This meeting took place in the Central Jail Lahore on the 4th October, 1930, between the two greatest stars of the struggle for Indian independence. There are several reasons to call it a historic meeting. First is the stature of the parties to the meeting. Second is the time of the meeting. It was held during the period, when the government would never allow a get-together of two such top-ranking revolutionaries, one of whom had just completed a life term after conviction as the hero of the famous Second Lahore Conspiracy Case, and the other just condemned to death by hanging for murder of Saunders, the British officer responsible for the lathi charge on the group led by Lala Lajpat Rai, resulting in his death. The third reason is the nature of the conversation itself, which took place, and what transpired between the two persons. The fourth reason is the sublime effect of the spiritual touch and the solace it offers to those who offer their lives at the altar of freedom. Fifth, it shows how personal magnetism of a saint can transform another life.

As hinted above, one of the parties to the meeting was Shahid Bhagat Singh who was hanged at Lahore along with two other great freedom fighters, Sukhdev Ji and Rajguru Ji. His exploits as a revoltionary are well-known. There is hardly anybody in India, young or old, who is not familiar with the name of this great son of Punjab. It was his courage and fearlessness that inspired the whole nation, and fired the younger generation with enthusiasm for the struggle that led to freedom.

The other party to the meeting was Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh, who along with another great freedom fighter and martyr, Sardar Kartar Singh Sarabha, had organised an army revolt at Ferozepur cantonement in 1915. The plan unfortunately failed due to infiltration of some traitors, who later turned approvers. The result was seventeen brave sons of India hanged, besides scores sentenced for life or various terms of imprisonment under the British 'justice'. Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh was sentenced to life imprisonment and his property confiscated in March 1916 as leader of the Conspiracy. It was this term that he had just finished the day he met Shahid Bhagat Singh.

It is a pity that Bhagat Singh's revolutionary career ended at such an early age. With the potential he carried in his young soul, what heights he would have achieved, is anybody's guess. But alien rulers cannot permit existence of such a person in a subject nation. This is the curse of slavery that the freedom fighters, like the great Shahid, were fighting.

We are fortunate that God spared Bhai Randhir Singh for almost thirty one years after his release from jail, to tell us what freedom struggle meant to those who plunged themselves into it. It extended far beyond the common concept of speeches, conferences, processions, arrests and detentions or prison sentences with 'A' or 'B' class treatment. The jails were worse than hell on earth, where prisoners were subjected to extreme degrees of violence and physical torture, humiliation and deprivations. Bhai Sahib has given a very vivid account of his experience in various jails during the British rule in India, and how he fought against the prevailing evils single-handed, in his Autobiography. This was initially published in Punjabi as 'Jail Chithhian' or 'Letters from Jail' as far back as 1936-38, in three parts. Later editions have combined the three parts into one volume. An English translation is now available. Besides top literary merit the book describes events of great historical significance. His story is a hair-raising account of the excesses committed on him and his associates in jail. However, he never surrendered to anything evil or unjust. Once he underwent a fast without even water for 41 days in Multan Jail in May-June. Survival without water for such a long period in the extreme summer heat of Multan (now in Pakistan) is a miracle, and goes far beyond the limits of human endurance. This is possbile only in the realm of spirituality.

Bhai Sahib was no ordinary person. He was a saint who had moulded his life strictly on the pattern prescribed by Guru Gobind Singh. His saintliness and devotion to the Almighty found expression in the service of His creation and humanity at large. He worked for salvation for everyone, right in this world. His saintliness, in this broad sense, forced him to plunge into the Freedom Struggle and to sacrifice his all for it.

Bhai Sahib was a mystic and a spiritual giant. He literally lived in the presence of God. He was also a very prolific writer. In spite of his occupation with the Freedom Struggle and organisational activities he produced 23 major books, besides 20 smaller volumes, in which he shares his spiritual and temporal experiences with his readers. Not to have read his books, particularly his Autobiography, is to have missed a great deal. If any one is looking for proof of spiritual reality, he is referred to his works.

Reverting to the meeting between the two great freedom fighters, the circumstances immediately preceding it may be recalled briefly. When Bhai Randhir Singh was transferred to Lahore Jail prior to his release, Sardar Bhagat Singh was already there. Bhai Sahib's reputation had spread far and wide. His sacrifices, the hardships he had suffered, and his heroic resistance had received wide publicity.

Sardar Bhagat Singh had developed extreme reverence for Bhai Sahib. He had, therefore, applied for a meeting with him to the jail Superintendent. The premission was refused, since it was considered dangerous to let two revolutionaries of such high echelon meet. Sardar Bhagat Singh was informed that he could meet any other prisoner except Bhai Randhir Singh. However, the meeting materialised on the last day after the release of Bhai Sahib, due to the helpful intervention of a darogha, one Mohammed Akbar. The Government wanted that Bhai Sahib be released quietly. The jail Superintendent had been given instructions to that effect. People invariably waited outside to receive political prisoners, and to organise their reception and processions, which invariably led to trouble for the Government. So on the suggestion of the darogha the Superintendent allowed the meeting in order to delay the departure of Bhai Sahib, until it was dark.

Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh describes the meeting and his conversation with Bhagat Singh, in his autobiography, which is reproduced in the following paragraphs: -

This was the time for Bhagat Singh's daily stroll. He had probably been informed of the permission for this meeting. When he saw me from a distance, he ran towards me. I stood outside the railing of the enclosure. Inside he offered his greetings with utmost humility, as I offered my Fateh with folded hands. The Jail Warden left and we were alone. With eyes flooded in tears of joy and gratitude over the fulfilment of his intense longing for the meeting, Bhagat Singh began:

"Today my happiness knows no bounds. Day and night I had cherished the longing to see you. I had wondered how and when this would happen. Today luck has smiled upon me and my hopes have materialised. I have heard about your toils and sufferings in jails, which has inspired deep love and admiration in me. Example of the love of the motherland shown by the Revolutionaries of 1914-15 inspired even insignificant persons like me. Against your exploits and sufferings, contributions of the like of me pale into insignificance. Your life has influenced my thoughts in a very special way. Probably Munshi Manna Singh has told you, how fondly I have been thinking of you for months on end. In fact I would say that it was my longing that has brought about your return to this jail after sixteen years. In response to my first request for a meeting with you, you had commanded me to grow my beard and hair. I am ready to do this most willingly. I am ashamed, and I have no hestitation in admitting that this affront to the hair and the beard was due to my compulsions. In the name of altruism and service, my companions had urged me to change my appearance to that of a sanyasi mendicant. It was this unwholesome influence that led to this affront. And now I will atone for this the way you want".

I was deeply impressed by his frankness and extremely happy over the humility and expression of his regrets. All the same, I could not help making the following observations:

"Dear brother Bhagat Singh Ji, I am overwhelmed by your love, and deeply admire your patriotism and spirit of altruism and scarifice. But, brother, in this task of doing good to others your advisers did not guide you correctly. It seems that you wanted only an excuse. Therefore, you became a ready victim to their ill-conceived advice. These times, when you have entered the struggle, are the times of much greater awareness. The whole country is awake now. In these days you can render any kind of service to the country without discarding your Sikh appearance. You know in our times in 1914-15, few souls could claim this awakening in the whole of India. Particularly in the Punjab, Sikhs committed to patriotism could be counted on fingers. And at that time every one in the area was dead opposed to the revolutionaries who had come from Canada and America. I will cite only one example of my brother patriots of those times. Bhai Nidhan Singh of Chugha has bee a famous faptriot. He persuaded hundred of people to return to India, and inspired them to make sacrifices for the country. He spent thousands of Rupees from his own pocket in the struggle for freedom of the country. They did not enter in disguise. They travelled openly by see and managed to reach India, frustrating all efforts to arrest them. Their exploits in the Punjab and their daring adventures are well known to you. Warrants of their arrest had been issued. Their descriptions had been widely advertised, and prizes offered for their arrests. The whole environment was against them. Every effort was being made to catch them. In fearlessness brother kartar Singh Sarabha was his own example. One day an apprehension crossed his mind that in case Bhai Nidhan Singh was arrested, this would jeopardise the entire movement. Since he believed that Bhai Nidhan Singh had a vital role to play, he advised him to dye his beard in order to evade recognition and consequent arrest.

"Bhai Nidhan Singh bravely replied thus: I can never agree to darken my face by covering my shining diamonds (white hair) with dung. I will never accept the shame of covering my bravery with cowardice. Whatever assignment you give me, I shall perform in my natural form and appearance'. His companions tried their best, but he was unshakable in his faith. He would walk forty to fifty miles in a day, and pass through police pickets undaunted. His brave deeds were so numerous and of such magnitude, that your exploits would appear a trifle before them. Yet he did not agree even to dye his beard. You did not hesitate to shave your beard and hair"

Bhagat Singh: "In fact I am not the murderer of Saunders. However, I was accused. I thought I should not miss this opportunity, and accepted the accusation. The advantage was that I got the full credit. Even otherwise, I had little hope of being spared."

Bhai Randhir Singh: "Hollow pleasure of undeserved credit should not be the aim of a true patriot. Intoxicated by transitory acclaim of the world, you did not realise the fall from the true ideal. Nor did you repent missing the real aim, later. Fame in the press was all that you earned. The Guru's seal, i.e., untampered form, was lost for peanuts. In case a mistake was committed, atonement was called for. You should have grown your hair again. Why did you not do it?"

Bhagat Singh: "I could have grown my hair. But in that case I would have been deprived of the sympathy and closeness of my comrade Datt (Bhatt Keshwar Dutt). Second, I would not have got as much publicity as I am getting now. Honestly, my sacrifice is nothing when compared with the sacrifices of the Revolutionaries of 1914-15. But in spite of such great sacrifices, these Revolutionaries did not receive such honour in the press. Because, firstly the publication of Sikh papers is extremely limited, and secondly, because of their cowardice they failed to project your great sacrifices before the public. It is because of the non-Sikh press that I have earned such fame. I am sure, in case I were considered a Sikh with symbols of hair and beard, these papers would not have written a single word in my praise, as has happened in your case. Even among the Sikh papers, it was only the Urdu paper Khalsa Akhbar, Lahore, that took some notice of it. That, too, was limited. I knew that Hindu papers do not relish praises of Sikh patriots in their columns. If I had also grown my hair again, who would have eulogised me? They would have rather belittled me. For this reason I remained indifferent".

Bhai Randhir Singh: "My dear Bhagat Singh, your ideal of patriotism is indeed very low and unbecoming. The drama of sacrifices and patriotism for the sake of fame, has no value. Whatever the Revolutionaries of 1914-15 did and achieved, was done purely for the love of the country as an end in itself. Desire for fame and publicity had never crossed their minds. Love of fame fouls the spirit of patriotism. Because of your company, unbecoming concepts of false respect and worldly greatness got stuck in your mind. Name and fame in press is of no consequence. The following verse of the Guru appears very appropriate in this context."

'Ignorant fools confer caps of distinction
That those without shame recieve:
Like the rat are they that may not find enterance to the hole,
Yet may tie a winnower on its back to drag within.'
(SGGS page 1286, M-l)

Bhagat Singh was deeply impressed with these remarks and spoke: "Indeed that ideal of the House of the Gurus and the Sikhs is lofty in the extreme. Common man is obsessed with a false sense of glory. I also joined in this drift. But I have realised today that these are only manifestations of vanity and ego. I would have been very fortunate, if I could have stayed in the company of friends like you for a couple of months or so. An opportunity to live with you for two to four months would have been of immense benefit to me in getting rid of my weakness. Now please instruct me. You have already thrown a hint that I should grow my hair (become keshdhari). I am indeed guilty of misconduct in violating the family tradition, of keeping hair, and of an affront to the Seal of the Guru. But it would be a sin to conceal another thing from you. I had kept hair only because of the family tradition and I was proud to be called a Sikh. But as a matter of fact, I am not a Sikh from my heart. And kindly excuse me if I tell you in plain words that I am an atheist. I do not believe in God, and all my companions know this. Still I have no objection to following your instructions. If you wish , I will keep my hair. I wish I could have lived close to you for some time which could have destroyed my atheistic leanings."

Bhai Randhir Singh: "I am very happy that you have described your state of mind frankly, and have concealed nothing. In the state of atheism it would be pointless to make you keep your hair, nor can I be proud of it. Now I entertain no fondness to make you keep hair, nor am I sorry that you shaved. I do wish, however, you had courted martyrdom as a believer. You are now definitely going to the scaffold. It would have been a blessing, if you could get rid of your atheistic belief before that. You may not believe in God, yet you must remember one thing, and have faith in your irrevocable destiny. Let this be engraved on your heart. You are not going to die. You are returning. The soul is ageless and immortal. It cannot be liquidated. It will come again and again. Take it as a line carved in stone, that you are not going to die and that this is not your end. You will come back in human form. Look within to see what you are. Are you a soul or a lifeless and inert body only? Think of the being that speaks, understands, thinks, plans altruistic deeds and big things in life. Do you believe that this being will end with this body of bones, flesh and skin? Nay, never. This is not your end. You can never die".

The above words were uttered in such mystic tone and such unearthly spirit of optimism (by the grace of God), that Bhagat Singh stood mute, motionless and inwardly absorbed for several minutes. He bent low and became almost motionless. He did not speak for several minutes. I shook him with my hand to bring him back to consciousness. And lo, there was a strange brilliance on his face. He could not help moving close to the railing and inclined towards me, extending his hands as if to hold my feet. I held his hands in mine, saying 'one should touch only the Guru's feet'. I helped him get up, and he responded thus:

"Bhai Sahib, your words have penetrated deep into me like arrows. The rock of my atheism has crumbled, leaving behind a magnetic influence on me. I have now acquired the conviction that I am not going to die. I am the reality which will never end or die. I quit this body only to come again. And until then my soul will stay absorbed in the eternal glory. Now I can experience a joy in dying at the scaffold. Earlier my bravery was only due to my obstinacy. Internally death was a bogey for me, and I was afflicted by the fear that death would be the end of me. This thought spread darkness before my eyes, and a negative state of annihilation would overtake me. Your words have completely transformed me. The future before me has become bright. The vaccuum of annihilation and the fear have disappeared. My courage has grown. Now I shall face death with courage. The life giving elixir of your life has intoxicated me. Your life story had already convinced me that your profession and deeds are one. Your life conviction has confirmed my impression that you talk only such things, as have been personally experienced by you. So I am not only convinced that I am not going to die, and that I am an immortal soul, but now I also believe that God exists, whom you have seen with your own eyes. So nothing will please you more than that from today your dear Bhagat Singh is a believer in God and spiritual life. In this belief he will lay down his life. And now I assure you that from today I will never cut my hair or beard, and shall ascend to the next world, as in Sikh belief. In the Sikh language, the expression 'ascend' is so beautiful and full of meaning. 'Ascend' and 'die', what a difference! After I leave the body my soul will ascend to the heavens above, and will not die or end. It will acquire a body again for fulfilment of the highest ideal in the service of the nation and the motherland. Wonderful has been the real outcome of this meeting with you."

At this the dialogue ended, and the two great souls parted, both happy over the end result of the meeting.

Footnote: After the death of Sardar Bhagat Singh, the issue that Bhagat Singh was a Sikh by faith, was discussed in the papers. Bhai Natha Singh, a Sikh granthi of Kasur, published a statement that Bhagat Singh had 6 inch long hair at the time of cremation. The Government also announced that his body was cremated according to Sikh rites. The Blitz of Bombay published in 1949 a photograph of Bhagat Singh, with hair. This photo had been taken by one Sham Lal of Delhi only minutes before Bhagat Singh was hanged. Thus Bhagat Singh became a martyr as a keshdhari Sikh.