109th Birth Anniversary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh

Enthusiastic celebrations in Delhi

At the initiative of Punjabi Academy and Bhagat Singh Association, the youth of Rohini in Delhi celebrated the 109th Birth Anniversary of Shaheed Bhagat with great enthusiasm by organizing “Punjabi Sabhyachar Mela”. Lok Raj Sangathan was invited to organise and participate in the programme. Hundreds of children, women and youth participated enthusiastically in the programme. Revolutionary and patriotic songs, bhangra dance, gidda, sword fights, made the programme very interesting. The entire programme was organised at the initiative of the local youth while various political and non-political organisations and individuals extended their support and contributed to the success of the programme in various ways.

  

  

  

  

  

 

In the open space outside the pandal, colourful placards and panels depicting the history of Ghadar Party and lessons from the life of Bhagat Singh were displayed, and youth were seen reading it attentively.

Santosh Kumar of Lok Raj Sangathan began the programme explaining the purpose of this initiative. He explained that we are not organising this program just to celebrate Bhagat Singh as a hero, but because the objective for which he laid down his life is still unfulfilled, and we must all contribute our might to take this task to completion. The task is to establish the rule of working people in our country. He invited a member of Lok Raj Sangathan to render a revolutionary song dedicated to our martyrs “raste pe tumhare chal ke hum…”

The programme was an excellent mix of progressive culture and politics. The struggle and lessons of our revolutionaries was presented through poems, and songs explaining their relevance today. Addressing the gathering Comrade Birju Nayak of Communist Ghadar Party said that these martyrs are remembered and honoured all across India from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. They are also respected in the entire subcontinent, including Pakistan, which was part of the same country. The entire people are inspired by these revolutionaries. They fought to end all forms of exploitation, oppression and discrimination. Their struggle was not limited to any particular religion or community. They declared that “whether the exploiters are white British or black Indians, their struggle will continue until all forms of exploitation, oppression and discrimination is put an end to”. The gruesome massacre that took place in Jalianwaala Bagh in Amritsar made a deep impression on Bhagat Singh’s mind and he committed himself to the cause of the country and people to end exploitation and oppression.

The speaker explained that the exploitation and oppression continues till date. How can one forget the massacre of Sikhs in 1984?It was state oranised. They ask people to forget it as a tragic incident, but can they give a guarantee that it will not be repeated? No, they cannot give any such guarantee. Look what is happening in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. People are being used as vote banks.

Thousands of people across India come on to the streets to commemorate the 1984 massacre of Sikhs demanding justice and punishment for the guilty. Communist Ghadar Party has declared these attacks on the Sikh community as state terrorism and every year leads the demonstration against it. Referring to the incidence of drug abuse amongst the youth, he said that this was deliberately introduced by the state to divert the attention of youth from the massacre and its perpetrators, and organisers, so that they do not arrive at the truth. But the truth must be told, otherwise the way the Sikh community was targeted, same way some other community will be targeted, as is being done with people of Muslim faith.

Sucharita Basu of Lok Raj Sangathan said that Bhagat Singh and his comrades are remembered even today because they were living example of courage and patriotism. They dared to challenge an enemy which was hundred times stronger than them. There were two trends during the freedom struggle – one was of uncompromising struggle against the British, represented by Bhagat Singh and his comrades; while the other was that of compromise with British rulers.

In 1947 the political power and the state machinery built by the British were transferred to those Indians who compromised with them and who have been ruling India since then, continuing the system of exploitation and oppression of vast majority of the people. The message of our martyrs is that we should become the masters of this land. This is the challenge that the youth of our country have to take up.

Those who contributed towards the success of the programme included Gurmeet Singh Virk, Amrik Singh from Punjabi Academy, Rakesh Garg, Mahendra Yadav of Amm Admi Party, member from SGPC, advocate C L Gupta who has been fighting the court cases of victims of 1984 massacre, and others.The cultural troupe of Satnam Singh Sikri presented the cultural show of Bhangad and Gidda, children and number of girls from Hari Singh Nalva Group performed talwaaar bazi (sword fight) and Latthbazi with great vigour, and a troupe displayed karate skills for self-defence, where again girls participated in large numbers.

Santosh Kumar of Lok Raj Sangathan and Jagpreet Singh of Bhagat Singh Association managed the stage and thanked everybody for participating in the programme and appealed to everybody to participate in the demonstrations being organised on 1 November and 5 November 2016, on the 32nd anniversary of the 1984 Sikh Massacre.

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