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Was Bhagat Singh a Terrorist?

By STAFF

Rediff, Jan. 25, 2005

Photo: Bhagat Singh in jail

If one goes by a textbook [Landmarks in World History: From Renaissance to 1945 A.D.] published by the Mumbai University Institute of Distant Education, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev indulged in 'terrorist activities.'

Chapter 15 [para 15.5.5, p. 203] of the History Paper-I, Landmarks in World History, which is read by first year B.A. students, says this: 'Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were hanged for killing the British. The (British) government put severe measures to curb this freedom movement. However, terrorist activities continued in Bengal and Maharashtra.'

According to a report in The Asian Age on Tuesday, two management council members - Amarjitsingh Manhas and Rajabhau Mirashi - and three senate members - Dr. Tushar Jagtap, Prashant Patil and Sameer Desai - of the university have objected over this error.

They have pointed out the errors in a letter to the vice-chancellor, Dr. Vijay Khote.

'Instead of calling the deeds of freedom fighters as revolutionary, they were termed as terrorist activities,' the paper quoted Dr. Jagtap as saying.

Dr. Jagtap also objected to paragraph 204 and 205 of the same text, which states that the Sikh community and the depressed classes did not take part in the Quit India Movement.