Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh is a revered figure, not just for Indians but people across the world, due to his immense contribution to the freedom movement of India.
But, a history book prescribed by the one of India's top universities has labelled him as a 'revolutionary terrorist'.
In the book titled 'India's Struggle for Independence', Bhagat Singh whom the world knows as one of the greatest revolutionaries of modern history, has been labelled as a 'terrorist'.
Chapter 20 of the history textbook terms Bhagat Singh, Chandra Shekhar Azad, Surya Sen and other as 'revolutionary terrorists'.
The Chittagong freedom movement has also been called a "terrorist movement" in the book.
Demanding correction in the textbooks, Bhagat Singh's family members have said it's utterly wrong to term the great revolutionaries as 'revolutionary terrorists'.
"Martyrs deserve respect because they sacrificed their lives for the sake of the country. We hope that the government will take corrective action," said Surinder Kaur, a close relative of the family.
Prof. Saradindu Mukherjee, a member of the Indian Council for Historical Research has asked for an urgent recall of the books.
"The book should be immediately withdrawn and authorities must ensure that no such words are used for our revolutionaries, our freedom fighters," he said.
Well Known Indian historian Irfan Habib says that when the term was initially used, everyone took it positively and considered Bhagat Singh as someone who terrorised the British. The book is said to have been in the curriculum for the past 27 years
"Time has changed and the context of the word terrorist has a different meaning now. We should not be using such words anymore. Books that describe Bhagat Singh as a terrorist should be revised," he said.
