“Let us declare that the state of war does exist and shall exist so long as the Indian toiling masses and the natural resources are being exploited by a handful of parasites. They may be purely British Capitalist or mixed British and Indian or even purely Indian. They may be carrying on their insidious exploitation through mixed or even on purely Indian bureaucratic apparatus. All these things make no difference.”

- Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh in his last petition to the Punjab Governor, demanding that he and his comrades be shot dead as war prisoners rather than hanged as petty criminals.

Today, the legacy of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru is an inspiration in the struggles to defend our land, our resources, our rights, from plunder by Indian and foreign corporations in collusion with Indian rulers. Peasants and adivasis feel everyday that the Company Raj is back. Workers’ rights - both in terms of labour laws as well as the rights of the mehnatkash (toilers) to health, nutrition, education and other essentials for a decent life - are under attack from rulers’ policies of placating Indian and global capital.

Today, those who walk in Bhagat Singh’s footsteps – the people resisting land grab and fighting for people’s rights, are being branded as ‘anti-national’ by the Government, jailed and even killed!

Not only that, in an attempt to divide people, the Sangh Parivar emboldened by Modi Raj, is running hate-campaigns in the name of ‘Gharwapsi’. As a result we have seen a spate of attacks on Muslim and Christian minorities. At such a time, it is worth re-reading the words of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh on conversion:

“In 1926 , a Sindhi Muslim gentleman, Mr. Nur Mohammad , member of Bombay Legislative Council aptly remarked :

‘If the Hindu Society refuses to allow other human beings, fellow creatures at that , to attend public schools, and if .... The president of local board representing so many lakhs of people in this house, refuses to allow his fellows and brothers, the elementary human rights of having water to drink, what right have they to ask for more rights from bureaucracy? Before we accuse the people coming from other lands, we should see how we ourselves behave towards our own people.

How can we ask for greater political rights when ourselves deny elementary rights to human beings?’

How true! But since this had been said by a Muslim, Hindu lost no time in alleging that Muslim’s real intention was to convert the untouchables to Islam and thus assimilate them into their own brotherhood. But then, it amounted to an open admission of the harsh truth – that if you (the Hindus) treat them worse than your cattle, they will desert you, join the fold of other religions where they hope to enjoy more rights, where they are treated as fellow being.

Would it not then be pointless to blame the Christians and Muslims that they were undermining Hinduism?

How fair and true! Yet the Hindus tremble in anger on hearing this plain truth.”

In his very early writings too, Bhagat Singh wrote eloquently against communal politics and the tendency of leaders of the national movement (like Lala Lajpat Rai) to get swept away by communalism: “there were a few sincere leaders, but their voice is easily swept away by the rising wave of communalism. In terms of political leadership, India had gone totally bankrupt.”

Bhagat Singh’s voice is what we need today, as the touchstone for progressive politics in India today. Resist the Sangh Parivar’s attempts to hijack Bhagat Singh for their communal agenda.

Long Live the Anti-Colonial, Anti-Communal Legacy of Bhagat Singh-Sukhdev-Rajguru!

Defend Land and Labour Rights!

Fight for People’s Right to Health, Nutrition and Education!

Join 100 Day Bhoomi-Adhikar - Shram Adhikar Sangharsh Abhiyan

From 23 March (Martyrdom Day of Bhagat Singh-Sukhdev-Rajguru) 30 June (Hul Diwas commemorating adivasi Hul against colonial rule 1855)

- All India People’s Forum (AIPF)