A mammoth public function was held at Khatkarkalan, the hometown of Sardar Bhagat Singh, in Navanshahar, Punjab, to celebrate the birth centenary of the great freedom fighter, who sacrificed his life for the nation. It was indeed an unprecedented event in which thousands of men, women and children came from far off places.
The entire village wore a festive look with Shaheed Bhagat Singh'spictures and saffron flags. The function was organised by Shahid Bhagat Singh Birth Centenary Celebration Committee. Besides various writers, literary persons, mediapersons and leaders from various organisations, RSS Sarsanghachalak Shri K.S. Sudarshan, Punjab Prant Sanghachalak Shri Brijbhushan Singh Bedi, Swami Krishnanand, president of the birth centenary celebration committee Prof. Sardar Harmahender Singh Bedi, family member of Sardar Bhagat Singh Shri Sukhminder Singh Sanga also shared the dais. Shri Tarun Vijay, editor Panchajanya, and patron of the centenary celebration committee presided over the function.
A huge and marvellous dais was created at the ground provided by the Government of Punjab near the ancestral residence of Bhagat Singh. An impressive play was also staged by the Ludhiana Theatre Group on the life of Bhagat Singh. The patriotic presentation of the characters of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev thrilled the audience. In the beginning, Sarsanghachalak Shri K.S. Sudarshan went to see Bhagat Singh'sancestral house. He paid floral tribute at the statue of Bhagat Singh there. Prant Pracharak Shri Rameshwar, Kshetra Pracharak Shri Dinesh Chandra, Kshetra Pracharak Pramukh Shri Mahavir and Prant Karyavah Shri Vyasji also accompanied the Sarsanghachalak. The display of ghosh by 150 swayamsevaks of Punjab drew everybody'sattention. The ghosh team played the new tune ?Shahid Pranam?, prepared as a tribute to Bhagat Singh.
In his inspiring speech, the Sarsanghachalak gave detailed description of Bhagat Singh'slife and mission and called upon the people to take inspiration from his life. He said Bhagat Singh'smessage is more relevant today when the nation is facing grave onslaughts from foreign elements and a slave mindset of the Marxists and Macaulayists. He criticised the communist plot to appropriate Bhagat Singh'slegacy and cited various examples of how Bhagat Singh'sfamily was a devotedly religious one. ?His grand father Sardar Arjun Singh had received initiation in Arya Samaj by Maharishi Dayananda himself. He also wrote a book Veda'sand Shri Guru Granth Saheb'sCommon Message, for the good of the mankind. He said Bhagat Singh took inspiration from Veer Savarkar'sgreat book?1857 war of Independence, and had it published also. He was a great champion of Hindi and at the same time pleaded for Punjabi for Punjab rightly as was supported by Shri Guruji in the fifties,? he said.
The Sarsanghchalak appealed to the people to imbibe the spirit of patriotism and sacrifices for the sake of the nation and her cultural attributes and remain united to protect the country from the corrupt elements and from the spiritual and cultural onslaughts unleashed by the foreign powers in the form of ideologies like communism, Islamic fundamentalism and consumerism.
He called upon the people to initiate a new revolution following the ideals of Bhagat Singh. Coming down heavily on the violence unleashed by Marxists he said they are killing innocent women, children, old people in the name of revolution. Bhagat Singh never supported such violence. He said the communist governments have become the instrument in the hands of capitalist forces and are ordering firing on the peasants and labourers. The society that Bhagat Singh and his associates had dreamt could not be materialised so far. The day every person of the society have house, clothes, food, employment and education, the day the dreams of Bhagat Singh will come true,? he added.
Prof. Harmahender Singh Bedi, head of the Hindi Department in Guru Nanakdev University came down heavily on those who claim that Bhagat Singh was an atheist. ?The fact is that Bhagat Singh'sfamily was Arya Samaji and they used to recite Geeta every day,? he added. Prof. Laxmikanta Chawla, Health Minister of Punjab, paying tribute to the freedom fighters said the views of the martyrs are as relevant as they were at that time.
In his speech, Shri Tarun Vijay spoke at length on the message of Bhagat Singh'ssacrifice and said those who revere him should defeat the anti-national elements attacking Indian cultural icons like Ram Sethu. He said seeing the devotion and patriotism of RSS swayamsevaks one feels they are fulfilling the unfinished task of Bhagat Singh for a greater and stronger Bharat. He said those who worship Durga and bow their heads before Guru Govind Singh as the greatest ideal, should see to it that anti-national powers are not pardoned and are finally crushed.
The programme was named as ?Parnam Shaheedan Nu?. Prof. Harmahinder Singh Bedi informed that an impressive year long series of programmes to commemorate Bhagat Singh'sbirth centenary have been planned in every village and town of Punjab making it a biggest ever centenary celebration. Jain Muni Vinayji recited a patriotic poem. Swami Kalyan Teertha spoke about the need to inculcate values of patriotism and safeguarding family traditions in our homes. Prof. Laxmikanta Chawla proposed a vote of thanks. Punjab BJP Ministers Shri Manoranjan Kalia, Shri Tishan Sood and Chaudhary Swarna Ram, besides local MLAs Shri Jatinder Singh Kariha and Shri Mohan Lal Banga, were also present on the occasion. The Sarsanghachalak Shri Sudrashan also released the special issue of Pathik Sandesh. (FOC)
Comments