On September 28, India celebrates the birth anniversary of Bhagat Singh, one of the greatest sons of our soil, a youth icon who became the symbol of courage, sacrifice, and revolutionary thought. His life was short, just 23 years, but his fire lit up the entire nation and still inspires generations.

Bhagat Singh was not just a freedom fighter, he was a visionary, a reader, and a thinker who dreamt of a free and just society. He showed us that revolutions are not born out of anger alone, but out of knowledge, clarity, and purpose.

A Childhood Shaped by Sacrifice
From an early age, Bhagat Singh was moved by the injustice around him. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre (1919) left a deep wound on his heart. As a boy, he collected a bottle filled with blood-soaked soil from the site, keeping it as a reminder of the price of freedom.

In his youth, he admired and idolized Kartar Singh Sarabha, a young revolutionary of the Ghadar Party who was executed by the British. Bhagat Singh kept Sarabha’s photograph and gun with him, treating them like sacred symbols of resistance. These mementos were not mere relics — they were constant sources of inspiration, urging him to dedicate his life to Bharat’s independence.

A Revolutionary Mind
Bhagat Singh believed that true strength comes from the mind as much as from the sword. He was a voracious reader. At a time when knowledge could only be found in books, he devoured works on politics, history, socialism, and world revolutions. He read Karl Marx, Lenin, and philosophers from across the globe, trying to understand not only India’s struggle but the larger struggle of oppressed people everywhere.

Through study, he realized that political independence alone was not enough. He dreamed of an India free from poverty, exploitation, caste oppression, and communal hatred. For him, freedom meant justice, equality, and dignity for every citizen.

Even while in prison, he spent his time reading and writing. His famous essay “Why I Am an Atheist” reflected his fearless questioning spirit. His slogan “Inquilab Zindabad” (Long Live the Revolution) became the war cry of millions.

Acts of Courage
Bhagat Singh and his comrades took bold steps that shook the British Empire. The most famous was the Central Legislative Assembly bombing (1929), where he and Batukeshwar Dutt threw non-lethal bombs to protest repressive laws. Instead of running, they courted arrest, shouting slogans and distributing leaflets. Their purpose was not to kill, but to “make the deaf hear.”

In 1928, when Lala Lajpat Rai was brutally lathi-charged during a protest and later died, Bhagat Singh and his comrades avenged his death by shooting British officer John Saunders. This was not an act of revenge alone, but a statement that India’s youth would not remain silent against injustice.

Ultimately, Bhagat Singh was arrested, tried in the Lahore Conspiracy Case, and sentenced to death. On 23 March 1931, at just 23 years of age, he walked to the gallows smiling, shouting “Inquilab Zindabad.” His sacrifice made him Shaheed-e-Azam — the Great Martyr.

Lessons for Today’s Youth
Bhagat Singh lived in an era where information was scarce. He had no internet, no social media, no smartphones. His only tools were books and discussions. Yet, with those, he built a vision strong enough to challenge an empire.

Today’s youth live in the information era, where knowledge is available at the click of a button. If Bhagat Singh could educate himself so deeply with limited resources, why can’t today’s youth use the vast sea of knowledge available online to build a better society?

The youth of today can learn from Bhagat Singh:

• Read deeply and think critically — don’t accept blindly, question and reason.
• Use knowledge as a weapon — not just for career, but for transforming society.
• Stand against injustice — whether it’s corruption, inequality, or discrimination.
• Awaken the inner revolutionary — not with violence, but with truth, awareness, and courage.

As the book “Bhagat Singh Ki Wapsi” by Sagar Sarhadi reminds us, Bhagat Singh is not gone. He returns whenever the youth rise for truth and justice. He is alive within each one of us. Everyone in this country has a Bhagat Singh inside them — we just need to wake him up.

A Call for Youth Revolutionary Day
To honor his legacy, we propose that September 28 be officially declared “युवा क्रांतिकारी दिवस – Youth Revolutionary Day.” This will not just be a remembrance, but a yearly call for the youth of India to rise, learn, and fight for justice in their own times.

Carrying Forward the Spirit of Bhagat Singh and Young Revolutionaries

• Conduct meetings with your friends and peers in your area to mark the day with unity and purpose.
• Share stories of brave young revolutionaries who sacrificed their lives for freedom, rights, and equality.
• Read and learn about their lives, struggles, and revolutionary spirit to keep their legacy alive.
• Inspire each other by reflecting on their courage and commitment to justice.
• Discuss today’s challenges and what role youth can play in carrying forward their unfinished revolution.
• Take small but concrete actions — raise awareness, stand against injustice, and contribute to building a fearless, just, and equal society.
• Awaken the revolutionary within so that every youth becomes a torchbearer of change.

Bhagat Singh: फासी पर चढ़ने से कुछ समय पहले

“जब गतिरोध की स्थिति लोगों को अपने शिकंजे में जकड़ लेती है तो किसी भी प्रकार की तब्दीली से वे हिचकिचाते हैं ।इस जड़ता और निष्क्रियता को तोड़ने के लिए एक क्रान्तिकारी स्पिरिट पैदा करने की ज़रुरत है,अन्यथा पतन और बर्बादी का वातावरण छा जाता है।लोगों को गुमराह करने वाली प्रतिक्रियावादी शक्तियाँ जनता को ग़लत रास्ते पर ले जाने में सफल हो जाती हैं।इससे इंसान की प्रगति रुक जाती है और उसमें गतिरोध आ जाता है।इस परिस्थिति को बदलने के लिए यह ज़रुरी है कि क्रान्ति की स्पिरिट ताज़ा की जाये,ताकि इंसानियत की रूह में हरकत पैदा हो।”
— भगतसिंह

“When a state of stagnation grips the people, they hesitate to accept any kind of change. To break this inertia and inactivity, it is necessary to awaken a revolutionary spirit; otherwise, an atmosphere of decline and destruction sets in. Reactionary forces, which mislead the masses, succeed in taking them on the wrong path. This halts human progress and creates a deadlock. To change this situation, it is essential to refresh the spirit of revolution so that movement can once again arise in the soul of humanity.”
— Bhagat Singh

His spirit lives on. His ideas breathe in our struggles for truth. His courage inspires us to fight ignorance with knowledge, fear with courage, and slavery with freedom.

Wake up, youth of India! On this Youth Revolutionary Day, let us promise not only to remember Bhagat Singh but to be Bhagat Singh — to awaken the revolutionary within ourselves, to stand for what is right, and to build a free, just, and fearless Bharat. The sacrifices of our revolutionaries should not go in vain, especially the young revolutionaries who fought for freedom, rights, and equality. The fight is not yet over — the revolutionary spirit must be awakened in every youth.

Bhagat Singh said, “Inquilab Zindabad – Long Live the Revolution,” which reminds us that the revolution is not just his legacy, but ours to carry forward through our actions, knowledge, and courage.

Revolution is an inalienable right of mankind. Freedom is an imperishable birthright of all.

— Bhagat Singh

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