#516 - The Incredible Life of Bhagat Singh

by Swati Sengupta and illustrated by Sridatri Tagore

“The Incredible Life of Bhagat Singh” by Swati Sengupta and illustrated by Sridatri Tagore. Published by Talking Cub, the children’s imprint of Speaking Tiger. A short biography of the indomitable freedom fighter Bhagat Singh who sacrificed his life for the cause of liberty of India.

The book starts off with three year old Bhagat declaring innocently that he was sowing guns that could be used to fight against the British. He was born in 1907 in a family of farmers most of whom were actively involved in the nationalist movement. Bhagat was thereby exposed to talks at home about the freedom struggle since a very young age. As he grew up, his resolve to fight against the colonisers only strengthened. He became an avid reader devouring books and developing his thinking and forming ideas. He had made up his mind to dedicate his life in making India free as well as creating a more equitable society.

Disillusioned by the path of non-violence, Bhagat became a revolutionary. Together with many other young men and women, he took part in daring acts of rebellion against the exploitation and oppression by the British administration. When senior leader Lala Lajpat Rai died due to the brutality of the police, Bhagat Singh and his comrades sought to avenge his death by killing the British police officer Scott who was responsible. They ended up killing his assistant Saunders instead. Bhagat’s next act was to hurl bombs along with Batukeshwar Dutt at the Central Assembly in Delhi as a mark of protest against new laws being proposed by the British which were unfair to the Indians. The two of them had no intentions of escaping after this and got themselves arrested. Bhagat Singh was sentenced to death in the Saunders case alongside Sukhdev Thapar and Chandrasekhar Azad when he was just twenty four years old. Read the gripping book to know more about the life and death of this extraordinary person who has remained an icon in the annals of history.

Bhagat Singh is one of the freedom fighters who my 9.5 year old son looks up to. He was thrilled to know more about his life and engrossed in the narrative. Bhagat Singh’s courage, determination, perseverance, focus, passion for reading and love for the nation is what he finds quite inspirational. Despite his young age and such a short life, Bhagat Singh managed to create quite an impact in the freedom movement and proved to be a thorn in the flesh for the British. He was not afraid of  death and embraced it with utmost dignity for the sake of his motherland. This has made his life so inspirational for everyone. We wondered how history would have been quite different had he not been killed so soon.

The book is part of a series of short and illustrated biographies of Indian icons for younger readers by Talking Cub. The series aims to introduce readers to a diverse group of Indian achievers, both well-known and those who should be. The other books that we’ve read and loved in this series so far are “The Incredible Life of Milkha Singh”, “The Incredible Life of Jhalkari Bai”, “The Incredible Life of Birsa Munda”, “The Incredible Life of Savitribai Phule” and “The Incredible Life of Arati Saha”.

Recommended Age

The book is apt for children aged 10 and above.

Where to buy from?

The publishers Talking Cub here.

Disclaimer - We received this book from the publisher, Talking Cub, for review. Thank you to Tanu, from Talking Cub, for sending across the book!