India’s freedom struggle was not an easy task; it took great effort, and sacrifices of many great revolutionaries of the time, who took up the reins to see our motherland free from the hands of the British rule.

The ultimate sacrifice of Saheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev will be remembered till the end of time as they sacrificed their lives for the freedom of India. Their inspiring actions continued to stir the desire for freedom until it was achieved in 1947.

On March 23, 1931 the trio was hanged to death by the British for their involvement in the murder of John Sauders. The day is observed as Shaheed Diwas or Martyr’s Day.

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.

Remembering Bhagat Singh, Rajguru & Sukhdev on the day of their martyrdom. India will never forget their courage & sacrifice.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 23, 2017

Today, on the 86th anniversary of their martyrdom, Every Indian should know these facts about “Shaheed Diwas”.

1. The real battle started when Lala Lajpat Rai succumbed to injuries, he sustained at a protest against Simon Commission to report on the political situation in India, which had no Indian in it.

2. As a prominent member of the ‘Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), Bhagat Singh vowed to avenge the Rai’s death and conspired an attack on James A. Scott, who had ordered the lathi charge on Lala Lajpat Rai with Rajguru, Sukhdev and Chandrashekhar Azad.

3. But, in a mistaken identity, they shot John P. Saunders instead of Scott. Following which, The British launched a massive manhunt to capture the group.

4. 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. They had the chance to escape, but they stayed shouting the slogan, 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.

6. Police arrested Sukhdev by locating the bomb factory in Lahore and Saharanpur.

7. Initially, Bhagat Singh was charged for bombing in the assembly. Later, police connected the dots and charged Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru of murdering Saunders in what came to be known as the Lahore conspiracy case and sentenced them to death.

8. 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.

“Bhagat Singh was just 23-years-old at that time”

9. Their bodies were cremated on the banks of the Sutlej River.

AMandeep