Martyr unparalleled

THE brief, but powerful, intervention of Bhagat Singh and other revolutionary nationalists in the freedom struggle has not received the attention it deserves. To many, it was nothing but an aberration in an otherwise non-violent struggle which Gandhiji had successfully conducted against the British.

Treated as an avoidable interlude, though heroic and idealistic, its influence on the course of the freedom struggle is considered negligible, and sometimes even negative. Given the hegemony of Gandhian methods of non-violent struggle, all other streams have been marginalised, at least in mainstream historiography. But the significance of Bhagat Singh is not his choice of violence as an alternate method, as many including Gandhiji underlined, or his idealistic heroism, for which he is rightly and universally admired, but his attempt to foreground before the nation a revolutionary philosophy and a course of action different from the one then pursued by the Indian National Congress.

Bhagat Singh was a materialist, deeply influenced by Marxism, or whatever of it he could then gain access to. He was also an atheist (his powerful pamphlet Why I Am An Atheist is given as an appendix in this book). Central to his political creed was democracy and socialism, which he believed was necessary for the well-being of the poor and the marginalised. He envisioned an egalitarian system in which there was "no exploitation by man by man and nation by nation".

His philosophy therefore was to bring about a qualitative change in "existing social relations and create new human beings who were superior in moral and material terms". Although an admirer of Gandhiji for the manner in which he managed to mobilise the masses, he was critical of Gandhian philosophy and its efficacy to usher in a fundamental transformation of society. His view that Gandhian politics would lead to the replacement of one set of exploiters by another has proved to be prophetic.

Bhagat Singh was also committed to the principle of secularism. A staunch believer in atheism, he was critical of his revolutionary comrades who sought solace in religious faith. He disapproved of any nexus between religion and politics, for he believed that it would endanger the pluralistic ethos of Indian society.

Unfortunately, his rather desperate attempt to make people hear the voice of reason by throwing a bomb in the Legislative assembly prematurely silenced the brilliant mind of this committed revolutionary. Despite the nationwide protest, he was hanged, along with his comrades, Sukhdev and Rajguru, on March 23, 1931. Gandhiji was blamed for not doing enough to save the lives of these patriotic young men.

Referring to Gandhiji's statements, the author has tried to dispel this impression. Gandhiji himself had done so when he said that he would have surrendered his life to the Viceroy to save Bhagat Singh and others. But the fact remains that a more decisive intervention of Gandhiji at a time when the government was eager to effect a pact with the Congress would have possibly forced the Viceroy to commute the death sentence. Whether Bhagat Singh's revolutionary philosophy had anything to do with the reluctance of Gandhiji to assert himself more forcefully would remain one of the unsolved riddles of history. After all, Gandhiji had dissociated himself with the move to raise a memorial to Bhagat Singh.

The idea of this book had originated when the assassins of General Vaidya who had planned the "Operation Blue Star" had sought to compare them with Bhagat Singh. The comparison is totally misplaced, as to Bhagat Singh, violence was not an end in itself, but only a means for achieving a political goal. He had expressed his humanistic concern in no uncertain terms: "we attach great sanctity to human life, we regard man's life as sacred ... We would sooner lay down our lives in the service of humanity than injure any one". Therein lies the difference between a terrorist and a revolutionary.

The author has managed to track down some of the contemporaries of Bhagat Singh and incorporate their reminiscences in his narrative. Particularly revealing are the testimony of Hans Raj Vohra, an active member of Hindustan Socialist Republican Army, who had turned a government approver, and the reminiscences of M. D. Thapar, brother of Sukhdev. The correspondence between Vohra and Thapar forms an appendix to the book, which brings out the version of Vohra about his betrayal of the revolutionary cause.

Bhagat Singh's life and work constitute an extremely inspiring aspect of the national movement. By recalling them - his political philosophy and practice - at a time when the Hindu communal forces are striving to appropriate him and other national heroes, and thus undo their real legacy, Kuldip Nayar has done a great service. This book is a moving account written with passion and empathy of a man whose courage, commitment and sacrifice made him the martyr of the nation.

K. N. PANIKKAR

The Martyr Bhagat Singh, Experiments In Revolution, Kuldip Nayar, Har-Anand, New Delhi. Rs. 250.

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