The Hindu Business Line : The British vs Bhagat Singh

“No sword can sever hands that have the heat of battle within, no threat can bow heads that have risen so... Yea, for in our insides has risen a flame, and the desire for struggle is in our hearts...”

Thus reads a Wikipedia translation of Bismil Azimabadi’s famous poem ‘Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna’, which was on the lips of Bhagat Singh and his associates when they entered the Poonch House, on May 5, 1930, to stand trial in ‘the Lahore conspiracy case’.

The 18 heroes entered the hall, to the resounding shouts of ‘Inquilab Zindabad!’ and ‘Gora ja! ja!’ as Kuldip Nayar writes in ‘Without Fear: The life & trial of Bhagat Singh’ ( www.harpercollins.co.in ).

“Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai, Dekhna hai zor kitna baazu-e-qaatil mein hai,” sang the young icons of freedom. Meaning, “The desire for struggle is in our hearts, we shall now see what strength there is in the boughs of the enemy.”

The judges sat stonily impassive, even as the visitors in the courtroom tapped their feet and clapped in time with the song, Nayar narrates. “Both the revolutionaries and the visitors were in total harmony — as if the two had become one. Justice Coldstream, in the chair, lost his temper and summoned Gopal Lal, the public prosecutor, and asked him to provide the tribunal with an authoritative translation of the song. Justice Agha Haider tried to translate the words, but his voice was drowned by the song…”

The trial ended on September 10. It was a one-sided affair which threw all rules and regulations out of the window, a kangaroo court, the author describes. “The accused did not attend most of the hearings. Nor did they defend themselves. The tribunal passed orders that paid scant attention to decency much less to justice. The mighty British had already made up their minds to hang those who dared challenge them and their rule. Seldom before in history had there been such a farce of a trial where the judges, the prosecution and the police bent every law in the book to pronounce a death sentence, a verdict they had already decided on before the onset of the trial…”

On October 7, 1930, about three weeks before the expiry of its term, the tribunal delivered its judgment in 300 pages, sentencing Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru to death by hanging.

“There was despondency and outrage all over the country. A procession of some two lakh people marched through the streets of Lahore to stage demonstrations. There were hartals in Lahore and in many other cities.” People sang, “Bhagat Singh ke khoon ka asar dekh lena, Mitadenge zaalim ka ghar dekh lena.” (‘Wait and see, the effect of Bhagat Singh’s execution; the tyrant’s home will be destroyed, wait and see.”)

“All eyes were now on Gandhi. Only he had the influence to do something… One word from Gandhi to the viceroy would be enough to get the sentences commuted, the people thought…”

Bismil sings: “Wo jism bhi kya jism hai jismein na ho khoon-e-junoon, Toofaanon se kya lade jo kashti-e-saahil mein hai.” What is that body that does not have hot blood in it? How can a person conquer a typhoon while sitting in a boat near the shore?

Endless questions of continuing relevance that the book would stir.

D. MURALI

http://BookPeek.blogspot.com

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