SEMINAR ON BHAGAT SINGH

Imperialism Is Changing Its Face Today

 Mahendra Singh

ON September 27, the Janwadi Lekhak Sangh (JLS), Jan Natya Manch (JANAM), Jan Sanskriti, Act One (a theatre group) and Bengal Association jointly organised a seminar in the JNU City Centre, Ferozeshah Road, New Delhi, as part of the Safdar Hashmi Samaroh. Professor Irfan Habib, Manini Chatterji and S Irfan Habib were main speakers at this seminar on the theme of “Revolutionary Tradition, Bhagat Singh and the Challenges Today.” Murli Manohar Prasad Singh presided. 

The programme started with the artistes of Act One singing “Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna,” “Pagadi Sambhal Jatta” and other revolutionary songs. Some of Bhagat Singh’s letters were also read out. 

S Irfan Habib, the first speaker at the seminar, said: “Bhagat Singh was put behind bars and executed because he talked of the common man. He was one of the founders of the Naujawan Bharat Sabha. He took his message of revolution and socialism to the masses through leaflets and pamphlets. The need today is to realise those ideas of Bhagat Singh in practice.” He said Bhagat Singh’s martyrdom should not be equated with ordinary sacrifices, as he was among the martyrs who made the supreme sacrifice for an ideology and for a revolutionary social system.

The chief speaker was Professor Irfan Habib, an eminent historian, who said: “Bhagat Singh made an extremely valuable contribution to the revolutionary movement. His chief aspect was that he, as a revolutionary, used to think in terms of a socialist society. He negated religion and superstitions. Bhagat Singh and his comrades brought several tradition-bound persons to the revolutionary movement. He played a notable role in making Marxism and socialism a part of our national liberation movement.”

Talking about neo-imperialism, the learned speaker said: “Imperialism is changing its face today. Today’s imperialism is emphasising on strategic control. It is seeking to keep the developing countries in thraldom with the help of its capital and energy resources. The sad fact is that the Indian votaries of globalisation have forgotten the legacy of Gandhi and Nehru. They don’t even condemn the attacks on Palestinians or on Iraq.” Professor Irfan Habib also referred to the history of India from 1857 to 1947 as one of unity against imperialism and colonialism. He said: “Celebrating Bhagat Singh’s birth centenary can have only one meaning today: to unite against US imperialism. Otherwise we should stop claiming the legacy of Bhagat Singh.” 

Well known journalist Manini Chatterji said Bhagat Singh was the most renowned figure among the Indian revolutionaries, so much so that not less than five feature films have been made about him. The speaker also talked of three stages of the revolutionary movement in India and its development in Bengal, Maharashtra and Punjab. She also stressed that it is these revolutionaries who first raised the slogan on complete independence.

In his presidential remarks, M M P Singh said we should attentively read Bhagat Singh’s article “Why I am an Atheist.” Bhagat Singh was a revolutionary thinker. Today, those in the Congress and the BJP, the Lohiaites, the followers of Mulayam and Ms Mayawati seek to laugh away the issue of imperialism whenever it is mentioned. They all are playing in the hands of international finance capital. A conspiracy is afoot to tie India to the apron string of US imperialism. They all are implementing the policies which US imperialism is dictating to our governments. The speaker said we have to understand the role of US imperialism behind the peasants’ suicide, growing unemployment and starvation, and resurrect the tradition of Bhagat Singh and his comrades to unite and fight against pro-imperialist policies.

Essay and poetry competitions were also organised as part of the Safdar Hashmi Samaroh, and six literary creations chosen for award. The awards were announced by Sarita of Jan Natya Manch and the winners got their awards from Professor Irfan Habib.

Eminent poet Bali Singh conducted the programme while Mohandas of Jan Sanskriti thanked the speakers and audience.

INSTALL BHAGAT SINGH PORTRAIT IN

PARLIAMENT HALL

THE Bhagat Singh birth centenary started in Mumbai with a largely attended meeting held in central railway auditorium at Chhatrapati Shivaji terminus (old Victoria terminus) in south east Mumbai on September 28. The main speakers in this meeting were professor Jagmohan Singh, the nephew of Bhagat Singh from Punjab, the famous cine actor A K Hangal and scientist actor Dr Hemu Adhikari. The meeting organised here was under the auspices of Trade Unions Joint Action Committee.

Addressing the meeting professor Jagmohan Singh at the outset said that “the city of Mumbai hosting the Bhagat Singh centenary celebration programme is important firstly because it was in this city where the historic Naval Mutiny took place which was backed by working class strike against British Rule. This spontaneous strike in Mumbai was followed by many other solidarity actions in India. This signalled the end of British Raj in the country. And it was for the noble cause of national liberation that the young revolutionary Bhagat Singh sacrificed his life. This made him the martyr for the country’s freedom said professor Singh. Earlier Professor Singh who came from Ludhiana, Hangal from Patna and Dr Adhikari were presented bouquets by the organisers of the programme.

Explaining the various features of Bhagat Singh’s life, professor Jagmohan Singh said that the words inquilab zindabad and imperialism murdabad which Bhagat singh raised while going to the gallows had great meaning for the country which was fighting against British rule. And the struggle which our country’s men and women waged was not only against British slavery but also for economic emancipation. The freedom, which Bhagat Singh visualised and propagated was for a society where the poor will have a right to food, right to shelter, right to job, right to health, right to education, right to knowledge and where there will not be exploitation of man by man. Dealing with the writings of Bhagat singh, he said that during the period of freedom struggle between 1925 to 1928  Bhagat Singh had the opportunity to read Marx, Engels , Lenin ,Charles Dickens, Tolstoy, Bernard Shah and Jack London. Bhagat Singh, who could thus read more than 60 books of these and other great authors has recorded this fact in some of his writings. Such readings brought lot of changes in the rebellious mind of young Bhagat Singh which made great impact in his revolutionary thinking”, he said.

Jagmohan Singh told that Bhagat Singh treated a lady who cleaned the latrines and toilets when he was in  jail as his mother. The young revolutionary insisted that he should have roties prepared by her before going to the gallows.  He also spoke on the present crisis in agriculture and said that in the fight against the anti- people policies, Bhagat singh’s ideology will be of immense help.

A book titled “Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Memories, interpretation and ideology” jointly edited by Dr Ashok Dhawale,  CPI(M) Maharashtra state committee secretary and Dr Ramesh Chandra Patkar of Indian School of Social sciences was released on the occasion. Dr Jagmohan singh  released the book and handed over a copy to the cine actor A K Hangle.

The state government employees confederation president R G Karnik presided. In the meeting, a resolution moved by K L Bajaj, general secretary of Maharashtra state CITU demanded that Bhagat Singh’s portrait be installed in the Parliament Hall. Speaking on the occasion the famous cine actor A K Hangal pointed out that he himself has separately written letters to Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee, prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi about the necessity of installing a Portrait of Bhagat Singh in the Parliament Hall during his birth centenary year.

Dr Hemu Adhikari in his speech pointed out that the conditions which prevailed during Bhagat Singh’s period such as poverty, illiteracy, joblessness, superstition, inequality, social backwardness and exploitation still exist in our society even today. The dream of Bhagat Singh was to end these evil conditions and to create an egalitarian society. He wanted complete eradication of untouchability. Dr Adhikari said that Bhagat Singh’s martyrdom and his teachings will give great inspiration in the fight against imperialism and to take the working class movement forward.

Amongst others present on the dais were P R Menon, general secretary, National Railway Mazdoor Union, Dada Samant, president, Kamgar Aghadi, Sukumar Damble general secretary, AITUC Maharashtra state committee, Jaawant chavan, Sarva Sramik Sanghatana president, shkar Salvi HMKP Maharashtra state president and A D Golandas, vice president MSEB Workers Federation.

Umang, a cultural group presented a street play based on the life of Bhagat Singh. Avhan, another cultural group also presented a Marathi ballad on the life of Bhagat Singh on this occasion.

(P R Krishnan)