Sardar Bhagat Singh ji : Escape from Lahore & The Assembly-bomb Case

4. Escape from Lahore & The Assembly-bomb Case

Before leaving the D.A.V. College, they changed their guise in order to avoid arrest. Afterwards Bhagat Singh got himself shaved, and borrowed a good wollen suit and a hat from a friend. He than asked Durga Devi to get dressed and accompany him with her child to the railway station for the purpose of helping him to leave Lahore. They hired a tonga, (One horse carriage) and reached the station. Rajguru also accompanied them posing as their family servant. Bhagat Singh got down from the tonga and bought first-class tickets and all four boarded the train to Calcutta. After his dramatic escape from Lahore, Bhagat Singh eventually reached Calcutta. There he met Phonindio Nath Ghose and J.N.Das and sought their assistance in bombmaking.The work was taken up in January at the house of Kanwal Nath Tewari, where the manufacturing of Gun-cotton for use in bombs was started. The proposal for throwing the bombs in the Assembly Hall was discussed at lenght and accepted in principle. Towards the end, the following plan was finally adopted: Vistor's passes were to be arranged and bombs thrown in the Assembly to express sharp and popular disapproval of the repressive measures, which aimed at typing down the working class movement. Care should be taken at the time of throwing the bomb that no loss of life takes place. Then the revolutionaries entrusted with the job should court arrest and later use the court as forum to express their views, programme and ideology to rouse public opinion for their plan of action. Suggestions to escape were not accepted, as Bhagat Singh advocated that their arrest and subsequent trial would act as a daily reminder to the youth of the objectives they had before them. During the months of March and April 1929. before throwing the bomb Bhagat Singh journeyed many a time between Agra and Delhi, and staying at Delhi, mostly in Bazaar Sitaram, 15 Roshanara Mansion and also at Banta Ashram in Kucha Ghasi Ram. Before the 8th of April, the day fixed for the throwing of the bombs. Bhagat Singh and B.K. Dutt got themselves photographed by Ram Nath of Kashmiri Gate, Delhi. This photograph was printed in the "Bande Matram", The Hindustan Times and the Pioneer in their issues dated 12th, 18th and the 20th April respectively. When all the arrangements were settled, visitor's passes were arranged through the Indian members of the Assembly. Two days before the occurrence Bhagat Singh and B.K. Dutt went to the Assembly to make an appraisal of their plan and to acquaint themselves with the seating arrangement. This visit was confirmed by the Superintendent of Police, Delhi, in his report: "They were in Delhi, two days before, and both the accused somehow managed entrance in the Assembly on the 6th April to make a preliminary reconnaissance".

On the 8th April, 1929, the Viceroy's proclamation, enacting the two Bills, was to be made, despite the fact that the majority of the members were opposed to it, and had rather rejected it earlier. There was a great rush of visitors as well as the press representatives that day to watch and hear the reaction of the members. Bhagat Singh and B.K. Dutta also stood in the queue and in turn entered the gate leading to the chamber. Both were dressed in Khaki shirts and Khaki shorts with coats of different colours. According to the statement of Sergeant Terry who arrested them, both were wearing khaki shirts and shorts, but Bhagat Singh was wearing a bluish coat and Dutt a light-blue one. He did not notice anything on their heads. Their visitors passes were recommended by the nominated Indian member with the result that the checking official could not detect or suspect them. They took their seats in the public gallery which soon became full to capacity. On the resumption of the consideration of the Bill some members supported it and said that its passing was essential because the uneducated young men of India, being misled by the Russians, were becoming communists and were planning to rise a revolt against the British. As soon as the decision on the Bill was announced and the Presiding officer was about to give his ruling, Bhagat Singh stood up and threw a bomb behind the Home Member's bench to avoid injuries to the President of the Assembly. This bomb fell on the floor of the house in the narrow gangway in the neighbourhood of the seats numbers 4B,5,33 and 34. (near which Vithalbhai Patel and Pandit Motilal Nehru were seated).

The members and the visitors had hardly recovered from the deafening sound of the explosion, when Bhagat Singh threw the second bomb. With the entire hall full of smoke, the members and visitors started running, the President left his chair and fled to his room. While the room was full of fumes, Singh and Dutt shouted,"Inquilab Zindabad!" ("Long Live the Revolution!"). This was followed by a shower of leaflets stating that it takes a loud voice to make the deaf hear. It has been commonly stated that it was B.K. Dutt that threw the second bomb, but this is incorrect. [citation needed] Singh and Dutt gave themselves up for arrest. The bomb neither killed nor injured anyone; Singh and Dutt claimed that this was deliberate act on their part, a claim substantiated both by British forensics investigators who found that the bomb was not powerful enough to cause injury, and by the fact that the bomb was thrown away from people [citation needed]. Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt gave themselves up for arrest after the bomb. [citation needed] Singh and Dutt were sentenced to 'Transportation for Life' for the bombing on 12 June 1929. Later that day with a view to using the High Court to further publicize their programme and to awaken the masses. Bhagat Singh and B.K. Dutt filed an appeal in the High Court. The appeal was heard by Justice Ford and Justice Addison. Asaf Ali (Bhagat Singh and B.K. Dutt's representative) argued it for two and a half days. The public Prosecutor replied to his arguments during the remaining half of the third day But in between, as per the statement of Asaf Ali, Bhagat Singh also pleaded on his own behalf. The appeal was rejected by the High Court and the Judgement delivered on the 13th January, 1930. The High Court concurred with the judgement of the Sessions Court.





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				4. Escape from Lahore & The Assembly-bomb Case Before leaving the D.A.V. College, they changed their guise in order to avoid arrest. Afterwards Bhagat Singh got himself shaved, and borrowed a good wollen suit and a hat from a friend. He than asked Durga Devi to get dressed and accompany him with her child to the railway station for the purpose of helping him to leave Lahore. They hired a tonga, (One horse carriage) and reached the station. Rajguru also accompanied them posing as their family servant. Bhagat Singh got down from the tonga and bought first-class tickets and all four boarded the train to Calcutta. After his dramatic escape from Lahore, Bhagat Singh eventually reached Calcutta. There he met Phonindio Nath Ghose and J.N.Das and sought their assistance in bombmaking.The work was taken up in January at the house of Kanwal Nath Tewari, where the manufacturing of Gun-cotton for use in bombs was started. The proposal for throwing the bombs in the Assembly Hall was discussed at lenght and accepted in principle. Towards the end, the following plan was finally adopted: Vistor's passes were to be arranged and bombs thrown in the Assembly to express sharp and popular disapproval of the repressive measures, which aimed at typing down the working class movement. Care should be taken at the time of throwing the bomb that no loss of life takes place. Then the revolutionaries entrusted with the job should court arrest and later use the court as forum to express their views, programme and ideology to rouse public opinion for their plan of action. Suggestions to escape were not accepted, as Bhagat Singh advocated that their arrest and subsequent trial would act as a daily reminder to the youth of the objectives they had before them. During the months of March and April 1929. before throwing the bomb Bhagat Singh journeyed many a time between Agra and Delhi, and staying at Delhi, mostly in Bazaar Sitaram, 15 Roshanara Mansion and also at Banta Ashram in Kucha Ghasi Ram. Before the 8th of April, the day fixed for the throwing of the bombs. Bhagat Singh and B.K. Dutt got themselves photographed by Ram Nath of Kashmiri Gate, Delhi. This photograph was printed in the "Bande Matram", The Hindustan Times and the Pioneer in their issues dated 12th, 18th and the 20th April respectively. When all the arrangements were settled, visitor's passes were arranged through the Indian members of the Assembly. Two days before the occurrence Bhagat Singh and B.K. Dutt went to the Assembly to make an appraisal of their plan and to acquaint themselves with the seating arrangement. This visit was confirmed by the Superintendent of Police, Delhi, in his report: "They were in Delhi, two days before, and both the accused somehow managed entrance in the Assembly on the 6th April to make a preliminary reconnaissance". On the 8th April, 1929, the Viceroy's proclamation, enacting the two Bills, was to be made, despite the fact that the majority of the members were opposed to it, and had rather rejected it earlier. There was a great rush of visitors as well as the press representatives that day to watch and hear the reaction of the members. Bhagat Singh and B.K. Dutta also stood in the queue and in turn entered the gate leading to the chamber. Both were dressed in Khaki shirts and Khaki shorts with coats of different colours. According to the statement of Sergeant Terry who arrested them, both were wearing khaki shirts and shorts, but Bhagat Singh was wearing a bluish coat and Dutt a light-blue one. He did not notice anything on their heads. Their visitors passes were recommended by the nominated Indian member with the result that the checking official could not detect or suspect them. They took their seats in the public gallery which soon became full to capacity. On the resumption of the consideration of the Bill some members supported it and said that its passing was essential because the uneducated young men of India, being misled by the Russians, were becoming communists and were planning to rise a revolt against the British. As soon as the decision on the Bill was announced and the Presiding officer was about to give his ruling, Bhagat Singh stood up and threw a bomb behind the Home Member's bench to avoid injuries to the President of the Assembly. This bomb fell on the floor of the house in the narrow gangway in the neighbourhood of the seats numbers 4B,5,33 and 34. (near which Vithalbhai Patel and Pandit Motilal Nehru were seated). The members and the visitors had hardly recovered from the deafening sound of the explosion, when Bhagat Singh threw the second bomb. With the entire hall full of smoke, the members and visitors started running, the President left his chair and fled to his room. While the room was full of fumes, Singh and Dutt shouted,"Inquilab Zindabad!" ("Long Live the Revolution!"). This was followed by a shower of leaflets stating that it takes a loud voice to make the deaf hear. It has been commonly stated that it was B.K. Dutt that threw the second bomb, but this is incorrect. [citation needed] Singh and Dutt gave themselves up for arrest. The bomb neither killed nor injured anyone; Singh and Dutt claimed that this was deliberate act on their part, a claim substantiated both by British forensics investigators who found that the bomb was not powerful enough to cause injury, and by the fact that the bomb was thrown away from people [citation needed]. Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt gave themselves up for arrest after the bomb. [citation needed] Singh and Dutt were sentenced to 'Transportation for Life' for the bombing on 12 June 1929. Later that day with a view to using the High Court to further publicize their programme and to awaken the masses. Bhagat Singh and B.K. Dutt filed an appeal in the High Court. The appeal was heard by Justice Ford and Justice Addison. Asaf Ali (Bhagat Singh and B.K. Dutt's representative) argued it for two and a half days. The public Prosecutor replied to his arguments during the remaining half of the third day But in between, as per the statement of Asaf Ali, Bhagat Singh also pleaded on his own behalf. The appeal was rejected by the High Court and the Judgement delivered on the 13th January, 1930. The High Court concurred with the judgement of the Sessions Court.

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