Bhagat Singh’s diary, encased in glass, big draw at book fair

A personal diary of Bhagat Singh has turned into one of the biggest draws at the New Delhi World Book Fair, giving visitors – who need to take off their shoes and stand on a platform placed at a distance from the actual artefact -- a rare look into the Freedom icon’s thoughts during his incarceration.

The diary is part of the exhibit at the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ pavilion, placed next to a statue of Singh sitting barefoot in a white kurta and yellow turban, with his hands in chains.

The diary has been in the possession of Yadvinder Singh Sandhu, president of the All India Shaheed Bhagat Singh Memorial Trust, said that the diary showcased has an interesting history of its own. “The story of this diary starts in 1929 when Bhagat Singh undertook a protest hunger strike for 116 days to demand equal rights as the other European prisoners. Indian prisoners did not get equal access to newspapers, diaries and papers but at the end of the hunger strike, the English administration bowed down and provided these facilities, and this diary,” he added.

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Sandhu said that the diary has 404 pages long and it covers a series of topics including Singh’s thoughts on democracy, right to recall, poverty, child labour and even capital punishment. “While going for his trial, Bhagat Singh used to scribble his notes to prepare for it. All those notes are in this diary. At one point he also compares poverty levels in Britain and India by comparing per capita income. Other pages include his revolutionary thoughts. On page 44 for instance, he writes that ‘I am a free man and all that affects mankind concerns me’,” he added.

Sandhu is the grandson of Singh’s younger brother Kulbir Singh. When not featured in the exhibition or book fair, the diary is kept in a special room at the family house in Faridabad.

Singh said that the response of the youngsters to the diary has been overwhelming. “I see young people getting goose bumps on seeing this diary. This is the kranti granth or revolutionary bible and it will continue to inspire the young people of this country.”

“It’s quite inspiring to see that he was writing in English decades ago and while in custody. I had heard about his diary earlier so getting a chance to see it here made me happy,” said Manish Sinha, a Delhi University student, among the several who crowded around the diary.

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On Friday, when HT visited the pavilion, the corner was teeming with visitors, especially youngsters, who took turns to get selfies with the statue. Officials from the National Book Trust, which organised the fair, said Bhagat Singh’s grandson, Sandhu Yadvinder, is the custodian of the diary and brought it to the book fair.

Singh’s original diary was among a number of rare books on display at the fair, which began on February 25. Other rare titles include some documents published by the British Library in collaboration with the National Archives of India in 1985 and publications proscribed by the British Raj.

Enclosed in a glass box, the diary was safeguarded by a team of volunteers from the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Brigade, who ensured visitors only step on the raised platform, where the box is kept, after taking off their shoes. The glass box was meant to ensure the diary is not damaged by camera flash.

The theme pavilion also included an audio-visual presentation of Mahatma Gandhi’s life and was decorated with sketches of leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, BR Ambedkar and Subash Chandra Bose. Books on famous as well as lesser-known freedom fighters were also on display, as was a replica of the Constitution at the entrance.

Unlike previous fairs with multiple halls, this year’s edition of the World Book Fair took place in two halls at the Pragati Maidan. People participated in discussions, talks, meet-the-author sessions, workshops and other cultural programmes at the amphitheatre outside the two halls.

The fair ends on Sunday and entry costs ₹20 for adults, and ₹10 for children aged between 5-12 years. Physical tickets can only be purchased from select metro stations while digital tickets can be bought at the entrance to the book fair.