‘Shaheed Diwas’ or Martyrs’ Day is observed every year in India on March 23 to mark the death anniversary of legendary freedom fighters – Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Hari Rajguru, and Sukhdev Thapar. The trio was hanged by the British government in Lahore’s Central Jail on this day in 1931.
Why Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Hari Rajguru, and Sukhdev Thapar were hanged on March 23, 1931?
Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev were associated with the Indian freedom struggle from a young age and thus were on the target of the British government for a long.
The trio had vowed to avenge the death of Lala Lajpat Rai, the famous Indian freedom fighter who was a part of the legendary Lal-Bal-Pal trio. Rai, who is famously known as Punjab Kesari, was killed by the Britishers during a peaceful protest march against the Simon Commission in Lahore in November 1928.
Later in December that year, the trio of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev planned to assassinate John Scott, the assistant superintendent of police (SP), who had ordered the lathi-charge against the peaceful march of Rai.
However, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev mistakenly assassinated John Saunders. Later, they escaped to Calcutta to avoid getting arrested by the British police. In April next year, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt bombed the Central Assembly Hall in Delhi after which they were arrested.
The trio was later sentenced to death by the British government. Initially, they were supposed to be hanged on March 24, 1931, but the British government preponed the date to March 23, 1931. Bhagat Singh was 23, Rajguru was 22 and Sukhdev was 23 when they were hanged to death at Lahore Central Jail.
Thus, in the honour of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev, Shaheed Diwas is observed in India on March 23 every year.
