March from Bangladesh to Pakistan
On January 23, 2009, thousands of people will flag off a march for unity of the peoples of the subcontinent from Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh. Covering various districts of Bangladesh, they will march through different states of India before crossing over to Pakistan at Hussainiwala. They will then proceed to different towns of Pakistan. This was announced by the Convenor of the Bangladesh-Bharat-Pakistan Peoples’ Forum (BBPPF), Shri Manik Samajdaar, following the meeting of the Forum in Kolkata on June 16, 2008.
March from Bangladesh to Pakistan
On January 23, 2009, thousands of people will flag off a march for unity of the peoples of the subcontinent from Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh. Covering various districts of Bangladesh, they will march through different states of India before crossing over to Pakistan at Hussainiwala. They will then proceed to different towns of Pakistan. This was announced by the Convenor of the Bangladesh-Bharat-Pakistan Peoples’ Forum (BBPPF), Shri Manik Samajdaar, following the meeting of the Forum in Kolkata on June 16, 2008.
According to Mr Samajdaar, while the Bangladesh leg of the programme was already finalised, a delegation of the BBPPF would be visiting Pakistan in October to finalise the Pakistan leg of the programme.
The BBPPF also has plans to pay homage at the grave of Begum Hazrat Mahal in Nepal during November. For this purpose, a tri-national delegation will be visiting Nepal.
A festive function in Kolkata marks Ghadar Jari Hai
Lok Raj Sangathan and Bangladesh-Bharat-Pakistan People’s Forum (BBPPF) organised a beautiful function in Kolkata on June 15, 2008 based on the theme ‘Ghadar Jari Hai’. The function was held at the Moulali Yuva Kendra, in the heart of Kolkata city and carried on till late in the evening. It had the audience swaying to vibrant songs and dances from Bangladesh and various parts of Eastern and North Eastern India, and the strains of Sufi music from Pakistan.
Attractive posters announcing the programme could be seen in many prominent parts of the city for days in advance.
The programme was inaugurated by Debabrata Biswas, Chairman of the Bangladesh Bharat Pakistan Peoples’ Forum. Speaking about the common ties of history, heritage and culture amongst the peoples of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, he said that the great Ghadar of 1857 has an important place in this common heritage.
Ms. Sucharita (Communist Ghadar Party of India), held the attention of the audience for the next three hours, with a powerful and soul-stirring power point presentation entitled Ghadar Jari Hai. "Without getting rid of our colonial legacy, our struggle to become the masters of our destiny cannot advance. That is why we say – Ghadar Jari Hai! " were her concluding remarks.
This was followed by a discussion on the presentation, during which speakers from Bangladesh and India spoke at length about the colonial legacy and the lessons of the great Ghadar. This session was chaired by Mr. Ram Kishore, convener of the UP chapter of BBPPF. The delegation from Bangladesh included prominent women trade union leaders and political and social activists from various fields. Ms. Lovely Yasmin, a woman trade unionist from Bangladesh elaborated on how people from both our countries face similar problems at the hands of our ruling classes. Rupan Chowdhry of SUCI, Mr. Bipas Basu of AICCTU and Mr. Mehboob Alam, journalist and political activist, leader of the delegation of BBPPF from Bangladesh, were among others who spoke up against the colonial legacy.
Mr. Prakash Rao, spokesperson of the Communist Ghadar Party of India and convener of Lok Raj Sangathan, concluded the discussion. He welcomed the suggestions made by the various speakers and pointed out that ending the colonial legacy demands the participation and efforts of more and more people in the movement.
A spirited cultural programme followed. There was fusion music from Bengal, accompanied with songs portraying the joys, sorrows and aspirations of the working people. The cultural team from Bangladesh performed several group dances using traditional folk as well as modern dance forms. They also sang songs to a vibrant beat. Popular sufi themes from Pakistan, rendered powerfully and full of emotion, had the audience enthralled.
In the concluding ceremony, Debabrata Biswas congratulated the cultural artistes, who were felicitated with flowers and scrolls of honour. Manik Samajdaar, convenor of BBPPF, delivered the vote of thanks. The programme ended with the powerful message that the unity of the peoples of our subcontinent must be strengthened, in order to eliminate the colonial legacy and work for a future in which we will become the masters of our destiny.
May 31, Programme of Teesra Swadhinta, Delhi
Hundreds of activists from different regions of India gathered at Jantar Mantar on May 31, 2008 to celebrate the Great Ghadar of 1857.
Coming from different organisations, they noted the sad fact that 61 years after independence there was still no memorial to the martyrs of 1857 or of the freedom struggle in the capital. What we had at India Gate was a memorial to the Indians who gave their lives for British rule. The participants in the program raised the demand that a memorial be erected in Delhi in honour of the martyrs of 1857.
Inauguration of Dr. Rahi Masoom Raza Academy of Literature
Writers, artistes, poets, cultural activists, social activists and other prominent intellectuals of Lucknow gathered at the Nirala Sabhaghar on May 18, 2008 to participate in the inauguration of the Dr. Rahi Masoom Raza Academy of Literature.
The inaugural speech of renowned Marxist critic Prof Kuwarpal Singh was read in his absence (because of ill health).
At this function, the learned participants discussed a host of issues that have plagued India since 1857. Prominent amongst them has been the communal question, leading to nothing less than the partition of the country.
Those who participated in this invigorating discussion, revolving around the work of Dr. Rahi Masoom Raza, included Dr. Kanji Abdul Sitar, renowned Urdu writer and former head of Urdu Dept of AMU, the editor of the Lucknow edition of Hindustan, and renowned Hindi writer Shri Navin Joshi, historian Shri Vibhuti Narayan Rai, Prof Ramesh Dikshit of the political science dept of Lucknow University, and Dr. Shriddha Singh of BHU Hindi Department.
President of the Academy, Dr. Girish Chandra, gave his presidential address. Many other writers and cultural workers from all accross India addressed this seminar.
The programme was conducted by Prof Sabira Begum of the Russian language department of Lucknow University and Ram Kishore, Secretary of the Academy.
Role of Urdu in the 1857 Ghadar
Maulana Mohammed Ali Johar Foundation organised a seminar on May 10, 2008 on “the role of the Urdu language in the War of Independence of 1857” at Johar Foundation, Ameenabad, Lucknow.
Rizwan Faruqi inaugurated the Seminar. On this occasion, Dr. Masoodul Hassan Usmani said that Urdu’s rich history encompasses many histories of the Ghadar of 1857. Urdu was a language that was capable of uniting the people and after 1857 the British conspired to undermine this language. The history of 1857 was also obscured so that the Indian people would not be able to come together to challenge the British rule. Unless the role of Urdu Madaris and Ullema is honestly assessed, 1857 and the subsequent history will be incomplete. The role of Urdu also did not end in 1857, but has continued in different forms and will continue in the future.
Prof Malikjada Manjoor Ahmed said that while the warriors of the War of Independence had to face a lot of difficulties, the writers and poets played the role of providing them with encouragement and enthusiasm.
Chaudhuri Sharaffudin said that thousands were sent to the gallows and hundreds were sent to Kala Paani. Rahmat Lucknavi said that the poets imbued the people with a vision of freedom. In this context, Mirza Ghalib also played an important role.
Advocate Ram said that in the 1857 struggle, Hindus and Muslims fought together and it is worth keeping this tradition alive. Maulana Yahya Momani (Joint Editor, Al Furqahn) said that the whole edifice of 1857 stood on the foundation of Urdu. 1857 and Urdu are related to each other like flesh and bones.
Rights activist Bijju Nayak said that the Urdu language is the product of the Indian soil. During the colonial period, Eurocentric views were imposed on education, languages, culture, politics, economics and science. We need to develop the Indian thought material. Only by breaking with the colonial legacy will we be able to achieve true freedom. Secondly, referring to the main slogan of the 1857 Ghadar, “We are her masters, Hindostan is ours”, he said that this slogan shows the desire of the Indians to take their destiny in their own hands. The 1857 struggle was brutally crushed. To this date, Indians are struggling to put the slogan in practice. That is why we say Ghadar Jari Hai.
Dr. Pramod Kumar, professor of modern history said that the Kala Paani punishment was only started after 1857. However, an accurate list of all the people who were sent to Kala Paani has not been prepared.
Yaseem Haider, Rafat Saida Siddhiqui, Saif Babar, Mansoor Parwana, Maulana Istefaul Hasan Nadvi, Aftab Asar Tandvi, Kunvar Khurshid Muhani, Mausoof Khan, Jamshed Rehman, Advocate M. S. Haseeb, Mohammed Rashid Hasiri, Sayyad Ahmed Kirmani also presented their views. In the end, Mohammed Waseem Siddiqui and Jamshed Kirmani thanked the participants.