Some Lesser Known Facts About Revolutionary Bhagat Singh

New Delhi: One of the most well-known revolutionaries in India - Bhagat Singh is not just a name but an idea. A favourite among the youth, he continues to inspire generations till today. Although, known primarily as a revolutionary leader, this dynamic youth icon had many facets which made him unique. Here are some facts about Bhagat Singh which are lesser known:

Booklover
Bhagat Singh devoured books and was an avid reader. His choice of authors were diverse but primarily featured socialist writers. Charles Dickens, Lenin and Maxim Gorky were among his favourites. 

Socialism
The revolutionary was inspired by ideas of socialism at an early age and greatly inspired by the Bolshevik Revolution. It is said that in his last days in jail, Bhagat Singh wrote a letter to his childhood friend Jaidev, asking him for a list of books which included Materialism by Karl Liebknecht, The Soviets At Work, Left-Wing Communism, Land Revolution in Russia among others.

Acting 
Bhagat Singh also had a penchant for acting and took part in a couple of plays during his college days. He garnered a lot of praise for a few roles. Some of the plays for which he was acclaimed for were 'Samrat Chandragupta' and 'Rana Pratap.'

Atheism 
Being heavily inspired by the ideas of socialism and socialist writers and leaders like Lenin, Karl Marx and Leon Trotsky, Bhagat Singh rejected the idea of god and abandoned the Sikh religion. 

Writer
Not just an avid reader and actor, but Bhagat Singh was also a prolific writer and contributed to many newspapers of the time. He wrote around four books while in prison alone, although besides his diary, nothing else survives. 

We all know Bhagat Singh - the revolutionary, but these facts about him makes us know him at a deeper level and helps us understand the ideas behind that young mind that gave him the kind of courage which remains unparalleled in this country. Executed hours before the scheduled time, even death could not defeat his courage. Unfortunately, Singh died at an extremely young age. However, he will always remain alive in our hearts.