Bhagat Singh shot the Police Commissioner Saunders dead because

RRB Staff Nurse Jaipur-6th June 2018

General Knowledge

Easy

Appeared in: RRB Staff Nurse Jaipur-6th June 2018

Explanation

The correct answer links the assassination of Saunders to the death of Lala Lajpat Rai.
Lala Lajpat Rai, a prominent nationalist leader, died from injuries sustained during a police lathi charge while peacefully protesting the Simon Commission.
Bhagat Singh and his revolutionary associates sought to avenge Rai's death, viewing it as a national humiliation.
Although they intended to kill Superintendent James Scott, they mistakenly assassinated Assistant Superintendent John Saunders.
This act of retaliation is a pivotal event in the history of India's freedom struggle.

Option A: The protest against the Public Safety Bill was a separate event. It involved throwing a smoke bomb in the Central Legislative Assembly to protest the oppressive bill, not the assassination of a police officer.
Option C: The Armoury Raid (Chittagong Armoury Raid) was a different revolutionary act that took place in Bengal in 1930, led by Surya Sen. It had no connection to Bhagat Singh's activities in Lahore or the assassination of Saunders.
Option D: Chandra Shekhar Azad's death occurred in February 1931, more than two years after Saunders was killed in December 1928. Saunders was not involved in the encounter that led to Azad's martyrdom.

Visual 1: Photograph - A portrait of Bhagat Singh to help students associate the face with the name and historical actions.
Visual 2: Photograph - A portrait of Lala Lajpat Rai, showing the leader whose death was avenged.
Visual 3: Timeline - An infographic showing the sequence of events: Simon Commission protest, Lala Lajpat Rai's death, Saunders' assassination, and the Lahore Conspiracy Case trial.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain The historical context and motive behind the assassination of J.P. Saunders by Indian revolutionaries as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Historical Significance: The assassination of Saunders was a significant event that electrified the youth of India and intensified the freedom struggle. It marked a shift towards more militant revolutionary methods for a section of freedom fighters.
Impact on the Freedom Movement: The subsequent trial and hanging of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev made them national heroes and martyrs, inspiring countless others to join the independence movement.
What if?: If the revolutionaries had successfully assassinated James Scott instead of Saunders, the immediate historical narrative would be more direct (killing the officer who ordered the charge). However, the legal and political consequences from the British Raj would likely have been identical, leading to the same trial and executions.

How to Approach the Question

Step 1: Identify the key figures and event in the question stem: 'Bhagat Singh' and 'shot... Saunders'.
Step 2: Recall or deduce the historical context. The question asks for the 'reason' or 'motive' behind this specific action.
Step 3: Evaluate each option against the historical timeline and context of Bhagat Singh's revolutionary activities.
Step 4: Option B mentions the lathi charge and Lajpat Rai's injury, a well-known precursor to the assassination. This establishes a direct cause-and-effect link.
Step 5: Eliminate other options by identifying them as separate, unrelated historical events. The Public Safety Bill protest (Option A), the Armoury Raid (Option C), and Azad's death (Option D) all occurred at different times or places and had different contexts.
Step 6: Conclude that the avenging of Lala Lajpat Rai's death is the correct motive for Saunders' assassination.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: The historical context and motive behind the assassination of J.P. Saunders by Indian revolutionaries.
Stem keywords: Bhagat Singh, shot, Police Commissioner Saunders
Lead-in keywords: because

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