assembly Hall corridors.

"4 This phrase (translated from “Inquilab Zindabad!”)became one of the most enduring slogans of the Indian Independence Movement. Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutta repeated the slogan at their June 1929 trial on charges related to the bomb-throwing incident.

"5 “Balraj” was the pen name for the Commander-in-chief of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Army, Chander Shekhar Azad."

....

[Prakhar Prateek · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favourite works among the complete writing:-
1. Hunger-strikers' Demands (June 24, 1929)
2. Statement Before the Lahore High Court Bench (1930)
3. Statement of the Undefended Accused with J.N. Sanyal, B.K. Dutt, Dr. Gayal Prasad, and Kundan Lal (May 5, 1930)
4. Letter to Father (October 4, 1930)
5. Why I am an Atheist (October 5, 1930)
6. Letter to B. K. Dutt (November, 1930)
7. Last Petition (1931)
You may read these works for free on these sources:-
1. https://www.marxists.org/archive/bhag...
2.http://www.shahidbhagatsingh.org/inde...

[Priyashree Verma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my long pending read and now I am done with this. It's a thin 126 page book but what's inside this book shouldn't be judged by it's size. It carries surprisingly brave thoughts of a revolutionary who has lasting impact on India's independence history. After reading this book, few things are clear in my mind regarding Shaheed Bhagat Singh. A) His philosophy wasn't in line with the the philosophy of congress. B) He was a great supporter of Lenin and socialist movement of Russia. C) The revolution that he and his party wanted to bring was in line with the idea's of Lenin. D) He was an Aethist and was always in the favour of keeping religion apart from politics. E) Totally into left wing Communism, even extremist at that. F) Believed that use of arms and ammunition is justified to bring the revolution.
The reason to point out these lines is that nowadays the name of Bhagat Singh is being used by some parties and its followers to spread their propaganda. If he was alive today, he couldn't even stand Congress nor BJP. He talks about supporting the most underprivileged ones like farmers and labourers in the society but understands that they couldn't and shouldn't be used for the political gains by simply awaking national sentiments in them. Why you should give this book a read?
Because it would give you an adulterated glimpse in the life of a great revolutionary, his thought process, his approach and it's perspective which is very different from some movies that bollywood has tried to make on him or the lies that some political leaders and whatsapp University headmasters have tried to propagate in their favour. The revolutionaries of past shouldn't be used for political gains and the only way one can stop this is by simply reading about them and reading the things written by them.
Also, one of the important thing Mr. Singh has emphasized in his book is read. Read books. He has written that please do not read and follow anything blindly and take for granted what is writing in it. Read it, criticise it, think over it, and try to formulate your own ideas with it's help.

[Manpreet Bhamra · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book has invaluable historical value however Kindle edition doesn't

It's absolutely ridiculous and appalling to see so many typological errors, syntax errors and sentences repeated midway for no reason. It's take a lot of effort to sift through pages and error after error to try and make sense of what Bhagat Singh's original piece could have been. It's a shame to sell a book in his name and to deliver this shamelessly disregarded copy riddled with errors at every step. This is the kind of capitalistic practices Bhagat Singh was against, maybe this is a living ode to his legacy.

[Aarav Balsu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starting the new year off strong with one of the OGs. His writings are remarkable for their clarity of thought, selfless tone, and emotional appeals for the unequivocal removal of British imperialism from India.

My favorite piece in this is actually his earliest work, which was a submission to an essay-writing competition titled "The Problem of Punjab's Language and Script".

Short, easy to read, finished in a day.

[Ritvik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such self-awareness, courage, clarity of thought and complete understanding of socialism coupled with its impact and consequences at the endearing age of 23 is marvellous in a man. Long Live his name!

[anshul sahni · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has given me a peep into Bhagat Singh's mind, his thoughts his ideology his thoughts about the world, people, society, God, etc., but most importantly it has given me a reason to appreciate him, till now I was doing that just blindly.

I've known Bhagat Singh, since time immemorial, been reading about in newspapers, watching him being praised on TV, listening to golden words about him from different people but never understood why was such. I knew that he was involved in the killing of John Saunders and Assembly Bombings and he was hanged to death at a very young age because of his involvement in the above activities but then there were other people with him in all those activities or deeds why is Bhagat Singh considered a greater than all the others, or at least it is implied that way. This book has the answers, it has all his writings which is a direct way of looking into his thoughts.
After reading his articles and letter, now I understand why is he appreciated it. After reading him I think this is the best way to know a person or specifically such fighters of freedom for whom their ideologies are more popular than their deeds. This is a highly recommended book if you're an Indian or someone interested in reading about the freedom struggle of India