Shahid Diwas 2022: Shaheed Diwas, also known as Martyrs' Day is being observed all around India on 23 March 2022.

Key Facts:

• The day is observed every year on 23 March to mark the day when the British hanged Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, India's three young revolutionaries, in the year 1931.
• These revolutionaries dedicated their lives to India's freedom and their ideas were immensely popular popular among the masses.
• Newly elected Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, on 22 March 2022, officially declared 23 March as a holiday in the state, commemorating the death anniversary of Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh.
• A resolution has also been passed in the Punjab Assembly to install statues of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and BR Ambedkar.

History:

• On March 23, three heroes of our nation were hanged to death, namely Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru, and Sukhdev Thapar by the British.
• Bhagat Singh was born on September 28, 1907, in Lyallpur, Punjab.
• He, together with his companions Rajguru, Sukhdev, Azad, and Gopal, fought for the assassination of Lala Lajpat Rai.
• He became an inspiration for youngsters due to his daring adventures.
• He and his companions, on April 8th, 1929, threw bombs over the Central Legislative Assembly by reading the slogan "Inquillab Zindabad".
• And for this, a murder case was charged against them.
• On March 23rd, 1931, in the Lahore Jail, they were hanged.
• Their bodies were cremated on the banks of the Sutlej River.

Additional Info:

To honour the martyrs of the nation, several other days at the national level were also declared as Sarvodaya or Shaheed Diwas.

• 30 January is celebrated as Shaheed Diwas, or Martyr’s Day, in the memory of Mahatma Gandhi, The Father of the Nation fondly called Bapuji. He was assassinated by Nathuram Godse in the Birla House during his evening prayers on January 30, 1948.
• 13 July is celebrated as Martyr's Day in Jammu and Kashmir to commemorate the deaths of 22 people. On July 13, 1931, people were killed by royal soldiers while demonstrating adjacent to the Maharaja, Hari Singh of Kashmir.
• 17th November is celebrated as Martyr's Day in Odisha to observe the death anniversary of Lala Lajpat Ray, also known as the "Lion of Punjab". He also played an important role in the freedom struggle of India from the British dominion.
• 19th November is also celebrated as Martyr's Day in Jhansi. On November 19th, Rani Lakshmi Bai was born. She also sacrificed her life during the 1857 revolt.

March 23rd is also Ram Manohar Lohia's birth anniversary. He was an activist in the Indian independence movement and a socialist political leader.

Shaheed Diwas Quotes:

• “They may kill me, but they cannot kill my ideas. They can crush my body, but they will not be able to crush my spirit.” — Shaheed Bhagat Singh
• “Lovers, Lunatics and poets are made of same stuff.”― Shaheed Bhagat Singh
• “They may kill me, but they cannot kill my ideas. They can crush my body, but they will not be able to crush my spirit.” — Shaheed Bhagat Singh