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This jail-notebook allows the reader to peep into the mind of the young patriot. The notes in his diary show the influences that chiselled his young mind. What is revealing is that his aim was not only to "free mother India from the chains of foreign slavery" but, as Professor Chaman Lal says, "to understand and fight the larger system that produces slavery in the first place." The introduction by Professor Chaman Lal of JNU is comprehensive and sheds light on the illustrious life of the martyr. It can be helpful to research scholars, for it enumerates the work of various authors who have delved into the life and ideological leanings of Bhagat Singh. The Jail Notebook is annotated by Bhupendra Hooja (1922-2006), a student activist in the revolutionary movement in the 1940s. The annotations have been updated and revised by Sudhanva Deshpande. The jottings are at random and show that the author of the diary read a lot. So, if he read thinkers with Marxist leanings, he also read the works of Hobbes, Austin, Victor Hugo and Bertrand Russell. He believed in revolution in the true sense of the word. He quotes thinkers who are against the institution of private property, mental bondage, institution of marriage, etc. The themes are varied. Bhagat Singh spent the last two years of his life in the jail fighting the court battle as well as inhuman conditions inside the jail. He read like a man possessed, like a man who knew he had little time left. And this shows in his notes in his personal diary. The reader goes through a small but important part of a vast literature. Bhagat Singh quotes from The Origin of the Family that "pulpit, platform and press has hypnotised the minds of men and proves to be one of the strongest pillars of exploitation." Lenin's thoughts that can be relevant today are quoted, "`85 international trusts have begun the partition of the world and the biggest capitalist countries have completed the division of the entire terrestrial globe among themselves." Replace the words "international trusts" with multi-national corporations and the picture presents the stark reality of today. Besides the jottings in the personal diary, what is really interesting are the various letters, statements written by Bhagat Singh. The statement before the Sessions Court by Bhagat Singh and B.K. Dutta clarifies their stand of throwing the harmless bombs in the Assembly Chamber. The former justifies moral justification of force when used for furtherance of a legitimate cause. He writes, "By revolution we mean that the present order of things which is based on manifest injustice must change." Their aim by the act was "to make the deaf hear." In another letter, he writes, "Revolution is the spirit, the longing for a change for the better." His letter to Sukhdev, his comrade, translated from Hindi reflects the steadfastness of Bhagat Singh to the cause. The letter shows the anguish of Bhagat Singh when he hears Sukhdev contemplate suicide to avoid life transportation. The former exhorts the latter to stand by the high ideals that they had once cherished. The letter to his father, Sardar Kishan Singh, records Bhagat Singh's strong displeasure to his father for pleading innocence of his son in the Saunders' murder. It is a pity that some letters and four manuscripts drafted by Bhagat Singh have been destroyed. The loss is immense. They were smuggled out of jail and then passed through various hands. The important documents were burnt by an unnamed friend of Bejoy Kumar Sinha who feared police raid. However, this jail-notebook allows us to analyse and follow the "general trend of his (Bhagat Singh) argument." Truly, the book inspires like its exemplary author.
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Tales of heroism
anywhere in the world continue to inspire people, especially the youth,
for higher action. But when a man from amidst us surpasses all fears and
rises to the challenge, his feats fascinate us. Bhagat Singh, the
legendry figure is one such character in India's struggle for freedom.
In the recent past, Bhagat Singh's life became a fascinating subject for
filmmakers. Rang de Basanti, an award-winning movie, reflected
him in a new light, showing that action and not mere words can cure the
society of all its ills even today.