Plea to acquire Bhagat Singh case file from Lahore
Quote: Indian scholars denied access
“While Indian scholars visiting Punjab are generally not shown these files, those from other countries do not face the problem.” Chaman Lal, adviser, Delhi Archives
Shubhadeep Choudhury
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, September 13
Lamenting Pakistan’s reluctance to share with Indian scholars the Bhagat Singh case files kept in the archives in Lahore, Professor Chaman Lal, adviser, Bhagat Singh Archives and Resource Centre, Delhi Archives, urged Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to acquire a copy.
In a letter to Kejriwal on Monday, Chaman Lal, former chairperson, Centre for Indian language, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), wrote that when journalist Kuldip Nayar was alive, he had promised to talk to then Chief Minister of West Punjab Shahbaz Sharif and try to make the Bhagat Singh files accessible to Indian researchers. The idea could not materialise because of the sudden deterioration in India-Pakistan relations at that time.
“However, situation has now changed for the better. On March 23, 2018, for the first time Lahore archives held a month-long exhibition of more than 200 items from the Bhagat Singh files. There was a plan to digitalise these files,” Chaman Lal wrote, and urged the Delhi Chief Minister to immediately set in motion official correspondence with the Punjab Government, Lahore, to acquire these records, which include many unrevealed aspects of Punjab history.
The Delhi archive already had the Assembly blast case file related to the revolutionary freedom fighter, Chaman Lal wrote, adding that addition of the Lahore conspiracy case file on Bhagat Singh would be extremely useful for scholars and interested readers.
Reminding Kejriwal that the request was being made to him on a day (September 13) known for martyrdom of Jatin Das in Lahore jail in 1929, Chaman Lal wrote that the number of files on Bhagat Singh kept at the Anarkali tomb, Lahore, could vary from 135 to 165. While Indian scholars visiting Punjab are generally not shown these files, those from other countries do not face the problem.
Barrister Satvinder Juss, Professor of law, Kings College, London, has for the first time produced the details of 160 files relating to the case in his book on the execution of Bhagat Singh. Being a British scholar, Juss was given access to these files by Pakistan and he made liberal use of the resources in his book published in 2021 from London and New Delhi, Chaman Lal wrote. He attached a copy of eight pages of Juss’s book containing details of the files.
Chaman Lal reminded the Delhi CM that Bhagat Singh’s birth anniversary would fall on September 28, when the Delhi Government was planning to introduce ‘Deshbhakti’ (patriotism) course for school students.
