Shaheed Diwas (Martyrs’ Day)

Martyrs' Day is used to pay respect and tribute to the freedom fighters who liberated India from the cruel rule of the British. Many freedom fighters gave their entire lives to free India from the British. It is necessary for people to move in every corner of the country and to perform every task properly. March 23 is observed as Shaheed Diwas to commemorate the sacrifices made by three freedom fighters - Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar - for their contribution to India's independence from British colonial rule. It was he who popularized the phrase 'Inquilab Zindabad' (long live the revolution) during the pre-independence period. People are used to give much more respect and reverence to the freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru.

Significance

After the death of freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai in November 1928, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev and others vowed to take revenge because Rai was an important leader of the Indian independence movement. They plotted to kill James A. Scott, the superintendent of police in the British Raj. It was Scott who ordered the police to attack the demonstrators with batons and to attack Rai personally, seriously injuring him. Lala Lajpat Rai led a protest march against the Simon Commission that was quiet and non-violent, but the police responded with violence. Bhagat Singh witnessed this cruel incident.

However, they killed Deputy Commissioner of Police John Saunders by mistake. On April 8, 1929, they threw bombs in the central assembly and shouted 'Inqilab Zindabad'. Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were charged with the murder of Saunders and sentenced to death. The date of execution was set for March 24, but Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were hanged in Lahore Jail on March 23, 1931. When the three were hanged, Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev were 23years old, while Rajguru was only 22. The sacrifices of these young revolutionaries continue to inspire the youth today. Let us remember our freedom heroes on this day.