Why I Am an Atheist

Why I Am an Atheist (Hindi: मैं नास्तिक क्यों हूँ) is an essay written by Indian revolutionary Bhagat Singh in 1930 in Lahore Central Jail.

[3] Bhagat Singh was a member of Hindustan Socialist Republican Association,[4] a revolutionary party in the Indian freedom struggle.

[6] He was arrested on 8 April 1929 in connection with the Central Legislative Assembly bombing case and was sentenced to 14 years life imprisonment.

He was re-arrested in connection with the murder of John Saunders, a deputy superintendent of police who was killed by Sukhdev, Rajguru, and Bhagat Singh in 1928 in retaliation for the death of Lala Lajpat Rai.

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.

[3] He mentions that his atheism was also not a result of his association with a revolutionary organization and that most of his comrades were in fact theists, citing the example of Sachindra Nath Sanyal who was a firm believer in God.

He mentions Mikhail Bakunin's manuscript, God and the State and Common Sense by Niralamba Swami to have inspired his own atheism.

Why does he not infuse the altruistic enthusiasm in the hearts of all capitalists to forego their rights of personal possessions of means of production and thus redeem the whole labouring community —nay, the whole human society, from the bondage of capitalism?

"[3] In the end, he also comments on the origin of God and thinks it is due to man's limitation, weakness and shortcoming to face trying circumstances.