Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Who killed Bhagat Singh?

and Rajguru, Sukhdev, or Azaad, Bose and others for that matter.
 
23rd March, 1931, a 24 year old Bhagat Singh was hanged for his principles, for an independent nation, for people like you and me. Do we even remember that? Remember him?
 
Today Bhagat Singh has become a fashionable memory, to be remembered only on the 15th of August and 26th of January and one or two national holiday. 23rd of March is celebrated as Martyr's day with a few articles and davp advertisements in newspapers. Patriotic Indians play songs from movies composed on his life, hang his pictures in school staff rooms and on one or two prominent walls in government offices.

What is the need to remember our freedom struggle anyway? And its consequent martyrs? India is developing rapidly, by 2020 we'll be the superpower that every one will respect and not only in Twenty 20 cricket. Our purchasing power has grown rapidly, today we've the best of the brands in our homes, on our skins and exotic fruits and vegetables on our plates. Its a new, prosperous India we are talking about. Why should we look back on that period of gloom, despair and struggle against the world's mightiest empire? Why should we look back to Bhagat Singh?

Don't we just kill him again and again every year?

11 comments:

human being said...

Mmmmm...
I don't know him, but your post was illustrative enough... and impressive.
Think if any nation forgets about its past, it will be repeated in near future!

'Azaad' in Farsi means 'free'
'Azaadi' : freedom.

Sigma said...

True ... very true ..

Swapna Raghu Sanand said...

I found your post very impressive and touching. History is something that we as a country have not extracted the best lessons or values from, perhaps because of the way it has been taught to us in classrooms. Loved this part, in particular, where you've asked, "Why should we look back to Bhagat Singh? Don't we just kill him again and again every year?"

Your words touched a deep chord.

vins said...

Totally agree.. at one level we are killing him and Gandhi every single day.. but come to think of at another level if we totally give up remembering him then we shall soon become a nation with an identity but without roots.
It is so very important for a country like ours with so many divisions to continue to have national historical figures ( Gandhi, Bhagat), national icons ( Tendulkar) and national festivals( Republic Day etc).

Very nice post.

Stephen said...

its really good of you to remember this day and our freedom fighters.. in this day when no one has time for this..

we should give the respect these brave men deserve..

ismile said...

materialism and consumerism that has taken the developed world to the very brink of total chaos is now deeply rooted in our country, unfortunately so.

hedonism is a byproduct and we tend to look forward to any event that could be celebrated with fun & frolic. everything else has to take a back seat if that is available or given the boot.

and unless our corporates find some market value in any idea its doomed to find any attention anywhere in the media. since gen x gets its dose of info from the visual media heroes like bhagat singh have been consigned to oblivion..

i dont see light at the end of the tunnel for the future unless ofcource as someone said we go through some kinda revival revolution to find roots.

apologies if am sounding pathetically pessimistic but then.. deaddiction to materialism?? have'nt heard as yet.

kudos adi :) you surprise me everytime.

Aakarsh said...

"India is developing rapidly, by 2020 we'll be the superpower that every one will respect and not only in Twenty 20 cricket." - Really?

I am not a pessimist, but realistically speaking, India doesnt want to be a superpower.I dont know if we have the capability. I dont want to think that it doesnt have (so i am an optimist here), but we still have a long way to go right! If there are wrong people in parliament and in govt. offices, how can we?

Cute nemesis said...

Awesome post dude. People who read this will definitely think about bhagat singh, atleast one day.I know people who speak about him & doesn't know about him. Nice work bro.

Surubhi said...

True. We do kill them again and again. Coz its a fact that we do not think about any of this. For us its just history that we read in class.......read and forgot. We tend to be involved with things that affect us. And thanks to people like these who gave up their lives so that we could enjoy a free India, we are so free of that time that we do not think of them at all. Sad but its a fact.

PRATEEK said...

This is the most provocative post I have ever read for this day. This surely brings to our mind that where are we leading.

May be the definition of "Superpower" in our minds is different and I am sure that if this is this picture of Superpower India, then its a fantasy.

Because no country has progressed without cherishing its Legends.

Harish said...

we donot remember any struggle. you need a heart and a mind at the right place to appreciate freedom. We know only the immediate struggles. This post is out of the world and not for the out of the mind.

God bless the noble heart that you are blessed with.

dreamt before

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