While incarcerated in Lahore Central Jail awaiting execution for his role in the Lahore Conspiracy Case, Bhagat Singh engaged in rigorous intellectual debates with fellow prisoners and visitors. During one such encounter, a senior Sikh Ghadarite revolutionary, Baba Randhir Singh, confronted him regarding his non-belief in God. Baba Randhir Singh claimed that Bhagat Singh's atheism was not rooted in conviction but was merely the result of vanity and ego stemming from his widespread fame across British India.
Deeply hurt by the allegation that his philosophical beliefs were driven by personal arrogance, Bhagat Singh resolved to articulate his ideological stand in writing. Drafted between October 1930 and early 1931, the essay titled 'Why I Am an Atheist' serves as a profound treatise on rationalism, scientific materialism, and critical thinking. In the essay, Bhagat Singh systematically traced his transition from a religious youth to a firm atheist, explaining that his disbelief was reached through rigorous study and questioning of religious orthodoxy rather than blind pride.
He argued that religion had historically served as a crutch for human weakness and an instrument utilized by ruling elites to justify social inequity and oppression. Furthermore, he emphasized that a true revolutionary must possess the courage to question every traditional belief, embrace reason over dogma, and face death without the comforting promise of an afterlife or divine salvation. The essay was smuggled out of Lahore Central Jail and published posthumously on October 27, 1931, in 'The People', an English weekly newspaper founded by Lala Lajpat Rai in Lahore.
'Why I Am an Atheist' remains one of the most prominent pieces of Indian revolutionary literature. It fundamentally shifted the public perception of Bhagat Singh from a reckless gunman to a sophisticated political philosopher who sought not just national liberation from colonial rule, but an egalitarian, secular, and socialist restructuring of Indian society.
Why it matters
'Why I Am an Atheist' demonstrated that Bhagat Singh's revolutionary struggle was backed by deep intellectual rigor, philosophical conviction, and commitment to scientific rationalism. It provided a seminal secular text within the Indian independence movement, challenging religious orthodoxy, superstition, and social inequality while establishing rational critique as an essential duty of every true patriot.
Interesting fact
Bhagat Singh penned the essay specifically to refute fellow revolutionary prisoner Baba Randhir Singh, who had told him that his fame had turned his head and made him an arrogant atheist.
People
- Bhagat SinghAuthor and revolutionary leader who wrote the essay in Lahore Central Jail
- Baba Randhir SinghGhadarite veteran and fellow prisoner who challenged Bhagat Singh's atheism
- Lala Lajpat RaiFreedom fighter whose newspaper 'The People' published the essay posthumously
Quotes
"Criticism and independent thinking are the two indispensable qualities of a revolutionary."
"I know the day I stand on the gallows, that will be the final moment—the final end. In this short life, I have tried to serve humanity as best as I could."
Gallery
Location
Lahore Central Jail · Lahore · Pakistan
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