A Tribute to Shaheed

23 March, 1931, a black day in the history of Indian Independence movement. Outside Lahore jail, a group of people were shouting slogans,

Inqlaab Zindabaad…!!    Inqlaab Zindabaad…!!

Long Live Revolution…!!

Just few hours before the execution, Sardar Bhagat Singh was informed that his execution has been advanced by 11 hours on 23 March 1931. And as time struck 7:30PM, mother India lost a great son, a revolutionary of the Indian independence movement.

Time itself may regret to be a part of that distress moment. Nature may have shed a tear or two.

 It is said that no magistrate of the time was willing to supervise his hanging and the jail authorities broke rear wall of the jail and secretly cremated the martyr under the cover of darkness. Why Englishmen were so cautious, when they were well established in India? And that too from a young, 24 year old man. It was because he was a revolutionary. A young hot blooded man, whose single minded approach for the freedom struggle, made easy for him to sacrifice all the worldly desires. When his parents were looking for a suitable match for him this is the reply that they got,

 “My life has been dedicated to the noblest cause, that of the freedom of the country. Therefore, there is no rest or worldly desire that can lure me now...”

A true freedom fighter, once in his childhood, while playing in open fields was asked, “What do you do?” and pat come the reply, “I sow guns” and the reason was none other than “To secure freedom for my country.”

The man, who gave a hard time to Englishmen, went on hunger strike for 116 days, fought for freedom with determination and great courage. And this is the longest hunger strike of the world till date.

Here comes 23 March, 2012 and there is a question that needs to be answered.

“Have we forgotten the hero of our freedom struggle?”

The man who sacrificed his life, so that we can live in a free country, have we forgotten him?

Let us don’t blame it on government; Government loves only politicians and their family members. Government has never celebrated his birthday, as they did for others. Neither it consoled, it simply ignored him. Indira Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajiv Gandhi, or say other family members are blessed with these celebration and consolation. Bhagat Singh doesn’t need that from government. Celebrations and consolation should be from the people of his beloved country.

He has always been a hero for youth of the country and today India is having highest percentage of youth population. So, we are the decision makers. We are in the right place at the right time and for the right cause. So let us just do it.

It’s a call upon youth of India to rock the virtual world with name of the legend.

On 23 March, 2012 let’s tweet as much as we can, let’s update facebook status, let us change our profile pictures to that of the legend, let us create facebook page, and let’s show the world for what we stand for. Let this year, Writers write about him, painters paint him; Singers sing  for him and artists live in the world of Bhagat Singh.

This is a call for youth of India to wake up from slumber and fight for the hero. If government is busy in giving titles to politicians, so can we, if not officially let’s give the title out of love. The government can only impose some names on us, but let people choose the beloved one. They can only name buildings, airports, roads, etc, but can’t buy respect. Let it be people’s voice to prevail, let it be people of India to decide to whom they want to give their heart to. But before each one of you makes your decision just remember that he was just 24 years old, when they hanged him till death. Just like anyone of us.

As he said, "it takes a loud noise to make the deaf hear", let us make a loud noise in virtual world, so that deaf could hear. Let us pay tribute to Shaheed Bhagat Singh.

Chup khade hain aaj saare bhai mere khaamosh hain
Na karo to kuchh kaho mazhab mera mushkil mein hai

Sarfaroshi ki tamannaa ab hamaare dil mein hai

Dekhanaa hai zor kitnaa baaju-e-qaatil mein hai

Inqlaab Zindabaad…!!    Inqlaab Zindabaad…!! 

Rohit Garg