September 28, 2019, marks the 112th birth anniversary of one of the greatest freedom fighters of India Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh. During the late twenties, Bhagat Singh became equally popular to Mahatma Gandhi. He was given a death sentence and was to be hanged on March 24, 1931, along with Rajguru and Sukhdev. But seeing his popularity, the British government had decided to hang him a day earlier on March 23. Shaheedi Diwas 2019: Remembering Bhagat Singh, Rajguru & Sukhdev on Martyrs Day.

Bhagat Singh and his associates were given the death penalty for the assassination of 21-year-old British police officer John Saunders. They mistook Saunders, who was still on probation, for the British police superintendent, James Scott, whom they had intended to assassinate. Bhagat Singh was born on September 28, 1907, in Lyallpur district of British India (now in Pakistan's Punjab province) to Kishan Singh and Vidyavati. Was Bhagat Singh a Communist? Here's All About Shaheed-e-Azam's Political Ideology.

Here Are Some Facts About Bhagat SIngh's Life:

  • In 1919, when he was 12 years old, Singh visited the Jallianwala Bagh, hours after thousands of unarmed people were massacred.

  • When he was 14 years old, he was among those in his village who welcomed protesters who were agitating against the killing of a large number of unarmed people at Gurudwara Nankana Sahib on 20 February 1921.

  • Bhagat Singh was a follower of Mahatma Gandhi, but he was disappointed after Gandhi called off the Non-Corporation movement which was started to protest against the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre.

  • After the movemnet was called off, Singh joined the Young Revolutionary Movement.

  • In 1923, Singh joined the National College in Lahore.

  • He founded the Indian socialist youth organisation Naujawan Bharat Sabha in March 1926.

  • In the same year, he also joined Chandrashekhar Azad’s Hindustan Republican Association,

  • When the Simon Commission visited Lahore on October 30, 1928, Lala Lajpat Rai led a march in protest against it. Rai was injured in the lathicharge. Later on November 17, he died of a heart attack. Bhagat Singh, Azad and other members of Hindustan Republican Association decided to kill the British police superintendent, James Scott. But they mistook 21-year-old British police officer John Saunders for Scott.

  • In April, 1929, Singh and his associate Batukeshwar Dutt, exploded two improvised bombs inside the Central Legislative Assembly in Delhi. The main motive of Shaheed-e-Azam was to highlight the plight of Indians who were suffering from atrocities of the Britishers.

  • In the jail, Bhagat Singh and his associates went on a hunger strike, demanding better prison conditions for Indian prisoners. The strike was called off after the death of Das. Bhagat Singh 112th Birth Anniversary: Where Was He Born? Was Bhagat Singh Married? Know Everything About The Life of Indian Freedom Fighter.

Decades after Bhagat Singh's death, he is still popular amongst youth. Recently, A Pakistan-based outfit "Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation" had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, for freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. He is not only a freedom fighter but also had a dream to free India from age-old discriminatory practices of caste, creed, religion and superstition. He is also a socialist, a great political thinker and a prolific writer.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 28, 2019 07:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).