Sardar Bhagat Singh wrote this powerful and prescient essay in June 1928, originally published in the Punjabi monthly magazine Kirti under the pseudonym “Zinda” (meaning “alive” or “eternal”). At just 21 years old, Bhagat Singh was already a sharp critic of religious division as a tool of colonial oppression. The article addresses the rampant communal riots in India (e.g., the recent Lahore riots), blaming economic exploitation, opportunistic leaders, sensationalist newspapers, and blind religious fanaticism. He calls for class consciousness, economic reform, and separating religion from politics—ideas deeply influenced by socialist thought and the Russian Revolution.
This piece remains strikingly relevant today, as communal tensions continue to be weaponized for political gain.
The condition of India today is extremely pitiable. The followers of one religion are sworn enemies of the followers of another religion. Now, merely belonging to one religion makes one a bitter enemy of another. If you still don’t believe this, just look at the recent riots in Lahore. See how Muslims have killed innocent Sikhs and Hindus, and how Sikhs have spared no effort when they had the chance. This killing and slaughter wasn’t done because so-and-so is guilty; rather, it was because so-and-so is a Hindu, Sikh, or Muslim. Simply being a Sikh or Hindu was enough reason for Muslims to kill them, and similarly, being a Muslim was sufficient justification to take their life. When the situation is like this, only God can save India.
In such a state, India’s future appears very dark. These ‘religions’ have sunk India. And who knows when these religious riots will stop haunting India. These riots have tarnished India’s image in the eyes of the world. We have seen that in the flood of this blind faith, everyone gets swept away. Rarely is there a Hindu, Muslim, or Sikh who keeps their head cool; the rest, these so-called guardians of religion, grab sticks, lathis, swords, and knives to uphold the prestige of their adopted faith and bash each other’s heads until they die. Some end up on the gallows, others are thrown into jails. After so much bloodshed, the British government’s stick falls on these ‘religious people,’ and then the worm in their brains settles down.
It has been observed that behind these riots are communal leaders and newspapers. The leaders of India today have made such a mess that it’s better to stay silent. The very same leaders who had taken up the responsibility of freeing India, who never tired of boasting about ‘common nationality’ and ‘swaraj-swaraj,’ are now either hiding their heads in silence or have themselves been swept away in this wave of religious madness. And the number of those hiding isn’t small. But if you dig the ground, hundreds of leaders who have joined communal movements will emerge. Those who truly want the good of all are very few. And with such a fierce flood of communalism, even they can’t stop it. It seems the leadership in India has gone bankrupt.
The other gentlemen who have played a special role in inciting communal riots are the newspaper owners. Journalism was once considered a very noble profession. Today, it has become extremely dirty. These people inflame emotions with big, bold headlines against each other and incite head-breaking fights. Not just in one or two places, but in many, riots have broken out because local newspapers published highly provocative articles. Very few writers kept their hearts and minds calm even in such times.
The real duty of newspapers was to educate, remove narrow-mindedness from people, eliminate communal feelings, increase mutual harmony, and build a shared Indian nationality. But instead, they have made their main duty to spread ignorance, propagate narrow-mindedness, communalize people, incite fights and quarrels, and destroy India’s shared nationality. This is why, when thinking about India’s current condition, tears of blood flow from the eyes, and the heart questions, “What will become of India?”
Those who know the fervor and enthusiasm of the Non-Cooperation days feel like crying seeing this situation. Where were those days when the glimpse of freedom seemed visible, and where is today when swaraj has become merely a dream? This is the third benefit that these riots have given to the tyrants. The bureaucracy, which was on the verge of collapse—gone today, gone tomorrow—has now strengthened its roots so much that shaking it is no small task.
If we probe the root of these communal riots, we find it lies in economics. During the Non-Cooperation days, leaders and journalists made countless sacrifices. Their economic condition deteriorated. When the Non-Cooperation movement slowed down, distrust fell on the leaders, ruining the businesses of many current communal leaders. In the world, whatever happens, the question of the stomach is always at the bottom. This is one of the main principles of Karl Marx’s three great principles. It was because of this principle that organizations like Tabligh, Tameer, Shuddhi, etc., started, and because of this, we are in such an indescribable plight today.
So, if there is any cure for all these riots, it can only come from improving India’s economic condition. In reality, the economic condition of the common people in India is so bad that one person can pay a quarter to another to humiliate someone else. Tormented by hunger and sorrow, a person sets aside all principles. Truly, what won’t a dying man do? But in the current situation, economic improvement is extremely difficult because the government is foreign and doesn’t allow people’s conditions to improve. Therefore, people should wash their hands and pursue it relentlessly, and until the government changes, they shouldn’t take a breath of relief.
To stop people from fighting each other, class consciousness is needed. The poor, laborers, and farmers should be clearly told that your real enemies are the capitalists. Therefore, you should stay away from their tricks and not fall into their hands. The rights of all the poor in the world, regardless of caste, color, religion, or nation, are the same. Your well-being lies in uniting by erasing differences of religion, color, race, nationality, and country, and striving to take the power of the government into your own hands. These efforts will not harm you; one day, your chains will break, and you will gain economic freedom.
Those who know Russia’s history know that during the Tsar’s time, there were similar conditions there too—many communities constantly fighting each other. But since the day worker’s rule was established there, the map has completely changed. No riots have happened there since. Now, everyone is treated as a ‘human being,’ not a ‘religious person.’ During the Tsar’s time, people’s economic condition was very bad, so there were always riots and disturbances. But now, the Russians’ economic condition has improved, and class consciousness has entered them, so no news of riots ever comes from there.
In these riots, mostly disheartening news comes, but one very happy thing was heard from the Calcutta riots. It was that the trade union workers there did not participate in the riots, nor did they fight among themselves; rather, all Hindus and Muslims sat and rose together in factories, etc., with great love and even tried to stop the riots. This was because they had class consciousness and knew their class interests well. This beautiful path of class consciousness is what can stop communal riots.
We have heard the happy news that India’s young people are now fed up with those religions that teach fighting and hatred against each other, and they are washing their hands of them. So much openness has come into them that they see India’s people not through the lens of religion—as Hindus, Muslims, or Sikhs—but first as human beings, then as Indians. The emergence of these ideas among India’s youth shows that India’s future is bright. Indians should not get scared seeing these riots, etc. They should strive so that such an atmosphere doesn’t even form, and riots don’t happen at all.
The martyrs of 1914-15 had separated religion from politics. They understood that religion is a personal matter; no one else has any say in it. Nor should it be brought into politics because it doesn’t allow everyone to unite and work together. That’s why movements like the Ghadar Party remained united and of one mind, in which Sikhs went to the gallows in large numbers, and Hindus and Muslims didn’t lag behind.
At this time, some Indian leaders have also entered the field who want to separate religion from politics. This is also a beautiful cure to end the fights, and we support it.
If religion is separated, we can all unite in politics. We can remain separate in religions.
We believe that India’s true sympathizers will surely consider the cure we have suggested and save us from the self-destruction that is happening to India right now.
Author: Bhagat Singh Title: Communal Riots and Their Cure First Published: Punjab monthly Kirti, June 1928
Key Themes and Relevance
- Root Cause: Bhagat Singh pinpoints economic distress and class exploitation as the real drivers of riots, not inherent religious hatred. He invokes Karl Marx to argue that “the stomach question” fuels division.
- Critique of Leaders and Media: He lambasts communal politicians (e.g., those behind Tabligh, Tameer, Shuddhi movements) and inflammatory journalism for exploiting poverty.
- Solution: Foster class consciousness among workers and peasants; separate religion (personal) from politics (collective); draw inspiration from the Russian Revolution where economic equality ended communal strife.
- Hope in Youth: He ends optimistically, praising the emerging rationalism among Indian youth and trade union solidarity (e.g., in Calcutta riots).
This article is part of Bhagat Singh’s broader writings, compiled in books like Selected Writings of Bhagat Singh (ed. Shiv Verma).
