People's Democracy

Ghadar Centenary in England

                                          Joginder Bains         

THIS year is the year of Ghadar Party Centenary and it is being celebrated all over the world. Ghadar Party was formalised in America in 1913 with an aim to fight against racism and inhumane treatment Indian people were experiencing in America, Canada and many other countries. They soon realised that such treatment was due to British colonisation. They redirected their aim to work to free India from foreign rule that had impoverished Indian people, which forced them to travel thousands of miles away from the homeland in search of livelihood. Ghadar Party planned to take advantage of the First World War. They thought the perfect time for the revolution would be when Britain and its army would have been fully involved in the War. They organised a network all over India and persuaded the Indian army for mutiny in their individual barracks in the support of Ghadar revolution. Unfortunately, the British government became aware of the plan in time and the Ghadar Party did not succeed in its aim. Ghadar Party activists were arrested in their hundreds, hanged, imprisoned for life and their assets were taken into government control leaving their families to suffer financial hardship to the level of starvation, homelessness and so on.

Indian Workers’ Association (GB), Derby branch celebrated Ghadar Party Centenary on June 15 at the Indian Community Centre. 450 people from Indian Community took part. Jana Natya Manch travelled from India to specially perform in the centenary celebrations. Janam as they are popularly known, provided a thought provoking presentation on History of the Ghadar Party as well as three plays. The first play Yeh Dil Mangey More Guru Ji – was based on Gujarat Riots where thousands of Muslims were massacred by Hindu extremists just because they were Muslims, same as in 1984 Sikhs in Delhi were murdered in the hands of Hindu extremists. The second play Ahinsa was based on violence against women. The play illustrated how women are subjected to violence from birth to death. The third play Yeh Hum Kyun Sahien (Enough is enough) was based on industrial workers. The play illustrated how the workers are exploited, they are forced to work on less than a minimum wage,  work on contracts and are not given permanent workers status while the industrialists’ profit margins goes higher and higher.

The programme commenced with patriotic poems by Kulvinder Johal, and the new UK members of Janam Roop and Sudesh also sang two songs. One was based on impoverishing Indian people under British Rule “Pagri sambhal Jatta” and the other was based on female foeticide.

The Ghadar Party Centenary Celebration programme was conducted by Shangara Singh Gahonia, general secretary of Indian Workers’ Association and was chaired by Harbhajan Singh Johal. The meeting was addressed by Harsev Bains, national general secretary IWA GB and by Sharaz Khan, deputy mayor of Derby City Council.