BHAGAT SINGH: A FORGOTTEN POLITICAL THINKER

Bhagat Singh, a well-remembered revolutionary. But his struggle was not mere anti-colonial or anti-British, his aim was to free the human kind from the chains of exploitation and mental slavery.

- Keerthiraj

Bhagat Singh along with Rajguru and Sukhdev were hanged to death on 23^rd March 1931. Every year 23^rd March is observed as Martyrs’ day in honour of these revolutionary heroes. Present day India is well aware of heroic rebel activities of Bhagat Singh. But most of the other talents and messages given by the great hero, were forgotten! Today human kind needs Bhagat singh’s values. Otherwise we are going to pay high price for ignoring Bhagat Singh. It is not about remembering a day, but a bad memory can cost a lot in our future. Bhagat was not only a revolutionary, but also a great political thinker, who thought and wrote about Socialism, religion, caste, untouchability and other social issues of contemporary South Asia.

Today India is in an intellectual turmoil. Fake socialism and self-declared intellectuals are busy in leading India towards wrong directions. A proper study on Bhagat’s writings can be a panacea to most of the confusions and problems faced by Indian subcontinent. Those writings revealed Bhagat in different shades. At once as a political thinker of modern India, as a great teacher of revolution, as a sensitive journalist, who cared about the system. Bhagat’s struggle was not mere anti-colonial or anti-British, his aim was to free the human kind from the chains of exploitation and mental slavery. For example in 1928 Bhagat wrote two articles in a magazine called ‘Keerthi’. First article ‘Achoot Ka Saval’ speaks about the problems of untouchability, and the second article ‘Sampradayik Dange Aur Unka Ilaj’ deals with communal violence and possible solutions. Recent studies and researches on Bhagat’s writings, proved him as a mature political thinker. Professor Chaman Lal, an expert in Bhagat Singh studies, tried to show light on mature political thoughts of Bhagat. Most of the letters written by Bhagat were lost and some of them intentionally suppressed! Bhagat Singh was not a blind revolutionary, he had supreme ideals within him. Here I wish to mention about four selected letters, which I think interesting.

Two letters written by Bhagat in 1931, regarding the case of Mr. Harikrishnan. Harikrishnan was a young revolutionary, who was facing charges that he attempted to kill the governor of Punjab. Harikrishnan’s father, one among rich and influential personalities of that time, tried to save his son from the punishment. Defence lawyer tried to save Harikrishnan by arguing that his client had no intension to kill the governor and he only wanted to warn! But this move from the defence lawyer was severely criticized by Bhagat Singh. According to Bhagat every statement given by revolutionaries must be supportive to the goal of revolutionary activity. Statement by Harikrishnan’s defence lawyer acted in such a way that whole idea of revolution failed. Bhagat Singh suggested an alternative argument in the case, aim of revolutionary is not to kill an individual, but there is no other way to overcome the problems of the exploitative system. Individual losses are inevitable in the way towards liberation. Bhagat wanted not only bombs and guns but also defence arguments, and even the death of revolutionary should become the tools of revolution.

Another letter written by Bhagat Singh to his father. During Bhagat’s jail days, his father, Sardar Kishan singh sent a written request to the tribunal to save his son from death sentence and argued that his son is innocent and he has no role in Saunder’s murder. When Bhagat heard this attempt by his father, Bhagat criticized his father very harshly in a letter. In that letter it is very clear that Bhagat had no intention to offer defence in the court. Bhagat wanted his death and sacrifice should become inspiration to further revolution. In spite of great respect towards his father’s contribution to Indian freedom movement, Bhagat consider the request letter sent by his father as a worst type of weakness crueller than back stabbing. Thus Bhagat shows a great integrity in his ideals, even though he had chances to escape from punishment.

The most interesting, at least for me is the letter by Bhagat to another great revolutionary Sukhdev. Comrade Sukhdev was waiting for the judgement of the tribunal and he was quite sure that punishment would be life sentence. The very idea that spending his life time in jail was irritating to Sukhdev. So Sukhdev wrote to Bhagat, He is ready to death sentence or immediate release. But in case of Life sentence, it is better to suicide. As a response Bhagat wrote a letter to Sukhdev. This letter by Bhagat is a must read to everyone. In this letter Bhagat realises his friend that only throwing bomb is not revolution. But accepting punishment and sufferings are also the major part of revolution and real meaning of revolution lies in it.

Bhagat not only wrote about revolution, his writings on Marxism, Anarchism, Atheism and other social issues are also serious attempts to review political and social issues of South Asia. It is regrettable that we and our education system narrowed the personality of Bhagat to a mere young rebel.

  

 KEERTHIRAJ (krj492@gmail.com)

·   Currently serving as a Faculty for International Relations and Political Science at Alliance University, Bangalore. 

      (This article was published in Central Chronicle on 23 March 2016)

JNU ROW AND THE SURROUNDING FARCE

These kinds of farces are major deathblow for the movements of really depressed classes. This intrigue of illegitimating the genuine revolutions, is really dishonesty not just to the nation but also to the society.

- KEERTHIRAJ

“Every child, at birth, is the universal man. But, as it grows, we turn it into ‘a petty man’. It should be the function of the education to turn it again into the original ‘universal man’ ”. These lines are the translation of the worldview given by Great Kannada poet and Thinker Kuppalli Venkatappa Puttappa, popularly known by the pen name Kuvempu. These enlightening lines of Kuvempu are not only applicable for Indian context, but also to the all social, religious, political and cultural institutions and personalities involved in it all over the world. Academic field is also not an exception. Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) issue and the debate surrounded over that issue is nothing but an example to turn the universal man into ‘a petty man’. Recent arguments and the drastic turnovers in this debate are completely misguiding and misleading common man and ignoring the real vicious circle of this problem. India’s Self-proclaimed intellectuals dangerously, neglecting the crucial and probable threat to country's internal as well as external security.

Image Source: en.wikipedia.org

The JNU controversy slowly, if not turned, at least showcased into as a between Left wing and Right wing people. With this farce, basic questions of both the Left and Right remained unanswered! Yes, it is our first mistake to see this issue with the light of ‘Marxist’ Left ideologies. The very purpose of this attempt is a betrayal not only to the nation, but to the society too. Fundamental question here is what made these people to raise anti-India slogans? India provided not only food and shelter, but also constitution, rights and also universities like JNU with the freedom to protest! However, what instigated the group to raise anti-India Declaration? On the other hand, one more argument considered these anti-India slogans are mere false accusation. Further complicating the issue is the attack on JNU students and journalists in the premises of the Court. Some ABVP student leaders resigned from their positions, expressing their dissatisfaction with the mismanagement of the whole issue by Central government. These internal developments are posing threat to the national integrity and defense, more than external enemies. This incident is a serious challenge for Indian consciousness.

Public debates are busy with blaming universities and some others accusing it as a plot of saffronisation. No one questioned or at least thought why these universities are becoming the producers of such disputes? Nowhere, we can find illiterate people disturbing the social peace, but the problems are created by so called learned people, who read extensively from Marx to Amartya Sen, Ambedkar to Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi to Netaji. These agitations achieved only social barriers rather than social emancipation. Famous philosopher and statesman Edmund Burke opined, “Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it.” Unfortunately we are repeating historical mistakes again and again. Yes, even if you believe all our universities and students are influenced by left-wing Marxist ideology, they can’t defend these irrational activities. This shows they are not even comfortable and fit into the domain of Marxism.

The number of students and professors responsible for this controversy do not even form one percentage of total student community. But the situation is portraying this group as the representatives of whole academic community. These kinds of farces are major deathblow for the movements of really depressed classes. This intrigue of illegitimating the genuine revolutions, is really dishonesty not just to the nation but also to the society. Students have the right to protest against the injustices.  Every class, race, and each individual has provided with equal space to protest in Indian democracy. However, the misuse of this freedom represents a fool sitting on the wrong end of the branch of a tree and cutting the branch he was sitting on!

  

      

KEERTHIRAJ (krj492@gmail.com)

·       Currently serving as a Faculty for International Relations and Political Science at Alliance University, Bangalore. 

      (This article was published in Central Chronicle newspaper on 24 February 2016)