Why I Am an Atheist and other works by Bhagat Singh

Powerful Quotes and Summary

This book is a collection of 18 writings by Indian revolutionary Bhagat Singh who was executed at the tender age of 23 during India’s struggle for freedom. He wrote these letters/memorandums/thoughts while in jail.

My thoughts About The Book

Despite being behind bars and knowing his soon-to-be ending destiny Bhagat Singh’s firm resolve to continue fighting, his passion for justice and freedom for his fellow Indians, and his brave and bold thinking shine through brilliantly like a beacon during India’s darkest times.

The primary (titular) text of the book, why I am an atheist, was written after a discussion with his friend. Despite being very young in age, his thinking remained crystal clear, and he puts some critical arguments and questions supporting his beliefs.

Anyone who reads these texts can feel the fiery resolve and captivating power of his words. Having lost a well-read and meticulous youth you cannot feel anything other than a deep-seated sadness that India lost a great visionary too early.

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Why I Am an Atheist?

Published in 2019 by Srushti Publishers

Pages: 136

Chapter-wise summary of Why I Am An Atheist and other works

1. Why I am an atheist

In response to his religious friends who believed that he had turned an atheist owing to his vanity, Bhagat Singh wrote this essay during his stay in Lahore Central Jail.

2. I would not defend myself

This letter was written to Bhagat Singh’s father by him when he learnt that Kishan Singh, his father was trying to prove him innocent for Sounder’s death. He was shocked that his father filed this petition without consulting him and emphasized their poles apart political views.

3. Letter to Shaheed Sukhdev

This letter Bhagat Singh wrote in Delhi and it was delivered to Sukhdev in Lahore by Shiv Verma only to be recovered by him during his arrest a week later.

4. The Red Pamphlet

The famous incident of the bombs dropped in the Central Assembly Hall by Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt and the subsequent distribution of these leaflets to bring attention to certain pressing matters.

5. Statement of Bhagat Singh and B.K.Dutt in the Assembly Bomb Case

Copy of Bhagat Singh’s and Dutt’s statements after they were arrested for bombing the Central Assembly Hall.

6. Demands for Political prisoners

Bhagat Singh and Dutt were sentenced to transportation for life. They held hunger strikes in their prisons to ensure better treatment for political prisoners. This was a letter to the Government of India listing their demands.

7. Reiterating Hunger-Strikers’ Demands

The Government assured that the political prisoners’ demands were being considered. But there was a delay and some prisoners were punished for participating in the strike. Which was when Bhagat Singh wrote this letter.

8. Message to Punjab Students’ Conference

This was an inspirational message to students under the leadership of Subhas Chandra Bose to inspire them to fight for the country wholeheartedly.

9. When Sukhdev thought of suicide

Sukhdev wrote to Bhagat Singh that if he was given life imprisonment instead of execution he would kill himself. In answer this was a letter to a dear friend and comrade dissuading him from the cowardly act of suicide. A reminder that he was better than that.

10. On Why He Refused to Attend Court

The prisoners conducted a second hunger strike after which their demands were met but many smaller ones were sidelined owing to which Bhagat Singh refused to attend court. The newspapers wrote that this was a boycott of British courts after which he wrote this letter to explain himself.

11. Regarding LCC Ordinance

The LCC Ordinance enabled high court judges to carry on court proceedings even in the absence of the accused. Bhagat Singh wrote this letter as a response to the Governor-general of India’s support to the ordinance.

12. Letter to Jaidev Gupta

A request to his school friend to send over books for him.

13. For the Removal of Justice Hilton

During the proceedings of the Lahore Conspiracy Case the presiding judge lost his temper and made the accused go back to jail in handcuffs. To protest Bhagat Singh asked that the judge be removed. Instead of appointing the next senior judge who was a sympathizer, Justice Hilton was appointed who was a party to the order. Then Bhagat Singh wrote this letter.

14. Letter to B.K.Dutta

Bhagat Singh expresses his feelings to his comrade in this letter after he was given the death sentence.

15. To Young Political Workers

This document was published after Bhagat Singh’s execution in a mutilated form. Subsequently the GOI re-published it in a secret report in 1936.

16. Line of Defense in Hari Kishan’s case

On 23^rd December 1930 when the Governor of Punjab was leaving the University Hall, Lahore, Hari Kishan fired at him. One man died and the Governor was slightly injured. During the trail, Hari Kishan’s defense counsel took the line that Hari Kishan only wanted to give a warning. Bhagat was opposed to this line of defense and wrote to his friends about how revolutionary cases should be conducted.

17. Introduction to the “Dreamland”

This was an introduction Bhagat Singh penned for his friend’s poetry collection.

18. Don’t Hang Us; Shoot Us

The last letter Bhagat Singh wrote to expedite is order of execution.

Best Quotes from Why I am an Atheist

They can kill me, but they cannot kill my ideas. They can crush my body, but they will not be able to crush my spirit.

The sword of revolution is sharpened on the whetting stone of ideas.

Revolution is an inalienable right of mankind. Freedom is an imperishable birthright of all.

Old orders should change, always and ever, yielding place to new, so that one good order may not corrupt the world.

If you oppose a prevailing belief, if you criticize a great person who is considered to be an incarnation, you will fund that your criticism will be answered by calling you vain and egoist.

Revolution was the vital living force indicative of eternal conflict between life and death, the old and the new, light and the darkness.

Any man who stands for progress has to criticize, disbelieve and challenge every item of the old faith.

The aim of life is no more to control the mind, but to develop it harmoniously; not to achieve salvation here after, but to make the best use of it here below.

If the deaf are to hear, then the sound has to be very loud.

Let me announce, with all the strength at my command, that I am not a terrorist and I never was, except perhaps in the beginning of my revolutionary career. And I am convinced that we cannot gain anything through those methods.

I never had any desire to defend myself, and never did I seriously think about it.

I will climb the gallows gladly and show to the world as to how brave the revolutionaries can sacrifice themselves for the cause.

Study was the cry that reverberated in the corridors of my mind. Study to enable yourself to face the arguments advanced by opposition. Study to arm yourself with arguments in favor of your cult. I began to study.

My strength is the strength of oppressed; my courage is the courage of desperation.

Lovers, lunatics and poets are made of the same stuff.

I am such a lunatic that I am free even in jail.

The day we find a great number of men and women with this psychology who cannot devote themselves to anything else than the service of mankind and emancipation of the suffering humanity, that day shall inaugurate the era of liberty.

Criticism and independent thinking are the two indispensable qualities of a revolutionary.

Force when aggressively applied is “violence” and is, therefore, morally unjustifiable, but when it is used in the furtherance of a legitimate cause, it has a moral justification.