April 8 1929- Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt, throw bombs in Central Assembly in Delhi, to register their protest and surrender. A very significant date in many ways, this thread takes a look at this event and the subsequent trial.

Actually the bombs were quite harmless actually, and made a noise, sending out smoke, but did not cause any real damage. There were no injuries to any one except some minor scratches. As Bhagat Singh later put it, was more to make the deaf hear.

Even on this occasion, the reason Bhagat Singh along with Dutt, threw the bombs in the Assembly, was to protest against a bill that sought to stop labor agitations. Bhagat Singh along with Dutt had been going to the Provisional Assembly for last 3-4 days, doing a reccee.

Both men were armed with fully loaded revolvers, they could have as well shot the officers and escaped. But both of them calmly laid down their weapons and surrendered to the police, raising slogans of “Inquilaab Zindabad”( Long Live the Revolution).

And they threw pamphlets of the Hindustan Republican Socialist Association, quoting the French anarchist Valiant “It takes a loud voice to make the deaf hear”.

The backdrop to this event was the massive strike by the mill workers of Mumbai, agains the working conditions and owners. The Hindustan Socialist Republican Association, saw this as a historical opportunity to identify with the labor and peasant movements.

The Congress then was typically a party of the borgueiouse and the elite, the HSRA, on the other hand identified itself with the youth, the workers and peasants. The Government had gone after many socialist leaders following the strike in Mumbai.

And was planning to bring in the Trade Disputes Bill, which was primarily a draconian measure that sought to ban trade unions. Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt wanted to make the voice heard clear, and that was the reason behind, throwing the bombs.

According to Sukhdev, the object of throwing bombs in the Assembly, was that they might be able to show their ‘protest’ against the unjustifiable provisions of the Trades Dispute Bill and the Public Safety Bill. - Hansraj Vohra

But they had no intention of killing anybody. The bombs were deliberately kept weak, so that even if their explosion did some harm to the Government benches, no harm might come to the Congress leaders.- Hansraj Vohra

Hansraj Vohra, was part of the revolutionaries group, who latest turned approver and testified against Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru in the Lahore Conspiracy case, that played a crucial role in their conviction and execution.

This Hansraj Vohra who testified against Bhagat Singh and co, later became a Washington DC correspondent for TOI, he was sponsored by the British Govt to study at LSE. In a way that is the story of post Independent India, unfortunately.

Bhagat Singh along with Dutt wanted to put across their view point in court, reason why they willingly surrendered to the police. Actually much before they made their statement in the Court of Sessions, copies of it were sent to all newspapers in India and even likes of Pravda.

The Nau Jawan Bharat Sabha that was founded by Bhagat Singh himself, did the publicity work for the Assembly Bomb outrage case. The statement was distributed all over India, short biographies of Bhagat Singh along with Dutt were circulated to all leading newspapers.

The intention of propagating the goals of HSRA was fulfilled, it came into prominence and the imagination of the youth was roused. There was a reason why Bhagat Singh went on a hunger strike for the prisoners, before the Sessions Court started the trial.

The prison conditions were appaling, and that is an understatement, prisoners either turned mad or died in captivity. Most prisoners were kept in solitary confinement away from other prisoners, to break their spirit, and to avoid outbreaks.

While Bhagat Singh received somewhat better treatment, he was well aware of the harsh conditions under which most prisoners labored. He had nothing to gain personally from launching a hunger strike, he knew that sooner or later, he would be prosecuted for the murder of Saunders

Bhagat’s demand was that all political prisoners should be allowed facilities for reading, newspapers, better light and a better diet. He did not seek an idealistic treatment, what he asked was for the bare necessities to prisoners, which was practicable and could be worked out.

The authorities initially dismissed Bhagat Singh’s fast, feeling he would not be able to withstand the rigors. However when Jatin Das, joined in the fast unto death, it spread among the undertrials too, and soon the strike in Lahore became news all over the nation.

The Punjab Government was forced to accede to some of the demands, for instance giving medical facilities to some of the undertrials. Jatin Das meanwhile went into a critical stage following his fast unto death,

And it was only Bhagat Singh’s intervention that made him break the fast temporarily. He was too weak however by that time. With the authorities however refusing to release Jatin Das, the hunger strike continued, along with Bhagat Singh, Dutt and others.

Sadly it had no effect, and Jatin Das died fasting in prison. With Jatin Da’s death, Bhagat Singh and his comrades had to give up the hunger strike.

To know more in detail, check out this post of mine on Bhagat Singh's trial and execution, as also the reason behind throwing the bombs in Delhi Assembly. https://historyunderyourfeet.wordpress.com/2015/03/23/shaheed-bhagat-singh-the-trial-and-the-execution/

ICYMI
My video talk on trial and exeuction of Bhagat Singh here, Do check out and also subscribe to my channel.

ICYMI
My audio talk on trial and execution of Bhagat Singh
https://anchor.fm/ratnakar-sadasyula/episodes/Shaheed-Bhagat-Singh-The-trial-and-the-execution-ebo754
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/0YyIcnujjTpxgmvcZLvpbU