New Delhi, September 27
Bureaucratic wrangling on Thursday forced Indian social activists to cancel their visit to Lahore to take part in the 105th birth anniversary celebrations of legendary revolutionary Bhagat Singh.

Bhagat Singh was born at Jaranwala village in Pakistan’s Lyallpur (now Faislabad) on September 28, 1907.

For the first time in the history of India-Pakistan relations, civil society groups from either side of the border had agreed to meet in Lahore tomorrow to celebrate the martyr’s birthday and recall the relevance of his anti-imperialist ideology in these politically and economically volatile times.

Though the celebrations, to be hosted by Pakistan Labour Party, will happen as planned at the Dayal Singh Auditorium on Lahore’s Nisbat Road tomorrow, the Indian delegation would be conspicuous by its absence.

The 32-member Indian side, led by the martyr’s nephew Kiranjit Sandhu, failed to get their visas today. The Tribune learnt that the Pakistan High Commission officials even offered to sit after office hours to issue the delegates’ visas, but were helpless as the Pakistan Interior Ministry did not send clearance certificates.

In a message today, the Pakistan Labour Party lamented the inability of the Indian side to come to Pakistan. “Unfortunately, our expected Indian delegation of 32 has not got the clearance certificate from the Interior Ministry of Pakistan despite the application being moved a month before the event,” the statement said. Though the event planned at Jaranwala village, the birthplace of Bhagat Singh, was cancelled after it was confirmed that the Indian side could not come, celebrations would continue.

The day would be marked by a seminar on Bhagat Singh followed by the customary cutting of the birthday cake at Shadnum Chowk where Bhagat Singh was hanged on March 23, 1931 and a play on the martyr directed by Ajoka Theatre’s Madeeha Gauhar. Titled ‘Rang de Basanti’, the play has earned rave reviews in India and Pakistan.

“Even if the Pakistan High Commission had issued us visas, we would not have been able to go because our Ministry of External Affairs requires Indians crossing Wagah by foot to get prior government clearance. These bureaucratic hassles are stifling. Foreigners need no clearance to cross Wagah, but Indians do,” said Prof Chaman Lal, author of several books on Bhagat Singh, and a delegate for the Lahore event.