Among a few things that legendary martyr Bhagat Singh had with him during his last three years in Lahore Central jail was a 404-page diary and a pen.
- ‘The sword of revolution is sharpened on the whetting-stone of ideas,’ Bhagat Singh once said.
-In his statement before Lahore High Court Bench, Bhagat Singh first and foremost put this disclaimer: “We are neither lawyers nor masters of English language, nor holders of degrees.
-Born on September 28, 1907, Bhagat Singh was sentenced to death in the Lahore conspiracy case, along with other freedom fighters Rajguru and Sukhdev.
-Seeking revenge for the death of Lala Lajpat Rai, Bhagat Singh had assassinated John Saunders, the British police officer responsible for the lathi charge on the senior freedom fighter.
-Bhagat Singh and fellow revolutionary, Batukeshwar Dutt, threw two bombs and leaflets inside the Central Legislative Assembly before offering themselves up for arrest.
-In the last two years of his life in jail, Bhagat Singh and his fellow revolutionaries fought one of the most celebrated court battles in the annals of India’s national liberation struggle.
-Bhagat Singh and other revolutionaries used the court as a vehicle for the propagation of his revolutionary message, he also put the spotlight on the inhuman conditions political prisoners faced in colonial jails.
-And though Bhagat Singh died young (he was only 24 when he was executed), his unwavering resolve and heroism made him an icon and figure of inspiration for generations to come.
-What is not so well-known is that Bhagat Singh wrote four books in jail. Although they were smuggled out, they were destroyed and are lost forever.
Lesser known revolutionary Rajguru was both a skilled wrestler and a Sanskrit scholar who had studied the Tarka Shastra, and also knew by heart the Lahu Siddhanta Koumudi.
He was personification of शस्त्रे शास्त्रे च कौशलम्
Revolutionary Rajguru after meeting with Baba Rao Savarkar, the brother of Veer Savarkar, decided to pursue the path of revolution. He joined Hanuman Prasarak Mandal – an organisation to build physical strength and inculcate mental discipline among the youth.
Rajguru's jovial nature and immense physical strength got him many friends and here he also came in contact with Keshav Baliram Hedgewar- founder of the RSS.
One of the earliest tasks entrusted to Rajguru by Chandrasekar Azad was the elimination of Hassan Nizami, a Delhi-based communalist. Rajguru’s shot was deadly and accurate, however, the target was wrong. He killed Somali, the father-in-law of Hassan Nizami.
Rajguru said -
When Dharma or the nation is in trouble, arms are useful. The British are inflicting all sorts of injuries and insults on us and I do not expect them to refrain from those acts merely because we are requesting them. Even in Vishnu Sahasranama one of the names of the Lord is ‘Sarva Praharanayuddh’ – one who is ever decorated with arms.”
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