Reflections on the Political Thought of
Shaheed Bhagat Singh
March 23,
2026 -- Today
we commemorate the 95th anniversary of the martyrdom of
Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev. Their lives and contributions
continue to inspire all those who are fighting against
exploitation and
oppression.
It is the habit and practice of exploiters and oppressors, the ruling elites and oligarchs, to turn people's heroes into useless icons and dismiss their ideas, life and work. The political representatives of the corporates in India have done that with Bhagat Singh and his comrades. All the better to attack their teachings, political parties like the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Aam Aadmi Party and others have erected big hoardings and posters with their portraits which sport their party logos. They hold rallies to disorient those who are inspired by India's martyrs and are striving to affirm the rights of all, renew and renovate all relations. Every year on March 23, in Bhagat Singh's ancestral village, every unscrupulous political party erects its separate stage to commemorate his martyrdom. A main aim of all scoundrels is to divide people in the service of the corporates.
Bhagat Singh was clear on what changes must take place for the liberation of the peoples of India to succeed. He had studied the history, conditions and experience of peoples all over India as well as around the world. He unambiguously stated that what was needed was a socialist revolution for which the empowerment of people was a requisite. This for him, did not mean "the transfer of power from the hands of the British to the Indians." He said the revolution must lay the foundation upon which the work to transform the society itself on the socialist basis must start. "What difference does it make to them (the workers and peasants) whether Lord Reading is the head of the Indian government or Sir Purshotamdas Thakordas," he asked. "What difference for a peasant if Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru replaces Lord Irwin?" He warned people about such transfers of power and to beware those who claim that such transfers of power are the greatest achievement of the independence movement.
The last 80 years since the British transferred power to their Indian lackeys have proven the truth of what Bhagat Singh said. From Nehru to Modi, the exploitation and oppression of the people has intensified. According to the government's own figures, more than 140 million children have died of malnutrition, another 80 million have been killed by drinking dirty water and more than 40 million people have been displaced due to land theft by the corporates. Bhagat Singh's words proved prophetic because he had analyzed British imperialism, its structures and its collaborators. The structures, institutions and laws they put in place did not favour the people, a fact which becomes ever more obvious as time passes. No matter which party of scoundrels is in power, their role is to replicate and protect this system which keeps the people out of power.
"We believe all such governments, and particularly this British government, thrust upon the helpless but unwilling Indian nation, to be no better than an organized gang of robbers and a pack of exploiters equipped with all the means of carnage and devastation. In the name of 'law and order,' they crush all those who dare to expose or oppose them," Bhagat Singh pointed out.
"We believe that imperialism is nothing but a vast conspiracy organized with predatory motives. Imperialism is the last stage of development of insidious exploitation of man by man and of nation by nation. The imperialists, with a view to further their piratical designs, not only commit judicial murders through their law courts but also organize general massacres, devastations and other horrible crimes like war. They feel no hesitation in shooting down innocent and unarmed people who refuse to yield to their predatory demands or to acquiesce in their ruinous and abominable designs. Under the garb of custodians of 'law and order,' they break peace, create disorder, kill people and commit all conceivable crimes," Bhagat Singh added.
"We believe that freedom is an undeniable birthright of all people, that every man has the inalienable right of enjoying the fruits of his labour, and that every nation is indisputably the master of its resources. If any government deprives them of these primary rights, it is the right of the people -- nay, it is their duty -- to destroy that government. Since the British government is a negation of these principles for which we stand, it is our firm conviction that every effort made, every method adopted to bring about a revolution and to destroy this government is morally justified. We stand for a change, a radical change in the existing order of affairs in social, political and economic spheres, and the complete replacement of the existing order by a new one rendering the exploitation of man by man impossible and thus guaranteeing full liberty to all the people in all the spheres. We feel that unless the whole social order is changed and socialistic society is established, the whole world is in danger of a disastrous catastrophe," Bhagat Singh elaborated.
During his trial, Bhagat Singh was asked in the lower court what he meant by the word "Revolution." In answer to that question, he said, "Revolution does not necessarily involve sanguinary strife nor is there any place in it for individual vendettas. It is not the cult of the bomb and the pistol. By Revolution we mean that the present order of things, which is based on manifest injustice, must change. Producers or labourers, in spite of being the most necessary element of society, are robbed by their exploiters of the fruits of their labour and deprived of their elementary rights. The peasant who grows corn for all, starves with his family; the weaver who supplies the world market with textile fabrics, has not enough to cover his own and his children's bodies; masons, smiths and carpenters who raise magnificent palaces, live like pariahs in the slums. The capitalists and exploiters, the parasites of society, squander millions on their whims. These terrible inequalities and forced disparity of chances are bound to lead to chaos. This state of affairs cannot last long, and it is obvious, that the present order of society in merry-making is on the brink of a volcano.
"The whole edifice of this civilization, if not saved in time, shall crumble. A radical change, therefore, is necessary and it is the duty of those who realize it to reorganize society on the socialistic basis. Unless this thing is done and the exploitation of man by man and of nations by nations is brought to an end, sufferings and carnage with which humanity is threatened today cannot be prevented. All talk of ending war and ushering in an era of universal peace is undisguised hypocrisy.
"By Revolution, we mean the ultimate establishment of an order of society which may not be threatened by such breakdown, and in which the sovereignty of the proletariat should be recognized and a world federation should redeem humanity from the bondage of capitalism and misery of imperial wars.
"This is our ideal, and with this ideology as our inspiration, we have given a fair and loud enough warning. If, however, it goes unheeded and the present system of government continues to be an impediment in the way of the natural forces that are swelling up, a grim struggle will ensure involving the overthrow of all obstacles, and the establishment of the dictatorship of the proletariat to pave the way for the consummation of the ideal of revolution. Revolution is an inalienable right of mankind. Freedom is an imperishable birthright of all. Labour is the real sustainer of society. The sovereignty of the ultimate destiny of the workers.
"For these ideals, and for this faith, we shall welcome any suffering to which we may be condemned. At the altar of this revolution we have brought our youth as an incense, for no sacrifice is too great for so magnificent a cause. We are content, we await the advent of Revolution. Inquilab Zindabad!"
Today, the voice of Bhagat Singh and his comrades rings out loud and clear in the struggles of the peoples of all of India, Pakistan and South Asia for genuine freedom, democracy and peace.
This article was published in
Volume 56
Number 9 - March 23, 2026
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/TML2026/Articles/T560092.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca