One should not interpret the word “Revolution” in its literal sense. Various meanings and significances are attributed to this word, according to the interests of those who use or misuse it. For the established agencies of exploitation it conjures up a feeling of blood stained horror. To the revolutionaries it is a sacred phrase.
I have always been of opinion that all the political workers should be indifferent and should never bother about the legal fight in the law courts and should boldly bear the heaviest possible sentences inflicted upon them. They may defend themselves but always from purely political considerations and never from a personal point of view.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Bhagat Singh advocates for political workers to focus on their convictions rather than legal battles.
In this quote, Bhagat Singh expresses the belief that political activists should remain steadfast and resilient in their convictions, prioritizing their political beliefs over personal concerns when facing legal challenges. He argues that the struggle for political change is more important than the legal consequences faced by individuals, suggesting that the integrity of their cause should guide their actions rather than a desire for self-preservation.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a political rally, one might reference this quote to inspire activists to remain steadfast despite legal threats.
More from Bhagat Singh
All quotes →Non-violence is backed by the theory of soul-force in which suffering is courted in the hope of ultimately winning over the opponent. But what happens when such an attempt fail to achieve the object? It is here that soul-force has to be combined with physical force so as not to remain at the mercy of tyrannical and ruthless enemy.
Those revolutionaries who have, by chance, escaped the gallows should live and show to the world that they cannot only embrace gallows for the ideal but also bear the worst type of tortures in the dark, dingy prison cells.
Love always elevates the character of man. It never lowers him, provided love be love
A rebellion is not a revolution. It may ultimately lead to that end.
They may kill me, but they cannot kill my ideas. They can crush my body, but they will not be able to crush my spirit.
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