WHY I AM AN ATHEIST - 125

Bhagat Singh is a name that became synonymous with revolution in India's struggle for independence. He wrote "Why I am an Atheist" in 1930 when he was incarcerated in the Lahore central jail. This book was published in 1931 in Lala Lajpat Rai's weekly, "The People." To be clear, this is not a book but an essay of 24 pages. It is a collection of eighteen of his valued writings from within the walls of prison and outside it, which show us the resolve in his words, and the bravery in his acts subsequently. In the essay, Bhagat Singh states that his atheism was not a result of vanity. He mentions that his family were firm believers in God, that he himself grew up as a religious boy who would chant prayers for hours and goes on to explain how despite this he went on to become an atheist.