Vishav Bharti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 22

How did Bhagat Singh and BR Ambedkar perceive each other?This question has been asked to chroniclers of the freedom movement a thousand times. But the finding of a piece written by Ambedkar, which was published after Bhagat Singh and his comrades’ execution, gives a new dimension to the whole issue.In an editorial by Ambedkar published in Janata on April 13, 1931, he had argued that Bhagat Singh and his comrades were hanged in deference to public opinion in England.Prof Chaman Lal, a former teacher at Jawaharlal Nehru University, said the journey to find this editorial started in 2006 during a private visit to Chennai where he found a wonderful editorial written on the hangings by freedom fighter Periyar on March 29.“I started browsing Ambedkar’s writings to ascertain whether the latter had written something on Bhagat Singh and his comrades. I could also not find anything in 25 volumes of collected works,” he said.Then on January 30, Subodh More, a grandson of RB More, sent me the original Marathi version of the editorial. “I requested Anand Teltumbde to translate it in English,” Prof Lal said. The editorial was published in English early this month.He said, “The editorial has great value when the youth is in an uproar and the way ahead lies in the combination of the ideas of Bhagat Singh and Ambedkar.”Teltumbde, the English translator of the editorial and Mumbai-based social activist in his introduction to the translation says, “The relevance of the ideas of Bhagat Singh and Ambedkar is growing. How did they perceive each other? There is no evidence of either of them saying anything about the other. However, we do know that Bhagat Singh had grappled with the Dalit question. He had written an article titled Achoot Samasya (Problem of Untouchability) at the age of 16, but it still has freshness and reflects the amazing maturity of thought to be relevant for the struggle of Dalits. Ambedkar did not write on the revolutionary movement of Bhagat Singh but has written an editorial note — Three Victims — when they were hanged. Though it does not speak about their struggle, much less politics, it explains how their execution was influenced by political expediency back home.”Ludhiana-based nephew of martyr Prof Jagmohan Singh, says, “This editorial answers several questions. Both of them were very important figures of the freedom struggle. It has historical significance due to two reasons, one is that when a law luminary like Ambedkar says that the three youngsters were sacrificed to please public opinion, it holds a great meaning,” said Singh.The second significance, he says, is that Bhagat Singh and his compatriots his never appealed for mercy from the court.

Extract from editorial

• “In sum, merely not to incur anger of the conservatives in England, they sacrificed Bhagat Singh and his comrades ignoring public opinion and not minding what would happen to the Gandhi-Irwin pact. The government must remember, howsoever it tries to cover it up or polish it; it will never be able to hide this fact.” —BR Ambedkar

Airport yet to be named after martyr

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, March 22

Even as the state BJP leadership had claimed last week that the international airport at Chandigarh would be named after Bhagat Singh before his martyrdom day, no official declaration for the same came till this evening, a day before the commemorative event.BJP state president Kamal Sharma, who had issued the statement after a meeting with Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Dr Mahesh Sharma, said, “I am hopeful it will be done in a day or so. It has probably taken time since the issue involves the Centre and two state governments. In any case, the Central government has agreed in principle. I will take an update from Dr Sharma again.”“The work on installation of Amar Jawan Jyoti at Hussainiwala is being done,” said Sharma.The district administration will ply special buses from Rahon, Nawanshahr, Mukandpur, Banga and Garhshankar to facilitate participation of the people of the area in the rally tomorrow, he said. Deputy CMSukhbir Badal will hold a rally at the site tomorrow.

 

This Yamunanagar village has martyrs’ temple

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Tribune News Service

Yamunanagar, March 22

Heroes of freedom struggle, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, are remembered on March 23 every year, but in Rao village of the district, they are paid homage and saluted every day.The villagers, under the banner of the Anti Corruption Society (ACS), have raised a martyrs’ temple in the village, elevating them to a status of demigod. In the Inquilab Temple are installed statues of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru, Udham Singh and Lala Lajpat Rai. Here, villagers assemble daily to pay them their respects.“Besides holding special programme on the occasion of the Martyrs’ Day, we pay homage to the great heroes of our nation every day,” said Waryam Singh, state president of ACS. It was he who rooted the idea of constructing a temple in the memory of the freedom fighters.Waryam Singh said, “When I was studying in Class X in 2000, I watched the movie, ‘Shahid’ at a cinema. The movie impressed me so much that I decided to do something in the memory of our martyrs. We started the construction work of the temple at Rao village in 2007. The construction work of the temple is still going on”Surinder Sharma, member, ACS, said, “Members of the society and villagers clean the idols every evening before paying them homage.”