Sukhdev Thapar (Aged 24) was born in Ludhiana, Punjab to Ramlal and Ralli Devi Thapar. He was known for his defiant spirit since a young age, refusing to salute British officers who visited his school. After his father’s death, he was raised by his uncle, whose arrest led Sukhdev to join revolutionary activities against colonial rule. He became a member of Naujawan Bharat Seva, a group started by Bhagat Singh in 1926, and they became close friends and associates.
Sukhdev actively promoted national consciousness among young people in Punjab and was also an active member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), a radical organization involved in revolutionary activities against the British government. While in college, he studied various revolutions, particularly the Russian Revolution.
In 1928, during an anti-Simon Commission rally, Lala Lajpat Rai was brutally beaten by a British police officer named James A Scott, leading to his death a few days later. Sukhdev and other young revolutionaries, seeking revenge for Lajpat Rai’s death, chose Bhagat Singh to assassinate Scott.
However, on December 17, 1928, in a case of mistaken identity, Bhagat Singh and his accomplices Sukhdev and Rajguru killed an Assistant Superintendent of Police, John P. Saunders. They still declared that Lajpat Rai’s death had been avenged and fled from Lahore by rail to Lucknow. Rajguru went on to Benares from Lucknow and later returned to Lahore, where the British government captured all involved in the assassination. Rajguru was arrested in a bomb factory in Lahore in March 1929, and all three were sentenced to death by hanging in the trial that ensued.
While in prison, Rajguru and his friends went on a hunger strike demanding improved conditions for political prisoners. He also wrote a letter to Mahatma Gandhi from prison. Despite tremendous pressure on the government to spare the youngsters, the trio was executed by hanging on March 23, 1931. Rajguru was only 23 years old, and his patriotism and courage continue to inspire Indians today.
Sukhdev Thapar
(1907 – 1931) – (Punjab)
Sukhdev Thapar (Aged 24) was born in Ludhiana, Punjab to Ramlal and Ralli Devi Thapar. He was known for his defiant spirit since a young age, refusing to salute British officers who visited his school. After his father’s death, he was raised by his uncle, whose arrest led Sukhdev to join revolutionary activities against colonial rule. He became a member of Naujawan Bharat Seva, a group started by Bhagat Singh in 1926, and they became close friends and associates.
Sukhdev actively promoted national consciousness among young people in Punjab and was also an active member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), a radical organization involved in revolutionary activities against the British government. While in college, he studied various revolutions, particularly the Russian Revolution.
In 1928, during an anti-Simon Commission rally, Lala Lajpat Rai was brutally beaten by a British police officer named James A Scott, leading to his death a few days later. Sukhdev and other young revolutionaries, seeking revenge for Lajpat Rai’s death, chose Bhagat Singh to assassinate Scott.
However, on December 17, 1928, in a case of mistaken identity, Bhagat Singh and his accomplices Sukhdev and Rajguru killed an Assistant Superintendent of Police, John P. Saunders. They still declared that Lajpat Rai’s death had been avenged and fled from Lahore by rail to Lucknow. Rajguru went on to Benares from Lucknow and later returned to Lahore, where the British government captured all involved in the assassination. Rajguru was arrested in a bomb factory in Lahore in March 1929, and all three were sentenced to death by hanging in the trial that ensued.
While in prison, Rajguru and his friends went on a hunger strike demanding improved conditions for political prisoners. He also wrote a letter to Mahatma Gandhi from prison. Despite tremendous pressure on the government to spare the youngsters, the trio was executed by hanging on March 23, 1931. Rajguru was only 23 years old, and his patriotism and courage continue to inspire Indians today.
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