Ghadar Foundation Day observed in city, flag unfurled

Rachna Khaira

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, April 21

The Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Committee here today celebrated the 103rd Foundation Day of the Ghadar Party.

During an event held on the occasion at the local Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall, member Ranjit Singh Aulkah hoisted the Ghadar flag. The Jalandhar based Desh Bhagat Yadgarr Hall’s first AC Hall, dedicated to the memory of and named after martyr Vishnu Ganesh Pingle (Maharshtra), was also inaugurated.

Vishnu Ganesh Pingle, along with Kartar Singh Sarabha, had been hanged by the English.

Committee members and representatives of the NRI committees who had come from England included Bharat Bhushan, Ratan Pal Mehmi, Daljit Singh Grewal from the USA, Bharpur Singh, Jarnail Singh from Kotla Naudh Singh, the centre of the Ghadar Movement, Master Tirath Ram, Ghadri Lachman Singh’s son Sudesh Singh Atwal from Khurdpur, Kuldip Singh, among others.

During the interaction, committee president Darbara Singh Dhillon, general secretary Dr Raghbir Kaur, Ajmer Singh and cultural wing convener Amolak Singh, Ranjit Singh Aulakh, Kulbir Singh Sanghera, Surinder Kumari Kochar and Gurmeet Singh were present.

Committee general secretary Dr Raghbir Kaur spoke about the importance of the Vishnu Ganesh Pingle Hall.

Speaking during the interaction, committee member and prime spokesperson Ranjit Singh Aulakh, in his address, said the dreams of the Ghadarites, who made great sacrifices to ensure freedom from foreign capitalists and local moneyed class, were yet to be realised. He said people’s movement should continue until they attained total freedom from injustice and curbs on freedom prevalent in the present society.

Committee treasurer Seetal Singh Sangha, members Raminder Singh Patiala, Mangat Ram Pasla, Prithipal Singh Maghimera, among others, spoke on the occasion.

‘Save farmers from committing suicide’  

Farmers’ suicides reigned high during the commemoration of the 103rd foundation day of the Hindi Association of the Pacific Coast. The participants who had especially flown from various countries showed grave concern on the agrarian crisis in Punjab and also on the dwindling health and education infrastructure in the state. Prof Pyara Singh Bhogal spoke on the need to devise methodologies to save farmers from committing suicides. “If our Ghadar heroes at the age of 20 to 25 could rage a war against the British government for their atrocities against farmers, why we in Independent India cannot do something for farmers who are dying everyday due to hunger?” asked Bhogal. Another US-based NRI Daljit Singh Grewal spoke about the enthusiasm of the Punjabi diaspora towards Ghadar ideology. He urged Punjab government to dedicate a day in a year to the Ghadar movement. “Though the Ghadar heroes fought for united India, their identity were initially reduced to Punjabis and later mere Jatt Sikhs. However, the Punjab government is yet to acknowledge their contribution in the Indian freedom struggle by including their history in the course books of schools and colleges,” said Grewal.  Amolak Singh, cultural convenor, DBYC, spoke about the need to connect younger generation with the Ghadar ideology.  Vice-president of the association Ajmer Singh sought the Union Government’s intervention in getting the freedom fighters’ benefit extended to the kin of the Komagata Maru victims.