He is the symbol of the heroism of the youth of India revolutionary. He threw a bomb when the Legislature was in session to warn the British Government. He was put to death but lives in the hearts of his countrymen. Here is a tribute to the unmatched man of India.

One evening a boy of three was out for a walk with his father. There was also an elderly man with the father. Chatting they walked on and went beyond the village. Green crop delighted the eyes. The elders were walking along the edge of a field. Not hearing the footsteps of the boy, the father looked back. The boy was sitting on the ground and seemed to be planting some thing. The father became curious.

“What are you doing?” said he.

“Look, father, I shall grow guns all over the field” was the innocent reply of the boy. His eyes shone with the strong faith that guns would grow in the field. Both the elders were struck with wonder at the little boy’s words.The boy was Bhagath Singh who later fought like a hero for India’s freedom and sacrificed his life.

It was the year 1919. A very tragic event happened in India that year. British soldiers opened fire on a gathering in Jallianwala Bagh, and kept up the fire for quite some time. There was no way of escape for the people. Countless persons -grown-up men, women and little children -fell down dead. Blood flowed like a stream. The event caused terror and anger in the minds of people all over the country. The tragedy drew the attention of the entire world. Bhagath Singh was then twelve years old; his mind was deeply disturbed by this event. The next day he did not return home after the school hours. His people at home waited and waited and grew anxious.

Instead of going to school, Bhagath Singh went straight to the place of the tragedy. Somehow managing to push through the police on guard, he went in. He collected a bottle of mud wet with the blood of Indians and returned home. Seeing that he was late, his younger sister said, “Where were you all this time? Mother has been waiting to give you something to eat.” But Bhagath Singh was not at all thinking of food. Showing the bottle in his hand, he said, “Look here. This is the blood of our people killed by the British. Salute this.”

Then he put the bottle in a niche a worshiped it with flowers. The people who had assembled in Jallianwala Bagh carried no weapons. Nor was there a way to escape from the place. And these people were killed by the British bullets! Such were the thoughts working in the mind of Bhagat Singh. The feeling that somehow the British must be driven out of India became firmer.” That was the time when the Indian National Congress was fighting for the country’s freedom. It awakened the  people’s love for their country and was uniting the people. Even before entering the ninth class, Bhagath Singh decided to take up this work. He was only thirteen. Bhagat Singh told his father of his decision and asked for his permission. Himself a revolutionary, Kishan Singh willingly gave his consent. Bhagat Singh left the school and joined the movement.

One day, the leader of the revolution called him. Bhagat Singh left home and went to Lahore. For sometime thereafter, nobody knew where he went.Before leaving home, Bhagath Singh wrote a letter; he said, “The aim of my life is to fight for India’s freedom. I don’t wish for worldly pleasures. At the time of my Upanayanam (the initiation ceremony among the Hindus), my uncle had taken a sacred promise from me; I promised to sacrifice myself for the sake of the country. Accordingly I am now giving up my own happiness and going out to serve the country.”

Yes..he has given up his own happiness, for the sake of the country..and remained forever in the hearts of Indians. We salute the revolutionary on his 108^th birth anniversary.

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