Unsung Heroes | History Corner | Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Ministry of Culture, Government of India

Unsung Heroes Detail

Paying tribute to India’s freedom fighters

Bhagat Singh

Amritsar, Punjab

August 08, 2022 to August 08, 2023

Bhagat Singh was born in the Rurhiwal village of Amritsar district. His father’s name was Bur Chand. As a soldier, he joined the 23rd Cavalry (Frontier Force), the personal escort of Punjab Governor Michael O'Dwyer. In the last days of 1914, he met Prem Singh of Sur Singh village, a Ghadar Party member, and agreed to join the fight for Indian independence. The Ghadar Party was founded on America's Pacific Coast with the stated goal of freeing India from the yoke of British slavery. The idea for the Ghadar Party came from Indian immigrants who had moved to the Pacific Coast of North America to make a living. The Ghadar Movement arose in response to colonial authorities' racist-cultural attitudes, discriminatory immigration policies, and distorted legal procedures used to restrict Indian citizens' entry into America and Canada. It was a one-of-a-kind effort by worthy sons of the Indian motherland. One of the Ghadar Party's main goals was to persuade Indian troops to join the movement. The British were mass-recruiting young Indians to send to the front lines in World War I. The Ghadar Party intended to use Indian soldiers to overthrow British rule. The sowars of the 23rd Cavalry were persuaded to march out and join the armed rebellion at the appointed hour. Bhagat Singh and his colleagues sent a sword to the movement's leaders as a symbol of their assurance. The Ghadar Party dispatched emissaries to every cantonment in Northern India. Prem Singh of Sur Singh village met Bhagat Singh and confided in him. The general uprising was scheduled for November 30, 1914. The date was later rescheduled. At the time, British officers were completely unaware of the 23rd Cavalry Men's involvement in the Ghadar Party's planned uprising. Sucha Singh of Chola Sahib, however, and two other sowars were punished for their unscheduled absence from the cantonment. The British also put an end to the 21 February 1915 uprising plan. Meanwhile, the 23rd unit was assigned to the United Provinces (UP). On May 13, 1915, the Sikh soldiers of the 23rd Cavalry were being shipped to the war front from Nowgong Cantonment in United Province (now MP). On the way, bombs exploded in a wooden box belonging to one of the soldiers at Harpalpur Station (MP). This explosion revealed to the officials the sowars' plan to join the Ghadar revolution. Others were later arrested, and their ties to the Ghadar Party were discovered. As a result, eighteen men were detained. In Dagshai, near Shimla, a court martial was held. Bhagat Singh received the death penalty. On September 3, 1915, he was hanged in Ambala Jail. In his last time, the British were even forbidden from meeting him with his family members.

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