Pakistan Opens Bhagat Singh Gallery Honoring Revolutionary’s Legacy

Pakistan’s Panjab govt. has opened a Bhagat Singh Gallery at the historical Poonch House in Lahore. 93 years ago, Bhagat Singh was tried at Poonch House which now showcases memorabilia documenting his life and struggle for India’s independence. The exhibit includes rare letters, newspaper clippings, photographs, and case records highlighting key moments such as his trial with Sukhdev Thapar and Shivram Rajguru for killing British police officer John P. Saunders, as well as details of his execution on 23 Mar 1931. Bhagat Singh was an influential Panjabi revolutionary of the early 20th century who continues to inspire youth with his radical ideology and activism. His martyrdom at the age of 23 cemented his status as a revolutionary hero for many in both Pakistani (West) and Indian (East) Panjab. West Panjab’s Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman inaugurated the gallery, stressing that tourists can now visit under an arrangement by the state govt. departments of industry, commerce, and tourism. Historical papers on display include Bhagat Singh’s appeals for newspapers, court orders dating from August 1927 to mid-1929, a petition from his father Sardar Kishan Singh challenging the death sentence, and official confirmation of his hanging at Lahore Jail. Notably, some documents show the British police tracking Bhagat Singh’s associates in the Hindustan Socialist Republican Army and the Naujawan Bharat Sabha (Indian Youth Assembly). The gallery’s opening follows earlier efforts by the Punjab Archives Department, which in 2018 displayed key materials related to Bhagat Singh’s prosecution and execution. Advocates for recognizing his legacy, such as Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation chairman Imtiaz Rasheed Qureshi, say the govt. should also rename Shadman Chowk—where Bhagat Singh was hanged—in his honor. The new gallery’s creation is seen as a step toward preserving a pivotal chapter of the subcontinent’s shared history.