Bhagat Singh
Date : July 24,
1930
Transcription/Source : www.shahidbhagatsingh.org
HTML Markup : Salil Sen for MIA, December,
2007
Copyright : © Shahidbhagatsingh.org. Published
on MIA with the permission of Shahidbhagatsingh.org and Shahid Bhagat Singh
Research Committee.
[Bhagat Singh wrote this letter to Jaidev Gupta, a close friend from his schools days, for some books. It gives an idea of the type of books he used to study in jail. It also shows as to how keen he was about the intellectual development of his comrades.]
Lahore Central Jail
24.7.30
MY DEAR JAIDEV,
Please take following books in my name from Dwarkadas Library and send them through Kulvir on Sunday:
Militarism (Kari Liebknecht) Why Men Fight (B. Russel)
Soviets at Work Collapse of the Second International
Left-Wing Communism Mutual Aid (Prince Kropotkin)
Fields, Factories and Workshops Civil War in France (Marx)
Land Revolution in Russia Spy (Upton Sinclair)
Please send one more book from Punjab Public Library: Historical Materialism (Bukharin). Also, please find out from the librarian if some books have been sent to Borstal Jail. They are facing a terrible famine of books. They had sent a list of books through Sukhdev's brother Jaidev. They have not received any book till now. In case they have no list, then please ask Lala Firoz Chand to send some interesting books of his choice. The books must reach them before I go there on this Sunday. This work is a must. Please keep this in mind.
Also send Punjab Peasants in Prosperity and Debt by Darling and 2 or 3 books of this type for Dr. Alam. Hope you will excuse me for this trouble. I promise I will not trouble you in future. Please remember me to all my friends and convey my respect to Lajjawati. I am sure if Dutt's sister came she will not forget to see me.
With regards
Bhagat Singh