People's Democracy

Sudhanva Deshpande

THE first day of the year has become synonymous with Safdar Hashmi, his martyrdom, with Jhandapur, the scene of his martyrdom, and with the reaffirmation of the unity of workers and artists. Every year, on the first of January, CITU and Jana Natya Manch (Janam), of which Safdar was a founder-member and convenor at the time of his death, lead thousands of people to Jhandapur for a cultural programme followed by a mass rally.

It will be recalled that twelve years ago, on January 1, 1989, Jana Natya Manch was performing for the CITU its play Halla Bol at this industrial township, barely 14 km from the capital, when the group was attacked by goons enjoying Congress(I) patronage. In this attack, Safdar Hashmi was fatally wounded, and died the next day. The attack also led to the killing of a worker, Ram Bahadur.

Two days after Safdar’s death, on January 4, 1989, Jana Natya Manch returned to Jhandapur to complete the disrupted play, watched by thousands of people. Every year since then has witnessed a performance by Jana Natya Manch at the site of the attack. This is followed by a mass rally organised by the CITU.

The first day of the new year dawned wet and cold on the capital. It had been raining intermittently from the previous evening. The park where the programme is held every year was decorated colourfully by Jana Natya Manch comrades as usual. Apart from workers and local residents, bus loads of people from Delhi are also led by Jana Natya Manch to Jhandapur every year. This year, in spite of the driving rain, the turnout from Delhi was no less than it has been in previous years. In fact, comrades and friends from as far away as Rohtak and Kurukshetra also came to Jhandapur. The Delhi-based theatre group, Act One, was also part of the contingent that went from Delhi. Act One was to perform its street play Kisan at the programme. N K Sharma, director of Act One, spent many years in Jana Natya Manch in the 1970s and 1980s, and has subsequently collaborated with Janam on several occasions.

But as the time for the programme to start approached, the light drizzle in Jhandapur turned to heavy downpour. By the time the buses from Delhi reached, the park where the programme is held was full of puddles of water. It was clear that the programme would have to be truncated. There was no place where the plays by Jana Natya Manch and Act One could be held. However, what was lost is terms of performance was more than made up by the spirit of the day. Jana Natya Manch sang a song in memory of the martyred comrade. This was followed by Act One actors singing three songs on the liberalised economy and its implications for the Indian people. These songs were from the play that were to be performed. This was followed by SFI members who also sang spirited songs.

The play every year is followed by a rally organised by the CITU. The main speaker for the rally this year was Brinda Karat, general secretary of the All India Democratic Women’s Association. Brinda Karat addressed the gathering and recalled that Safdar Hashmi was first and foremost a valiant fighter for the cause of the working class, and it is for this reason that he had to lay down his life. She congratulated the people who had come braving the rain. She expressed her belief that the century coming to birth was going to be the century of socialism. She appealed to artists and intellectuals to ally themselves with the cause of the working class like Safdar Hashmi had done. Her address was brief, but passionate and spirited.

Every year, apart from the January 1 performance in Jhandapur, Jana Natya Manch organises a series of other events also to remember and to celebrate Safdar, the communist, the artist, and the very special friend. On January 2 evening, the actual anniversary of Safdar Hashmi’s death, Jana Natya Manch organised, like every year, a meeting ‘In Memory of Safdar,’ where Janam members remembered their friend and shared his memories. The main speaker at this meeting was Vijendra Sharma, long time comrade and friend of Safdar, who had interacted with him for many years. Sharma, who was earlier in the CITU, is now a leading member of the Democratic Teacher’s Front. But even before he was in the CITU, he recalled his association with Safdar in the very early years of Jana Natya Manch, when Sharma himself had been a member of Janam for a while. He recalled how Safdar went on to become a very good organiser, a dynamic leader, and a creative artist for whom the interests of the movement took precedence over all else. He also emphasised that Safdar remained a lovely, warm and cheerful human being. Sudhanva Deshpande of Jana Natya Manch was the other speaker at the meeting, and he too recalled his association with Safdar.

Safdar was passionately fond of poetry, and every year one of the events Jana Natya Manch organises in his memory is a poetry-reading session. This took place on January 3. The theme this year was young poets. The session was conducted by Neel Dogra of Jana Natya Manch, who had selected the poems. Several friends and Janam members attended this session.