Candle March organized to commemorate Martyrdom Day

The Department of National Cadet Corps (NCC), Chitkara University, Himachal Pradesh organized a candle march to observe Martyrdom Day of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev on March 23rd, 2022. NCC Cadets and NSS volunteers participated in the candle march and paid tributes to the martyrs. A drill session was also organised for the NCC Cadets.

Shaheed Diwas or Martyrs’ Day is observed on March 23 every year throughout the country. The day commemorates three freedom fighters of India Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev, who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of India. They were considered the socialist revolutionaries of their times and served as an inspiration to many Indians. They fought for the assassination of Lala Lajpat Rai. Bhagat Sing became an inspiration for youngsters due to his daring adventures. He and his companions, on April 8th, 1929, threw bombs over the Central Legislative Assembly by reading the slogan “Inquillab Zindabad”. And for this, a murder case was charged against them. On March 23rd, 1931, in the Lahore Jail, they were hanged. Their bodies were cremated on the banks of the Sutlej River. They were hanged to death for assassinating John Saunders, a British police officer in 1928.

They had mistook him for British police superintendent James Scott. It was Scott who had ordered lathi charge, which eventually led to the death of Lala Lajpat Rai. These three were among the countless who sacrificed their lives for the nation and died when they were very young. They lives inspired countless youth and in their death, they set an example. And in doing so, they carved out their own path for independence where individual heroism and their aggressive need to do something for the nation stood out, departing from the path followed by the Congress leaders then.