Bhagat Singh emphasised separation of religion from politics and state: S Irfan Habib

Critical of groups like the RSS and Tablighi Jamaat in the 1920s, Bhagat Singh till today remains relevant as a "modern national leader and thinker" who emphasised the separation of religion from politics and state as true secularism, historian S Irfan Habib said Saturday.

Speaking at the first Ranbir Singh Memorial Lecture at the India International Centre here, Habib noted that the revolutionary freedom fighter questioned the "policy of encouraging competing communalisms".

"This policy ultimately led to the partition of the country in 1947. He, thus, stands out in bold relief as a modern national leader and thinker, emphasising the separation of religion from politics and state as true secularism," he said.

The eminent historian added that Bhagat Singh was conscious of the "growing menace of communalism with the emergence of the RSS and some Muslim fundamentalist groups like Tablighi Jamaat".

"Both are hydra-headed organisations today with several political and cultural fronts, posing a serious threat to the socio-political fabric of Indian society," he said.

The lecture, organised by The Ranbir Singh Archive, was held to celebrate the 111th birthday of Ranbir Singh, a journalist and fellow freedom fighter with Bhagat Singh.

Bhagat Singh's wish to see an egalitarian and secular India also reflected in his articles "Achoot ka Sawaal" (On Untouchability) and "Sampradayik Dange aur unka Ilaj" (Communal riots and their solutions).

"What Bhagat Singh wrote in 1928 appears to be contemporaneous even now, which unfortunately proves how precious little has been done to resolve these questions," the octogenarian historian said.

He also talked about the freedom fighter's disenchantment with journalism as it started "propagating sectarianism and chauvinism, communalising people's minds".

The Padma Bhushan awardee said that the "ugly manifestation of a polarised press" can be seen today.

"The communal platforms (RSS and Tablighi Jamaat) polarised the political leadership as well as the press, particularly the Hindi and Urdu press of the times.

"Its ugly manifestation can be seen today in the emergence of Hindutva in India and the increasing Talibanisation of Pakistan, both of them threats to peace and harmony in their respective nations," Habib said.