Lecture on “Bhagat Singh and his Legend” 

Chandigarh, November 6, 2023:  Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Centre and the Department of Sociology, Panjab University, Chandigarh organized a lecture on “Bhagat Singh and his Legend”, delivered by Dr.Karamjit Kaur Malhotra, Chairperson, Department of History and Punjab Historical Studies, Punjabi University, Patiala, on Monday.  

The talk began with Bhagat Singh’s early life and influences.  It was his disillusionment with passive politics after the non-cooperation movement that made him turn to the ideology of bringing about change with revolution.  Bhagat Singh was closely influenced by the Ghadarite Movement which he believed was the first genuine effort for struggle for freedom of India.  The writings of Lenin and Trotsky had a deep impact on his thinking. Use of force, according to him, was needed to free India.
 
The speaker pointed out that Bhagat Singh’s ideas, character and martyrdom was deeply embedded in the minds of all Indians and it was reflected in the poetic and literary discourse in various languages like Punjabi, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telegu as well as Sanskrit. Bhagat Singh was a cult figure during his life time and even now he is remembered and appropriated for his ideas that have contemporary relevance.