Bhagat Singh And The Indian Independence Movement

Introduction

In the Indian national movement for independence, a number of people gave their lives and blood. Among those was the Bhagat Singh, who was considered a nationalist revolutionary. He was influential among the people who died for the cause of Indian independence from British rule. He was called the ‘Shaheed’, which means martyr from some Muslim quarters of the Indian population. The Indian independence movement has its legacies, dating back to the demise of Mughal Rule and the start of British rule. The demands and the objectives of the oppressed people with different ethnic backgrounds were initiated after 1857. Various factions and groups of people have contributed to the independence movement of India. Bhagat Singh was one of the influential figures in the revolutionary movement.

Discussion

Born in 1907, he belongs to the Banga village in the Punjab district of India. He belonged to the Sikh family, and his other members of the family also contributed to the independence movement. He did not have an education because his parents considered schools to be loyal to the British. They had the idea that schools were promoting the agenda of the British people. He received some education at the Arya Samaj School, a local institute with local teachers for the training. The role of his grandfather in the Hindu reformist rule had a considerable impact on the mind of Bhagat Singh. In the year of 1919, when the massacre of the Jallianwala Bagh incident took place when the British army killed dozens of people at their gathering, he visited the area after the incident happened (Bhavnani, 2014).

At the age of fourteen years, Bhagat Singh was among those people who protested against the killing of innocent people at Gurdwara Nankana Sahib. The incidents and the oppression by the British forces have influenced his mind, and he went against the non-violence philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. He then joined the revolutionary movement and became an active advocate against the violent suppression by the British rulers. Singh was also keen on his college activities, such as dramatic societies. He was highly inspired by the Italian movement, which was initiated by Giuseppe Mazzini in the name of young Italy.

It was the effect of the Italian movements that led him to found the Indian socialist youth organization. Other than the foundation of the socialist movement, he also joins the Hindustan Republic Association. To avoid his arranged marriage, he left his home and went away to Cawnpore. The letter he wrote to his parents was a reflection of his ideas about his life. He told his parents that he had dedicated his life to the noblest cause, which was the freedom of his country from the tyranny of British rulers (Chand, 2017). He further wrote in his letter that he has no desire for any worldly affairs or any associated greed for this world. The police arrested Singh over his influence on the youth.

The arrest of Singh was due to the suspicions of the police about his involvement in the bombing in Lahore in the year of 1926. He was released from jail four weeks after the arrest. He wrote for different newspapers, such as the Punjabi and Urdu newspapers. In 1928, the government of British had set up the Simon Commission to find out the real political situation in India. The Indian political parties boycotted the commission because no representation was given to them in its composition. The massive protests were going on throughout India. On arrival of the commission to Lahore, Lala Lajpat Rai arranged a protest against the entry of the commission (Chandra, 2017). The police, while dispersing the crowd, used frequent baton charges over the protestors, which resulted in the injuries of many demonstrators.

Rai, who was leading the protest, became severely injured and died of a heart attack. The doctors thought that death was the result of the baton charge and the injuries received by the Rai. Bhagat was an important activist of Rai’s party. To avenge the death, he conspired with other revolutionary members of the party to kill James Scott, a senior official of the police. However, he shot the Assistant Superintendent of the police instead of shooting James Scott. The reaction to the killing of a senior police officer was not favourable, and the attendance at the party gathering was subsequently dropped. Bhagat Singh has played his role in a number of political protests and campaigns against the brutal rule of the British in India. Other key figures enlighten the Indian independence movement.

The revolutionary movement for the independence of India was comprised of the actions of different underground factions and groups. The oppression and the suppression by the English masters who wanted to colonize the state led to the protest in various forms. The Indians did not accept the illegal entrance of the British rulers through treacherous business dealings. There was a trade between the Indian continent and the English companies. During the era of Mughal rule, the last king was unable to save his dynasty and the kingdom due to the weak economy and corruption (French, 2016). The fragile condition of the country enabled the British to overthrow the rule of the Mughal dynasty.

The British joint-stock company was formed to trade with the people of East India. The company had half of the world’s business. Commodities and products like cotton, salt, tea, and opium are frequently exchanged with the Indians. The company had a charter from the Queen to do business with the Indians. The first phase of the company shows that there were no signs of building an empire in India. With the decline in the Mughal rule, the company gained control over territory along with the struggle and cooperation of its French counterpart. In the battle of Plassey, the company defeated the Bengali powers, which provided more strength and energy to the Idea of building an empire in the Indian Continent.

With the help of puppet local rulers, the company established its rule in the Indian region. By implying the conspirators and treacherous practices, the company gains control all over India. At the time of its power, the East India Company had around two lac army for the defence rule over the entire territory (Niemeijer, 2016). With the imposition of the Government of India Act, the company lost its powers, and the formal state of the British was established. The officials and the government machinery started working with the absorbed army and the political masters. India was considered by the British as the golden sparrow because the continent was full of natural wealth and the ideal route for business trade.

Before the start of the format war for independence, there was much protest against the rule of the British. In southern India, Tamil people, Dheeran Chinnamalai, were protesting against the treacherous control of the British. There was also a revolt against the rule of Portugal in Goa. Historians considered the rebellion for independence by the tribes of the Jharkhand in India as the Pinto Conspiracy. In the same way, the uprising and the protest by the Titumir in the Bengal region against the unjust rule were also connected with the independence of India. The first war against the British government was the revolution initiated by the Indian army.

The independence movement that was started by the Indian military personnel continued from 1857 to the end of 1858. There were a number of reasons and suppressions that led to the cause of revolt (Niemeijer, 2016). The English rulers continuously took control over the lands of the Indian people by using force. They made those areas part of the British Raj. They disrespected the family of the former King and the houses. They imply the particular cartridge for the Indian army, which they used for their military. It was the practice by which soldiers had to open those cartridges with their teeth. The cartridge is composed of fat cows and pigs. Muslims are prohibited from eating pork, while Indians consider cows to be sacred animals. Both of the most significant parties turned against the British and organized a massive movement.

Britain called back its army from different regions, and the fight started with Indian soldiers in the streets and around Delhi. However, British forces overcame the revolt and took control of Delhi. The siege of Lucknow and the massacre of Kanpur were essential, but the British army successfully defeated the Revolutionary War. The last battle of Gwalior was also failing for the revolutionaries to overthrow the foreign rulers (Ray, 2015). With the innovative attempt by the Indians, the British formally started suppressing the Indians, both Muslims and Hindus. The first war for independence was a significant event in the history of India.

The result of the revolution was the end of East India Company rule with the induction of the viceroy, who was the representative of the United Kingdom in India. India became part of the British Empire. The British rulers started interfering in the religious and political lives of the Indian people. They gained control over the remaining lands, and the employment rate for the Indians was considerably lower than that of the officers who came from the United Kingdom. There was disrespect towards the families and the people that were linked with the revolutionary movements. Colossal oppression was on the Muslims and the Hindu communities, which enabled many local leaders to devise a plan for the independence of the Indian subcontinent.

There were a number of Indian leaders, including Bhagat Singh, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Jawar Lal Nehru, and Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who played a significant role in the independence of India (Sahgal, 2016). The social movements at the local level have helped people to understand their rights and fight against the oppression of foreigners. Indian National Congress was founded to fulfil this purpose. In the year of 1905, the partition of Bengal further agitated the emotions of Muslims of India. Indians have called the British rulers, and they are implying a divide-and-rule policy. Over the separation of Bengal, people became outraged.

In the same way, the government imposes the Rowlatt Act as the law to arrest and keep people in prison without any reason. Newspaper and print news were confiscated under the law. To silence the press and detain the political workers along with suspicious individuals, the act provided all powers to the Viceroy. Under the bill, the British troops killed 400 unarmed people and injured 1500 who gathered to protest against the enforcement of the Rowlatt Act. Gandhi, a political leader, played an essential role in the freedom of India.

The oppression of the British provided the National Congress Party, along with the Muslim League, to launch a broad political movement (Thakur, 2016). The civil disobedience movement made two different ideological factions get together and oust the British from India. The massive independence movement brought the British to handle the Indian region to the locals. The slogan of Gandhi was ‘do or die’ with quitting India movement. After the situation got out of control for Britain, they decided to hand over India to the Muslims and the Hindus. Lord Mountbatten, the viceroy of India, announced the partition of the two states. The Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Union of India.

Conclusion

Concluding the discussion on the Indian Independence Movement and the Bhagat Singh, it is to say that oppression and suppression of the British provided ways for Indian freedom. Many leaders have played their part, along with Bhagat Singh, whose life was dedicated to Indian independence. The unfulfilled demands of the oppressed people, along with the economic and social inequalities, resulted in the freedom of India from the British Empire.

Works Cited

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