R. K SINHA
Describing Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Raj Guru and Sukhdeo as ‘terrorist’ in books is a historical blaspheme. It is unfortunate indeed that in Independent India we present our national heroes with such disrespect. If we talk about Bhagat Singh, he was perhaps first revolutionary thinker of the country. He was also a political thinker always reading and writing. Bhagat Singh is held in reverence by all irrespective of political affiliation.
Controversy
There is bound to be controversy and debate if Bhagat Singh is described as ‘revolutionary terrorist’ as a prescribed book of history in Delhi University says. Leftist Historians Bipin Chandra and Mridula Mukherjee in their book India’s Struggle for Independence have described Bhagat Singh Chandrashekhar Azad, Surya Sen and others as revolutionary terrorists in chapter 20 of the book. This book is part of syllabus in Delhi University for more than 20 years. Not only that, even the Chitgaon uprising has been described as an act of terrorism.
Assassination of British Police officer Sander has also been described as an act of terror. The Oxford University Press, which has published the book straightway described Bhagat Singh and others as terrorist. It was only after objections were raised that the historians prefixed ‘revolutionary’ before ‘terrorists’ against the names of the Martyrs. It is really unfortunate that even after 68 years of Independence our Martyrs should be dubbed as terrorists.
Massacre of Millions
The moment you criticize the leftist historians you will be dubbed as ‘intolerant’. In fact the Communists who massacred ten crore people in Soviet Union, China, Vietnam, North Korea, in some Eastern European countries , Afghanistan etc between 1925-1990 want to follow the tradition of mass annihilation of their opponents. Millions were killed because they dared to protest and challenge the autocratic regime of Communists in these countries. The repression and excesses committed by the Communist rulers are there in details in the book “Dark Communism- Crime, Terror and Repression’.
In World War II some 40 lakh people were killed. But the Communists killed 20 times more than total deaths in the World War.
Historian Bipin Chandra and Mridula Mukkherjee who justify and praise Communist rules in China and Soviet Union fail to tell readers about how Stalin killed more than 2-75 crore people in Soviet Union or for that matter more than 6 crore people were massacred in China.
Soon after Bhagat Singh was hanged by the British, he was described as ‘Shaheed-e-Azam’. First to use this decoration for Bhagat Singh were newspapers “Pratap” published from Kanpur and “Bhavisya’ published from Allahabad.
A legend in his life time
Bhagat Singh was a legend in his life time. The entire nation raised voice and protests against the hanging of Bhagat Singh. Even after years of his martyrdom Bhagat Singh remains a source of inspiration for youths in India even today. Few years ago, a leading English news magazine in its survey had asked who is that person who still commands and influences the Indian masses today- the name of Bhagat Singh was at the top.
Like Bhagat Singh, Mahatma Gandhi too was martyred. But Gandhi is not referred as Shaheed-e-Azam. This does not affect Gandhi’s stature. In fact, our great leaders like Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Dr Rajendra Prasad and B R Ambedkar don’t need anybody’s certificate particularly from the Communists who openly had opposed freedom.
Movement and had sided with the British then. During 1962 Chinese aggression, Communists were seen defending Chinese attack on India. So much so that when some Communist workers organized blood donation camp for the Indian soldiers fighting on the border in 1962, the Communist leadership expelled them from the Party. Leaders like E M S Namoodripad, Jyoti Basu and Harkishen Singh Surjeet were openly supporting China in the war against India.
It is the same Communists who were seen standing with China during 1962 Chinese aggression. In fact, many Communist leaders in Kerala and West Bengal had courted arrest in support of China. Bipin Chandra and Mridula Mukkherjee belong to the same clan.
