Jagmohan Singh on Bhagat Singh : People who live in the hearts of people will never die

Aditya Parankusam

Hyderabad: It doesn't matter if Bhagat Singh is left out in academic text books, because he lives in the hearts of people. Those who live in the hearts of people will never die, says Jagmohan Singh, nephew of Bhagat Singh and democratic rights activist.

He said that corruption was a by-product of the alliance between the business class and the ruling class. He laments over the fact that democratic space was being narrowed down. Here is Jagmohan Singh in conversation with The Hans India

Bhagat Singh is limited only to a paragraph in history text books for school children. Don't you think Mahatma Gandhi is over exposed? Not only Bhagat Singh even Subhash Chandra Bose is left out. An ideological battle was on during the British period. Bhagat Singh brought in a new idea. Singh and Bose carried it forward. Ruling classes chose an icon for them. The thing with Gandhi was that even Gandhians don't believe in him. Bhagat Singh made an interesting remark in his last letter that the Sant of Sabarmati will not get any permanent discipline because people are with him only for their selfish interests. Bhagat Singh stays there because people love him. Every time he comes with a new force because his argument is still strong vis-a-vis the current system like his slogan, 'Down with imperialism, long live revolution'. Ruling classes will always choose an icon, but Bhagat Singh cannot be left out because people love him.

You have once said that Bhagat Singh believed in non-violence but history and media said he is a revolutionary? This is to be understood. Revolution means a new change. When large groups demand a change, getting that change is a revolution. When it comes to fighting, he doesn't apply it as dogma. He is a scientific person, he applied it scientifically. When there was a need to change the opinion of the Congress, he went on hunger strike. There was a change in the mindset because of his hunger strike and the outcome was resolution for total independence.

With Communist countries like Russia and China embracing capitalism in their own way, do you think Communism has any relevance in present times? Best part of Communism is Marx theory. Every capitalist understands that the reality cannot be understood without applying Marx's theory. Latin American states had strongly been into Communism as they were the ones exploited to the hilt. China is trying its luck. It has nothing to do with Communism being relevant or not. It has most relevant philosophy to understand the society. Every capitalist and thinker in America will apply Marx theory. They don't want you to; because when you know the reality it will be a problem for them.

Do you think Communists failed to take off in India due to their inability to change according to demographic conditions? As I always say our future is past of Latin America.