Ghadar Jari Hai …

Dear Editor,

Your article on the anniversary of 1857, brought back memories of the “Ghadar Jaari Hai Abhiyan” in 2007, in which many organisations and individuals participated all across India. You took a leading role in the Abhiyan on the occasion of 150th anniversary of the Ghadar and provided all manner of support. It led to series of talks, seminars, exhibitions and cultural programs and educated thousands upon thousands of people about the Ghadar of 1857 and how the struggle continues.

There were events organised by you all across India; in Delhi, Mumbai, Thane, Ulhas Nagar, Kolkata, Lucknow, Almora, Bengaluru, Chennai and many other places. It was necessitated by the fact that the true nature of 1857 has not been presented to the present generation by British historians and the Indian ruling classes. As you point out the British did not allow any factual account of 1857 or research into it for the next 90 years while their historians tarnished the heroes and masses who rose up in 1857 as “Sepoy Mutiny”, “a stab in the back”, “mismanagement of India by East India Company” etc. etc.

The Indian ruling classes celebrated it because it was highly respected in popular memory as the “National War of Independence” but actually dismissed it’s content as “feudal reaction” while their capture of power in 1947 from the British as an exceptional achievement and a “Tryst with Destiny” etc.

There is much to be written about the exceptional patriotism, valour, the mass participation, vast geographical theatre of war extending to every district of India, the political thought and actions of the Ghadaris that inspired and united diverse castes, faiths, professions, languages of this vast and diverse land.

As you point out the aims of Ghadaris were not fulfilled in 1947 but reactionary bourgeoisie used the freedom struggle of masses of Indian people to usurp power and continue the colonial legacy albeit in a parliamentary “democratic” form while continuing the oppression and exploitation of our people using essentially the British colonial state.

So Ghadar Jaari Hai…..

regards,
SK
Dharwad

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