Prof Harish Puri, Retired Professor, B R Ambedkar Chair, Department of Political Science, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar delivering key note address at the seminar to commemorate the martyrs of Kakori case organised by the Social Thinkers Forum and Lok Sahit Manch jointly at Punjabi Bhawan at Ludhiana on Thursday.
Ludhiana, December 19, 2013: Prof Harish Puri, Retired Professor, B R Ambedkar Chair, Department of Political Science, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar while delivering key note address at the seminar to commemorate the martyrs of Kakori case organised by the Social Thinkers Forum and Lok Sahit Manch jointly here at Punjabi Bhawan today, said it is a fitting tribute to the martyrs of the Kakori Conspiracy Case of 19 December to commemorate it as the Qaumi Ekta Divas and to pledge to build an India of the vision of great revolutionaries.
He added four of the prominent revolutionaries, Ram Prasad Bismal, Ashfaqullah Khan, Rajinder Lahiri and Thakur Roshan Singh were hanged on this day in 1927 for their sterling patriotism. Bismil a Hindu Arya Samajist and Ashfaqullah, a devout God- fearing Muslim; one carrying the holy Gita in hand and the other the holy Quran, symbolised in their highest sacrifice their mutual love and dedication to the motherland. They were members of the Hindustan Republican Association of which Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Chandra Shekhar Azad were prominent members. A whole stream of revolutionaries belonging to the Ghadar Party, the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association, Bhagat Singh’s Naujwan Bharat Sabha Sabha and the INA of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose dedicated their lives for their vision of Free India’s unity in diversity, inclusiveness and social emancipation.
Unfortunately, he said, despite the efforts of leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, the mainstream national movement failed to be inclusive enough. The Freedom came with the Partition of India and an unparalleled scale of communal massacres between the Hindu, Muslim and Sikh communities. Gandhi was defeated and killed by communal bigotry. The Constitution of India adopted in 1949 was a resolve made in the name of the People of India to construct and strengthen the unity of India through inclusive measures of social and economic development, liberty, equality, fraternity and social justice. But, as we witness today, the reality has been very different and frustrating. The path of economic development has produced greater inequality and exclusion of the marginalised and the poor. He further said that our society is riddled with more bigotry, hatreds and readiness for violence. Muzaffarnagar riot in UP was the latest in the series of organised communal violence after Delhi 1984, Bombay 1992 and Gujarat 2002. It is a reminder of our collective failure --- the failure of the Government of India and governments of the states on the one hand and of the social and political institutions of our society, on the other. Let us reflect today upon what needs to be done urgently at different levels and resolve to play our proactive role in building trust and hope for creating a good and caring society. That alone can strengthen the unity of India and that alone may be our honest tribute to the great revolutionary martyrs of India.
Dr Arun Mitra, convener of the Forum narrated the experience of their visit to Muzaffarnagar where communal riots were engineered that led to death of 50 people and later death of 50 children in the make shift camps. Only a collective effort can rebut the efforts of such communal and divisive forces which are active even today 67 years after independence.
Mitter Sen Meet, General Secretary Lok Sahit Manch cautioned that the intelligentsia has to come forward to defend the vision of the revolutionaries.
Kartar Singh Bowani called upon the people to learn from history and to put inn all out effort to defeat the designs of communal and divisive forces and to work for equitable inclusive growth.
Artists of Beehive Group presented a choreography on the occasion. Mannder Singh Bhatia compeered the stage.
Ramesh Rattan, D.P.Maur, Dr. Rajinder Pal Singh Aulakh, Maj(Retd) Sher Singh Aulakh, Gurcharan Kaur Kocher, Dr.Narjit Kaur, Dr. Gulzar Singh Pandher, Ranjit Singh, and Inderjit Singh Sodhi were among those present.// ludhiana news online, ludhiana news in English, ludhiana news, ludhiana current news, ludhiana news live, Ludhiana breaking news, Ludhiana headlines, Ludhiana latest news, punjab news, india news, punjab news live, punjab news online, punjab news, punjab news headlines, punjab breaking news, india news, punjab news,