Shaheed Diwas 2017: Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev were hanged on March 23; 10 facts on Martyrs’ Day

The trio sacrificed their lives for the independence of India but their inspiring actions continued to stir the desire for freedom until the freedom was achieved in 1947. The day is celebrated as Shaheed Diwas.

Updated: March 23, 2017 4:41 PM IST

By Chanchal Chauhan

Shaheed Diwas
Shaheed Diwas 2021: Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev were hanged on March 23

New Delhi, Mar 23: 86 years ago, on March 23 in 1931, Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Hari Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar were hanged by the British for their alleged involvement in the killing of John Saunders. The day is also celebrated as Shaheed Diwas or Martyr’s Day. They sacrificed their lives for the independence of India but their inspiring actions continued to stir the desire for freedom until it was achieved in 1947.

To respect the trio’s martyrdom, the Border Security Force has decided to put on display the pistol used by the freedom fighter Singh to shoot John Saunders in 1928. The semi-automatic 32-bore Colt-make pistol has been put on display at the School of Weapon Central School of Weapons and Tactics museum.

In Pakistan, the Lahore high court directed the security forces to ensure security for those who want to observe martyrdom day of Indian freedom fighters Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev on March 23.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes on the day of their martyrdom. Modi took to Twitter and wrote that India will never forget their courage and sacrifice.

Today, on the 86th anniversary of their martyrdom, listed are some facts you shouldn’t miss about Martyr’s Day:

  1. The real battle for Shaheed Bhagat Singh started when Lala Lajpat Rai died due to the injuries at a protest against Simon Commission  to report on the political situation in India which apparently had no Indian in it.
  2. A prominent member of the HRSA, Bhagat Singh vowed to avenge Rai’s death and conspired an attack on James A. Scott who had ordered a lathi charge on Lala Lajpat rai with Rajguru, Sukhdev and Chandrashekhar Azad.
  3. However, in a mistaken identity, they shot John P. Saunders instead of Scott.
  4. Following which, the police launched a massive manhunt to capture the group. On April 8, 1929, Bhagat Singh, accompanied by Batukeshwar Dutt, threw two crude bombs into the Central Assembly chamber to protest against the Public Safety Bill, and the Trade Dispute Act.
  5. The bombs were made from low grade explosives and hence, were not designed to kill anyone in the chamber but the bombs did injure a few people.
  6. Bhagat Singh could have escaped but he and Dutt stayed shouting the slogan Inquilab Zindabad and threw leaflets that read: It is easy to kill individuals but you cannot kill the ideas. Great empires crumbled while the ideas survived. The two were arrested and were lodged into a series of jails in Delhi.
  7. Sukhdev was arrested when the police located the bomb factory the HRSA had set up in Lahore and Saharanpur.
  8. Although Bhagat Singh was charged for bombing in the assembly, the police connected the dots and later charged Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru of killing Saunders  in what came to be known as the Lahore conspiracy case and sentenced them to death.
  9. The execution was supposed to be carried out on March 24 but the three prisoners were hanged a day and an hour before, on March 23 at 7.30 pm.
  10. Their bodies were cremated on the banks of the Sutlej River.

On the 86th death anniversary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, let’s pay homage to three martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country.

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