Martyrs Day, also known as Shaheed Diwas is celebrated on 23rd March every year. On this day, freedom fighters, Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar were hanged to death, i.e. on 23rd March 1931. All three were too young, however, fought for the freedom of this nation against the Britishers.
Some people also consider 30th January as Martyrs Day, since Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on this day in the year 1948.
On Martyrs Day, Indians pay homage to these heroes and their sacrifice for the nation. There hanging came just a week before the convocation of the Karachi session of the Indian National Congress, which is considered to be a landmark movement in India’s freedom struggle. The hanging of the trio brought too much tension in the entire country as well as in the British Raj.
Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar are said to be the three extraordinary brave hearts and revolutionaries who plagued the British administration a lot.
Their story is not an ordinary one, they fought for the freedom and against the British Raj for the longest and their youngest times. All three joined freedom movements all across the country at a very tender age of 12-13.
Watch The Entire Story Of Their Freedom Struggle:
(Video Source: utkarshrdbgen)
In the last and final petition filed by Shaheed Bhagat Singh to the British Government, he said, “The war neither began with us nor is it going to end with our lives”. They were war prisoners and wanted to be treated the same which is why they asked to be shot dead rather than being hanged, however, it didn’t happen.
Their words and ideas resonated with many who came to the forefront after their execution. The trio’s’ fight for freedom was inspiring for many and still is. Their fearlessness and martyrdom is still stimulus and will remain the same for the coming generations too.
23rd March 2017
Jyotsna Amla