By Jagmohan Singh Barhok

Lala Lajpat Rai was an Indian patriotic leader who lead a demonstration against Simon Commission at Lahore. The British police attacked the procession with batons, injuring many including Lala Lajpat Rai who was leading the procession. Lala Lajpat Rai later succumbed to his injuries on 17 November 1928. The lathi charge was ordered at the behest of British Police Superintendent James Scott.

Bhagat Singh & his team hatched a plan to avenge the death of Lajpat Rai, mistakenly killing Saunders instead of James Scott. They were apprehended and hanged to death for killing John Saunders on March 23, 1931. My father attended the funeral that took place on the following day as the three of them were hanged a day earlier than schedule to avoid public anger.

Singh died with his team but their martyrdom sparked off a wave of patriotism in the Northern part of the sub- continent. Resultantly many more came forward & took the torch of rebellion or revolution in their hands to do away with the ruling British Regime. It eventually lead to Independence of the country, ending the British Rule in 1947. Bhagat Singh was later bestowed with the title Shaheed-e-Azam.

British Police officer Saunders was killed on this Day at Lahore in 1928. It was a case of mistaken identity.

Interestingly, Bhagat Singh was not named in the FIR lodged at the Anarkali Police Station, Lahore. The case was registered under Sections 302,120 and 109 of the Indian Penal Code. A Lahore based lawyer traced the original FIR & made it public. In fact they were hanged for rising or mobilizing public opinion against the British Regime. Shadman Chowk in Lahore is now renamed as Bhagat Singh Chowk.