Of the three young men who were hanged by the British Colonial Government on 23rd March 1931, a lot is known about Bhagat Singh (1907-1931) with many books written and films produced on him. The same however cannot be said of his two comrades, Rajguru (1908-1931) and Sukhdev (1907-1931) who died alongside him.
Professor Waraich who has written a lot on the revolutionary movement in India and helped get so much material from across the border has thus done a yeoman’s service by writing Sukhdev’s biography in English. Much of what I read wasn’t new to me but for a person who doesn’t have much idea about the revolutionary, this provides a good introduction to his life and thoughts and his commitment and contribution to the freedom struggle of India.
First Line: Sukh Dev was born at Ludhiana…
Publication Details: Chandigarh: Unistar, 2016
First Published: 2016
Pages: 151
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This is the second time in recent years when I have read a biography of the martyr as my first read of a year. In 2019, I had started my book-reading journey with Amar Shahid Sukhdev by Abid Rizvi. That was a kind of novelization of Sukhdev’s life and contained a few errors but was still an interesting read.
First Line: Bhartiya Swadhinta Sangram mein Sukhdev Thapar martbhumi par qurbaan hone ke liye jana jata hai…
Publication Details: Meerut: Maruti Prakashan, n.d.
Pages: 127
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Do you like reading biographies?
a hot cup of pleasure 
This sounds fascinating, Neeru! I have to admit, I don’t know enough about the revolution, and certainly not enough about those two men. I’ve a feeling this might really help me understand it all better.
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Margot, the militant aspect of India’s freedom struggle has usually been marginalised. Thankfully, things are changing somewhat. this book provides a good intro to the man.
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Glad you reviewed this. I myself am one who is probably more aware of Bhagat Singh’s story than Sukhdev and Rajguru. In fact, I’m also glad you brought Bejoy Kumar Sinha’s account to my notice as well since I wasn’t aware of the book either.
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I am glad you found the post useful, Mallika. If you ever read this, I would love to know your reaction.
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Let me see if I can find either book.
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The English book can be purchased directly from the publishers.
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Great I’ll look it up
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