The period of a fortnight just before the hanging of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Raj Guru, was an eventful time. The infamous Gandhi-­Irwin pact was signed on 5^th March 1931; with that pact the final onslaught was launched by Lord Irwin to curtail the powers of Mahatma Gandhi and National Movement of Independence.

All the appeals put forward to Privy Council were rejected. There was a public cry to save the Trinity - Bhagat Singh, Raj Guru and Sukhdev. Everybody was upset over the silence of Gandhi-Irwin pact about Bhagat Singh. The Clause 9 related to prisoners. It neither mentioned of non-satyagrahi prisoners nor it mentioned anything about Bhagat Singh and his comrades. The newspapers criticized Gandhi and the common man's mood was full of anger at the omission of Bhagat Singh in the settlement.

What happened under those circumstances, sealed the fate of Gandhi, the Congress party, the National movement, the Hindustan Socialistic Republic Association and Bhagat Singh. The winner was the person who used the atmosphere in favor of his political aims and objects. Those 18 days, from March 5 to March 23, 1931 saw a big psychological fight between three B I G s Bhagat Singh, Irwin (Edward Fredrick Lindley Wood) and Gandhi (Mohan Dass Kararn Chand Gandhi) they all tried their best to win the tense battle of nerves. On one side was the eldest personal (62 yrs) on other side was youngest (23Yrs) and in between 52 years old cunning, clever and colonist. One was a saint like Bhisham Pitamah of Mahabharat, second was bold and brave ABHIMANYU and the third a hypocrite like Shakuni.

After the battle was over the clear winners were Bhagat Singh and Irwin, while Gandhi was a loser on all front. Bhagat Singh achieved Martyrdom as he desired and perceived, thus became a Legend. Lord Irwin was successful only in prolonging the life of British Raj for 16 years and ultimately concede the freedom to the Indian people, yet the fight for total Independence as conceived by Bhagat Singh and comrades is still going on. But the poor, Mahatma Gandhi was a clear­ cut loser on all fronts.  Till today most of the people of India considered him a weak and opportunist leader, but this is not the truth. His condition was just like the RAANJHA. (The famous lover of Heer)

Nale run gyee, nale kan patte
Es lshque - thee napha kee khatya-ee
(On one side the lady has left you alone and on the other side you have torn off your ears, {became Sadhu} let me know what you have earned from this business of love)

Before dividing the National Independent Movement permanently Lord Irwin and his men had completed one more job. The job was to finish Hindustan Socialist Republican Association formally (HRA). The one-man force behind HRA bold actions was Pandit Chandra Shekhera Azad. He was a very brave, courageous and intelligent man, who had organized HRA and chose very committed workers for HRA very carefully and none of them had betrayed the organization.

The predecessor of Lord Irwin, the MARQUESS of READING, was not a successful man; he could not implement the policies of his Masters from London. From April 1921 to March 1926, the British India saw many successful political movements, first, the Civil Disobedience Movement which brought the entire Indian under flag in November 1921. Every city and town saw the peaceful protestant disobeying all the orders of civil administration. The British were under pressure and Gandhi established himself as an undisputed leader of Indian National Congress.  Indians were demanding more powers and Independence and the movement was going out of control. So, to give an excuse to Mahatma Gandhi for withdrawing the movement suddenly, the Intelligence Bureau of British planned the CHAURA­CHOURI incident and Gandhi suddenly withdrew the movement in the name of violence, as discussed earlier.

Although the Indian Government was successful in curtailing the Disobedience movement but that resulted in the formation of Hindustan Republican Association in 1922. Thus, the youth of India who had deserted their government jobs and Schooling on the call of Gandhi, got frustrated and easily attracted toward the National Militant Movement of HRA in UP towards BABBAR AKALI LEHAR in Punjab, while the industrial labors of Calcutta, Mumbai, Kanpur etc. came under extreme left political wings of Communist Marxist ideology. In Punjab, on 12^th April 1928, the Kirti Kisan Party was founded at Amritsar. Sohan Singh Josh and MA Majid were appointed Secretary and joint secretary respectively, and Naujawan Bharat Sabha was established after one year.

While the students of various colleges of Lahore founded "Nau­ Jawan Bharat Sabha" on the initiative of Bhagat Singh, Principal Chhabil Dass and Bhagwati Charan Vohra in April 1926. Other founder members of Nau-Jawan Bharat Sabha were Sukhdev, MA Majid, Yashpal, Ranbir, Ishan Illahi, Pindi Dass, Jai Gopal, Hans Raj Vohra. The Sabha was actively supported by Kidar Nath Sehgal, one of the founders of Kirti Party in Punjab and Mehta Anand Kishore and Sardul Singh Kavisheree.

So, when Lord Irwin took charge of India as the Viceroy of India, in April 1926, the political atmosphere was filled with the nationalist militancy from West Bengal, Bihar to Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. The Indian National Congress party was on the back foot and its leadership was trying best to re-establish itself among the common Indian. As discussed, earlier Pt. Moti Lal Nehru, Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya and Pt. Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi hacked Hindustan Republican Association through Pt.  Ram Parshad Bismal and Pt. Chandra Shekhra Azad.

In Punjab, Lala Lajpat Rai, the influential congress leader, motivated   the youth through the educational institutes. Pandit Professor Vijay Alankar, Principal Chhabil Dass, Sardul Singh Kavisher and comrade Ram Kishan etc. were those Congress leaders who fully supported the Nau-Jawan Bharat Sabha and Kirti Party on one hand and on other side they reactivated the congress workers.

Slowly and steadily the left ideology established itself through the communist party of India, Ali India Peasant & workers party and various Industrial Unions. By the year 1928-29 the Indian National Congress party was clearly divided into three groups, although all were united outwardly; Rightist, Centralist and Leftist Congressmen. The think tank of Viceroy Lord Irwin prepared itself to coup with the danger of Socialist Camp. The outcome of Irwin & Co. was the successful launching of Meerut Conspiracy Case against 33 Communist leaders belonging to various states and Unions of India in March 1929. If any one goes through the files and records of Home Department of India related with the Meerut Case, it is evident how clever were the brains of Irwin & Co. At least one year before the beginning of said trial, how they prepared a strong legal case to crush the onslaught of Labour movement.

Second blow, to crush the Industrial Labour movement, was the creation of Public Safety Bill and Trade Dispute Bill. Both bills were meant to smother resistance to British rule. The first bill, the PUBLIC SAFETY BILL, was designed to empower the Government to detain anyone without trial. Presently, the people's government, democratically elected by the common people of India, enacted such bills such as MISA and recently TADA are two glaring examples of pseudo-democratic setup. The second bill was meant to deter Labour Unions from organising strikes.

To stop such a cunning group of Imperialist Britisher being led by Lord Irwin, there must be an answer strong enough. Only that person could give an equal answer to a particular question, which would have been equal to psychological level of the questioners.  Bhagat Singh was the answer to Irwin. He had developed his mental ability to the level of exploiter. Bhagat Singh understood the dangers of two bills.

Bhagat Singh and his comrades wondered why their tactics (to kill British man with bullet and bomb) had not yield ed the result they had envisaged. The bomb might be necessary at times to arouse attention. But they also had to convince people through argument and personal example that theirs was the best way to release the Common man from the slavery of foreigners. The Government machinery was a weapon in the hands of the ruling class to safeguard its interest Bhagat Singh said, "We want to snatch and handle it to utilize it for the consummation of our idea, that is, social reconstruction". He further argued "We have to educate the masses to create a favorable atmosphere for our social programmes".

Bhagat Singh brought revolutionaries with different brain-set ups under   one flag of Hindustan Socialist Republican Association. Although he did not agree, but he took active part in the killing of Saunders and when the killing of Saunders had not produced the desired result, he made his comrades to rethink upon their future plans. As the Irwin was preparing ground for his successful tenure through those two bills, Bhagat Singh was preparing his comrades to give an answer to the question of bills, through discussions and debate among themselves.

Bhagat Singh was thinking parallel to Irwin and had a planning to protest against the bills while the bills would be presented in the Assembly. But what would be the way of action was the question to be discussed. Everyone had given his opinion in the debate upon the two bills at Hingmandi Agra, the headquarters of HSRA. Most of them considered the Assembly a worthless institution. Some argued that throwing bomb in the Assembly might kill some British Official. Would it help? No, not at all. Bhagat Singh strongly stopped all that. He said," Such an act will give an opportunity to the Britisher and Gandhians to project us as "a bunch of killers. This must not be supported".

Only Bhagat Singh was a person who thought that both, the Britishers and the Leaders of Indian National Congress Party, who were representing the capitalist of India, were the enemy of HSRA. So, Bhagat Singh wanted to kill two birds with one stone. On one hand to stop the bills and register the protest on behalf of the Common Indian and secondly to defeat the malicious propaganda by both Gandhi and Irwin.

So, finally, the HSRA decided that two comrades from among them would hurl bomb from the Public gallery at the treasury benches in the Central Assembly Hall, taking care not to hurt anyone. The explosion was sure to start a debate on why the two young men had chosen the secure environs of the Assembly to risk their lives. It would make people think.  People would realize how the revolutionaries had braved dangers to register their protest against the jungle raj the British had come to represent in the country. Two persons, BK Dutt and Ram Saran Dass were nominated for the task. But that was not enough. Who would fight the worldly duel in the courtroom?

Edward Frederick Lindley Wood or Viceroy Irwin

Only words could do that. They must be told; the rulers must be put in the dock. The courts should be used as a forum to propagate revolutionary patriotic ideas and to rekindle fervors for the country freedom. The public must know the motive of the revolutionaries. If the motive was set aside, said Bhagat Singh, "Jesus Christ will appear to be a man responsible for creating disturbances, breaking peace and preaching revolt and will be considered to be a dangerous personality in the language of the law. But we worship Him"

Bhagat Singh was a man with clear vision on his aims and objects. So, when at last, he was chosen to go with BK Dutt on 8^th April 1929 in the Assembly to throw the bomb, he prepared himself with each and every argument for his motto and against his enemy, the Imperialist and Capitalists alike. Bhagat Singh opened his weapon of arguments with the "Red Leaflets" which were thrown after the action of Bomb throwing. The leaflets were written in well-selected words in brief as follows.

"It takes a loud voice to make the deaf hear, with these immortal words uttered on a similar occasion by VALLIANT, a FRENCH anarchist martyr, do we strongly justify this action of ours". "Without repeating the humiliating history of the past ten years of the working of the reforms (Montague-Chelmsford Reforms) and without mentioning the insults  hurled at the Indian Nation through this House-the so-called Indian Parliament - we want to point out that, while the people expecting some more crumbs of reforms from the Simon Commission, and are ever quarrelling over the distribution of the expected  bones, the Government   is thrusting upon us new repressive measures like the FLIGHT SAFETY     and  the Trade Disputes Bills, while reserving the Press sedition Bill for the next session. The indiscriminate arrests of labour leaders working in the open field clearly indicate whither the wind blows".

In these extremely provocative circumstances, the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association in all seriousness, realizing its full responsibility had decided and ordered its army to do this particular action, so that a stop be put to this humiliating force and to let the alien bureaucratic exploiters do what they wish, but they must be made to come before the public eyes in their naked form.

"Let the representatives of the people return to their constituencies and prepare the masses for the coming revolution, and let the Government know that while protesting against the Public Safety and Trade Disputes Bills and the callous murder of Lala Lajpat Rai, on behalf of the helpless Indian masses, we want to emphasize the lesson often repeated by history, that it is easy to kill individuals but you cannot kill the ideas- Great Empires crumbled while the ideas survived. Bourbons and Czar fell".

"We are sorry to admit that we who attached so great a sanctity to human life, we who dream of a glorious future, when man will be enjoying perfect peace and full liberty, have been forced to shed human blood. But the sacrifice of individuals at the altar of the 'Great Revolution' that will bring freedom to all renders the exploitation of man by man impossible, inevitable".

Civil Disobedience Movement —1930-31

Long Live the Revolution

Bhagat Singh was the winner and Lord Irwin had lost the first round of the battle which started with launching of Meerut Conspiracy Case against 33 communists on 28th March, 1929 and ended with the pronouncement of judgment on the Assembly Bomb Case on 12th June 1929 by Judge Leonard Middleton at Delhi. Although Lord Irwin & Co. tried its best to eliminate Bhagat Singh who was charged with attempt to murder under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code, but the arguments put forwarded by Bhagat Singh through his written statements on 6th June, had changed the situation and the judge Middleton could not deliver the judgement according to his masters.

Middleton said, "Normally these youths must not be allowed to lead to the infliction of an inadequate punishment. Still, he did not want to hang them".

Bhagat Singh had exposed the government which was using courts for its benefit. He had won the heart of many Indian and gained Public sympathy. He also demonstrated the uselessness of the constitutional method and of the non-violent technique of wresting freedom from the foreign Government and the urgency of replacing these by arrned revolution. He used the court as a platform to advocate the revolutionary point of view and in the process, he rekindled the patriotic sentiments.

Lord Irwin described the whole episode of bomb throwing differently. He admitted that the "two assailants" had taken care not to kill anyone. They could have caused havoc if they had so desired. But their target was the "institution" of the Central Assembly. Lord Irwin had smelled the brilliance of Bhagat Singh. He and his aides were surprised how Bhagat Singh had cleverly used their machinery.

Till then Mr. Gandhi and his close associate could not judge the qualities of Bhagat Singh. They all took him as a lunatic person. Mr. Chaman Lal a congress party member to the Central Assembly delivered a speech against him. Bhagat Singh differed from Mahatma Gandhi most diametrically in his approach to the vital issue of how to attain freedom. Gandhi stood for a non-violent, non-exploiting social and an economic order based on the principles of non-co-operation with the system which supports the state founded on unjust laws and unfair means of distribution. While the revolutionaries wanted the transfer of power and transformation of society through violent methods. Both Gandhi and the revolutionaries stood for their own principles.

But Bhagat Singh believed that the use of both the methods, violent and non-violent, was very useful and if both the parties could work  unitedly  then, and then Indian could  win freedom  easily  and earlier.

But it is a truth that an English officer Allen Octavian Hume founded the Indian National Congress party in December·1885 at Bombay (Mumbai) and its objectives were included.

1. The promotion of personal intimacy and friendship amongst all More Earnest workers in our country's   cause in the various parts Of THE EMPIRE.
2. Consolidation of the national Sentiments and eradication of the Prejudices of race, creed and a province.
3. To keep authoritative record of the matured Indian views on important matters concerning this country.

In fact, the organization constituted by the English and was meant for the English Empire, so, how it could change its basic character. Once again, in the last month of 1929, when the names of Bhagat Singh and his comrades were taken with respect in political circle of freedom movement, Bhagat Singh had tried to convince Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru and Subash Chandra Bose through his commander-in-chief Balraj alias Pt. Chandra Shekhar Azad to mobilize the public to overthrow the Empire.

According to Dalip Singh version Bhagat Singh had proposed a plan from Central Jail Lahore. The Plan was to organize mass processions from various big cities towards New Delhi on 1^st January 1930 and on reaching there on 26^th Jan 1930, take over the Central Assembly and thus declare complete Independence SAMPURAN SAWRAJ. But the whole planning could not be materialized because of the basic character of the Congress Party and secondly the bomb blast on the train of Viceroy of India on 23rd December 1929, while Lord Irwin was returning to New Delhi, near old fort. That gave an excuse to Mahatma Gandhi to condemn the extremist action of revolutionaries but to satisfy the common worker the Congress Party organized a big public rally at Lahore. Where on 26th January 1930 Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru declared "SAMPURAN   SAWRAJ", to get it would be the new target of Congress Party.

But that policy of Congress to retreat at a very crucial and decisive point of the movement by its leader brought a bad name for its leader especially Mahatma Gandhi.

5 March marks 90 Years since the signing of the Gandhi-Irwin Pact, which formalised a number of agreements between Mahatma Gandhi and Lord Irwin, the Viceroy of India

Mr. M.K. Gandhi did not learn any lesson from deceitful nature and policy of the Britishers and once more was caught in the web of Diplomacy, Dishonesty, Cunningness, and Opportunism during the talks with Lord Irwin from February 17, 1931 to March 4, 1931 which resulted in the Gandhi-Irwin Pact signed on March 5, 1931 just 18 days before the proposed date of execution of Bhagat Singh, Raj Guru and Sukhdev.

During these 15 days of confidential talks held at the Viceroy House, New Delhi no aide was present. Gandhi did not take any notes. Lord Irwin did at the end of the day and those are preserved in the archives. According to file No. 5-45/193/K.W. 2; Mahatma Gandhi raised Home Government Political Branch, Bhagat Singh's case in February itself. The minute dated Feb l8 recorded by Lord Irwin says' "In conclusion not connected with above he mentioned the case of Bhagat Singh. He did not plead for commutation (of death sentence) but he did ask for the postponement in the present circumstances".

Irwin was a diplomat so he used diplomatic language in his notes, thus fired a shot which could deface Mahatma ji in the coming time. This is the truth that the people of India are blaming Mahatma Gandhi only in the light of written notes of Lord Irwin, his home Secretary Mr. Herbert Emerson which are kept in record rooms of archives the "Fullness of days (1957) an autobiography of Lord Irwin and the biography of Lord Irwin entitled". Lord Halifax published in 1941 being written by Allan Campbell Johnson.

Incidentally Mr. Allan Campbell Johnson, a personal friend of Mr. Emerson, the Home Secretary of Government of India during the tenure of Lord Irwin and at the time of execution of Bhagat Singh, was the same person from whose house Dalip Singh Alahabadi collected the secret papers pertaining to relationship between Jawaharlal Nehru and Chandra Shekhar Azad those papers in which the conspiracy of execution of Bhagat Singh was hidden. Mr. Johnson was the boss of Lady Margaret Johnson who loved Dalip Singh. Johnson was a journalist having a desire to score a scoop. It is very strange that the account given by him has not been rebutted.

Although Gandhi stood for non-violence throughout his life, even then he pleaded for commutation of death penalty of Bhagat Singh, Raj Guru and Sukhdev. Mr. Irwin mentioned about that as follows," As I listened to Mr. Gandhi putting the case of commutation forcibly before me, I reflected first on what significance it surely was that the apostle of non-violence should so earnestly be pleading the cause of the devotees of a creed so fundamentally opposite to his own but I should regard it as wholly wrong---"

Lord Irwin and his government was under tremendous pressure due to successful political movement for total Independence. Gandhi had turned down the offer of talks for First Round Table Conference at London.

Thousands of workers from all walks of life were Court arrested and had filled the jails. Gandhi once again, had established himself undisputed leader of Independence movement and did not show any leniency towards the British. So, Lord Irwin and his council made a plan to defame Gandhi forever and for that the Englishmen had used "the death sentence of Bhagat Singh, Raj Guru & Sukhdev" accordingly. Ultimately on one hand Lord Irwin had shown soft corner for the talk and conceded maximum to MK Gandhi. But to balance the loss, he took a hard posture on the question of Bhagat Singh, Raj Guru & Sukhdev.

In 1931, Gandhi attended the Second Round Table Conference in London to decide on the future status of India

During the crucial talks Mr.  Emerson, the Home Secretary of India had played an important role with the help of the Governor of Punjab Mr. Malcom Hailey to prepare the ground for the execution of the three secretly.  During that period there were discussions among the English Officers that Lord Irwin was under pressure and he might concede pardon to the three convicted. But most of them did not desire so. They could not tolerate any decision less than the execution. Main force behind that thinking was the father- in- law of Saunders, Mr. BG Andrews, personal assistant to the Governor of Punjab.  He had a personal grudge against Bhagat Singh for pumping 4-5 bullets in the dead body of Saunders on 17th December 1928, who had been killed by the bullet of Raj Guru.  He mobilised many English Officers to resign their government’s services if the Indian Government would show any leniency towards the murderer of Saunders.

Although Mr. James Alaxander Scott, the former superintendent of Police of Lahore had been shifted to Rawalpindi after the incident of 17^th December 1928, but he put his influences on the English Officers to be united and to put on maximum pressure on Lord Irwin and his counselors at Delhi for the conviction to be carried out without any delay. The Home Secretary to the Government of Punjab HM Cowan, ICS  had sent a memorandum regarding the sentiment of British of Lahore, to the Home Secretary Sir Herbert Emerson at New Delhi.

According to Dali p Singh Allahabadi the Director of Intelligence Bureau of India got information's that few English officers at Labore were ready to take law in their hand and would kill the convicted in jail itself if the Indian Government had surrendered. The emotion and sentiments of many English Ladies were expressed through the Public petitions to the Governor of Punjab. Dalip Singh had told that there was an urgent meeting held at Irwin's House on March 12 or 13, 1931, in which a deputation of English Officers from Labore had submitted a memorandum in writing either to accept the resignation enmass in the wake of acceptance of special mercies petitions or they might be allowed to carry on their secret plan in order to cool down the anger of friends and relatives of Saunders.

Dalip Singh further told Kulwant Singh Kooner that the Governor of Punjab Mr. Malcom Hailey had made a promise earlier to the gathering of Englishmen and women at the burial of Saunders on December 18, 1928 at Labore, to take the revenge from the murderers in the same way and fashion. Thus, when the time has come to execute the death penalty, the relatives put-up the demand to kill the culprit with bullets.

Sir Malcolm Hailey, Governor of the United Provinces (UP) in India

Lord Irwin was under pressure from two sides, from Indian and from the English. Legally neither he could accept the demands of his community about the fate of the convicted persons nor could he accept the commutation demand of Gandhi and his countrymen. But he had full desire to defeat Gandhi politically and to win creditability for him as his tenure completed after a month or so. Both desires were easy to achieve with one stroke. But the real problem was to satisfy his officer at Lahore.

So, at last on 16^th March 1931 Mr. Emerson had informed telegraphically his counterpart at Labore. The language of that telegram has secret meanings.  The Home Department, Government of India informed the Punjab Government that, your telegram of 16^th Governor-General-in-Council has declined to interfere on behalf of the persons under sentences of death in Labore Conspiracy, namely, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev. The Government of India accept the view of Local Government that advantage lies in not waiting until after Karachi Congress, but they consider execution should be carried out not later than Monday 23^rd and earlier if practicable. We are giving preliminary warning to Local Government.  Kindly Communicate actual date by cipher wire (Vide file No. 4/21, 4/31, 1931)

Question arises, what Advantage lays? And why the execution should be carried out not later than March 23rd? If anybody can get the answer to the questions, he/she might be able to clarify the mess and controversies about Gandhi and Bhagat Singh episode.

Mr. Campbell Johnson, the biographer of Lord Irwin and later­ on Press-Secretary to Lord Mountbatten in New Delhi, and Mr. HW Emerson, the Chief Secretary to the Government of India had mentioned in their writing that on March 19, 20, 21 and 23rd 1931 Mahatma Gandhi do have raised the question of commutation of the sentence. --the impression which Gandhi conveyed to the Viceroy on March 19. They spoke for three hours that evening on the "difficulties arising out of the settlement" Gandhi mentioned the case of the Raja of Kalakankar; a case arising out of the forest satyagraha in the district of Colaba in the than Bombay Presidency; and the scope of the terms of the amnesty. ---

It was Emerson who raised the topic of Bhagat Singh. I then asked him if he had seen in the papers that the Governor-General-in Council had rejected the petition for mercy on behalf of Bhagat Singh. He said that he was apprehensive regarding the consequences. I did not mention the date on which the execution would be carried out, but I did explain to him that the question as to whether it should take place before or after the Karachi Congress had been very seriously considered by the Government.

The half confession of Mr. Emerson in the above writings clearly shows cleverness and the seriousness of the Britisher Rulers. All those writings, upon which our historians analysed the role of Gandhi about Bhagat Singh and his comrades, are nothing but the concordant stories. The truth was buried under those false statements.

It is very clear that the British-ruler of India had decided the fate of trio well in advance but they were trying to make maximum ADVANTAGE from the execution of the three. As mentioned earlier by Dalip Singh Allahabadi got the whole truth about the last days of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev in Lahore Jail. He said that the Local Government of Punjab has got green signal to carry on the secret plan "The peace and tranquility" according to which the execution would be carried out at Night in the Jail. Only a few Englishmen would be present at the site of gallows and no Indian Officer should be present at the time of execution. The planning was to tranquilise 'the three' and after that the father-in-law of Slain Saunders, Mr. Andrew may fire bullets on "the murderers" to cool down the force of revenge.

After getting the written order from New Delhi, the Home Secretary of Punjab Government informed the Home Secretary, Government of India, "Your telegram of the 17th Instant No. 797-S, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev will be executed at 7 on evening of March 23rd. The news will be made known in Lahore on early morning of March 24^th"--- dated 18^th March 1931, Labore (file No. 4/21' 4/31-1931).

On the same day, after getting the information from Punjab Government about the time and date of execution, New Delhi had informed to the other Local Governments as follows, ''Please refer to Emerson's demi-official of 28^th February, regarding Lahore Conspiracy convicts. Petitions of mercy have been rejected. It is probable that the execution will take place not later than 23^rd but further information is stated in the demi-official will be given in due course. Meanwhile this information should be treated as very secret".

Mahatma Gandhi aboard the S.S. Rajputana en route to the Second Round Table Conference

It is worthwhile to mention here what, AG Noorani has written in his book "The Trial of Bhagat Singh" about Gandhi's truth.

Reading the record as a whole archival and published, there is great regret on three counts.

One is that Gandhi did not know, did not try to know and to understand, Bhagat Singh' thinking when he was in prison, specifically, his renunciation of terrorism. Here was a man of enormous potentialities who would have served far more devotedly than most. A preeminently educable Youngman. It was surely a life worth saving. The effort should have been made.

Secondly, there is a reference in Gandhi's letter of April29, 1931 to C.  Vijayraghawa Chariar to the fact that "the legality of the convictions (of Bhagat Singh and his associates) was discussed threadbare by Jurists like Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru with the Viceroy. It is unfortunate that the monstrous illegalities of the trial passed muster, as they did. The fundamentals of constitutional and criminal law were flouted. Sir Tej did not denounce them in public nor did any other jurist of national eminence outside Punjab.

The last regret is about Gandhi's role between February 18 and March 22. As late as March 20, he was counseling Emerson, a bureaucrat who had exhibited his racism to the Central Assembly on September 14,1929, on damage Control. It was bad enough that Gandhi spoke to the Viceroy as he did on February 18 and March 19. It was far worse that he counselled the Home Secretary thereafter on ways to contain expression of indignation by his own people on the execution of a patriot, whose patriotism Gandhi himself admired, by the British rulers of the Country.

While presenting three regrets Mr. A.G.Noorani mentioned seven words "a bureaucrat who had exhibited his racism ", Emerson was not only the racial bureaucrat but many more were functioning in New Delhi and Punjab at that time. The whole drama of Labore Conspiracy Case was revolving around "the Racism". The climax of that racial drama was the coldblooded murder of three young patriots-Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev.

How Bhagat Singh fought against 'that racism’ in Labore Jail from March 4 to March 23^rd till he was shot dead along with his part and parcel Rajguru and Sukhdev by racial gang of few English officers of Punjab, was revealed by Dalip Singh, to Kulwant Singh Kooner when he was nearing  his death.

SOURCE:

Martyrdom of Shaheed Bhagat Singh - Secrets unfold by an Intelligence Bureau Agent of British-India - by Kulwant Singh Kooner Gurpreet Singh Sindhra