Film on Bhagat Singh sparks debate about his religious beliefs

BATHINDA: A short film based on freedom fighter Bhagat Singh’s meeting with Gadar movement activist Bhai Randhir Singh in Central Jail, Lahore, nearly six months before his hanging, has not gone down well with Bhagat Singh’s aficionados.

In the film “Bhagat Singh”, which was uploaded on YouTube on May 26, Bhagat Singh has been shown getting influenced by Sikhism and repenting his decision of shearing his hair and assures Bhai Randhir Singh of remaining Sikh till last breath. Bhagat Singh otherwise has been termed as an atheist. The 17 minute film has been based on Bhai Randhir Singh’s book jail chithian (jail letters).

Bhai Randhir Singh, a ghadarite, was charged for waging war against the British in 1914 and undergone imprisonment from 1914 to 1930. He passed away in 1961.The film has been produced by

Panj Teer Records

in association with Heritage Productions.

According to movie, Bhai Randhir Singh met Bhagat Singh on October 4, 1930, on the day of his release from Lahore jail. There have been many comments on YouTube against the facts shown in the film.

Bhagat Singh’s nephew professor Jagmohan Singh said, “Facts have been highly twisted in the film and the makers have tried to show Bhagat Singh as a diehard Sikh whereas Bhagat Singh in meeting with Bhai Randhir Singh had made it clear that he is an atheist. Even Bhai Randhir Singh has mentioned this fact and now it has been fabricated. He was much above any religion and loved all. He never repented shearing of hair.

“He said Bhagat Singh was ideologically very strong and lots of attempts had been made in all these years to put Bhagat Singh in religious line which had been kept on negating,” he further said.

Desh Bhagar Yaadgar committee member

Amolak Singh

said that through this picture Bhagat Singh has been shown to be influenced by Sikhism whereas he was an atheist. “Desh Bhagat committee has writings of Bhai Randhir Singh where it has never been shown that Bhagat Singh had apologised to him for not respecting the hair but had said that I have not shorn the hair and I am ready to get every limb to be cut for motherland.

“In the film it has also been shown that Bhagat Singh shorn his hair as he not wanted to be labelled as Sikh as the national press of that time was ignoring the Sikhs and Bhagat Singh got prominence for looking like a Hindu is totally false”, added Amolak.

Pardeep Singh, producer of Panj Teer Records which made the movie, said that, “We have made the film as per the book of Bhai Randhir Singh. We have not added anything from our side and have shown whatever is written in the book.”