The Militant - July 15, 2002 -- Letters

Vol.66/No.28 July 15, 2002

Letters

Indian revolutionists
I recently read a newspaper article on the movie The Legend of Bhagat Singh. I was surprised I had never heard of him before. While in college Bhagat Singh joined a revolutionary Marxist- Leninist group called the Hindustan Republican Association which called for complete independence from the British. In 1927 the party changed its demands from independence to a complete socialist revolution. The name changed to the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association and was led by Bhagat Singh.

In 1929 Bhagat and one of his comrades, Sukhdev, threw a bomb into the Central Legislative Committee as they met in Delhi, as a ploy to get arrested and use the British and bourgeois press to reach the people, to spread the Inquilab revolution. Throughout the story there were references to the Russian Revolution, to the works of V.I. Lenin, Hindu-Muslim unity, portrayals of women in the revolutionary movement, and absolute camaraderie and dedication to the revolution.

In 1931 Bhagat Singh, age 23, Sukhdev and another colleague, Rajguru, were hanged, despite popular national and international opposition. At the time Bhagat Singh and the HSRA had a following that rivaled Gandhi. I would like to see an article in the Militant about this amazing fighter and movement, especially now with the tensions in the Indian subcontinent.

Emily Paul
San Lorenzo, California

The letters column is an open forum for all viewpoints on subjects of interest to working people.

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