A revolutionary of the Indian Independence movement, Shaheed
Bhagat Singh was a socialist and an influential revolutionary. Unfortunately,
although Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s name is synonymous with freedom, revolution and
violence, his exemplary vision for India remains unknown, despite the fact that
several programmes and seminars are conducted on his birth anniversary every
year on September 29.
This year however, his grand nephew Abhitej Singh Sandhu, a
human rights activist, has decided that the time and the socio-political
atmosphere in the country merits a re-look and reintroduction to Shaheed Bhagat
Singh’s true vision. “My question is, have we understood his sacrifice and what
are we doing about it,” he queried at a press conference held in the city. “His
fight was against the imperialist system which unfortunately prevails in India
even today. Shaheed Bhagat Singh said the fight did not begin with us nor will
it end with us. As long as there is exploitation between man and man, and
countries, the fight for an equal system must go on. We need to understand his
vision which outlined an unchallenging truth – an individual should not be so
rich that the can buy another and an individual should not be so poor that he
can be bought.”
To carry this message forward, particularly to the youth,
the organisation ‘Youth for Saheed-e-Azam’ has been formed. “Our purpose is to
present the ideology and vision of Shaheed Bhagat Singh to colleges and other
educational institutions. It will be a youth-oriented dialogue. It is to help
them broaden their vision, to do away with intolerance towards caste and creed.
The atmosphere in the country at present is such that it is important that
youth have all these ideologies before them,” he explains, while clarifying
that they will not force youth to take up causes but to present and keep this
thought as a guideline for them. “This is an open call to all youth
organisations, groups, individuals or anyone working on social building of the
nation. Our intention is to make known the original writings, including the 25
essays he wrote while in jail (rather than the views of other people and how
they viewed him and his work),” reiterates Abhitej who represented Indian at
the UN 2013 Human Rights Meet and continues in his fight for free education and
free health for all
