Tuesday 31 March 2015

Two lectures on Bhagat Singh in Bangalore-22-23rd March 2015

First lecture was organised by young IT activists from Bhagat Singh Study Circle forum on 22nd March at 4.30 pm. Audience turned up in time. Retd.Justice Nagmohan Das of Karnatka High Court was another speaker. The theme was Bhagat Singh's idea of Independent India. Sambha Bhagat, famous cultural activist from Mumbai was also present, he presnted revolutionary songs with his group. Ai Bhagat Singh Tu Zinda hia.....Kabir Kala Manch's popular song sung by Sheetal Sathe was sung twice. 
2nd lecture was at Aziz Premji University on 23rd March, it was organised by Historian Prof. Bhupender Yadav, more number of students and faculty than expected turned up for lecture and remained attentive for two hours with lively discussion as well It was very satisfying lecture tour. There has been enhanced interest in Bhagat Singh's personality and ideas this year everywhere. Earlier on 6-7th March, two lectures were held in Chennai and Thiruvarur in interior south. Two more lectures in Punjab at Longowal village and Panjab University Chandigarh in March. The last lecture in March again was to remember Ghadarite martyr Kanshi Ram Marauli at his village on martyrdom centenary on 27th March, refrence to Bhagat Singh was inevitable, as he wrote a sketch of Kanshi ram in Chand fansi issue.
Prior to moving to Aziz Premji University, had luncheon meeting with C P Naraynan, CPM member of Rajya Sabha (MP), from Kerala at Dr. Chatterjee home, who is active in People's Science movement since decades and had visited Sangrur in Punjab during Gian Bharat Gyan Vigyan SamitiJatha march.

Monday 30 March 2015

भगत सिंह को पीली पगड़ी किसने पहनाई?-Who distorted Bhagat Singh's real picture and ideas?


English translation of BBC post:

Politics of Changing looks of Bhagat Singh’s face
                              
    I have in my collection more than two hundred photographs of monuments of Bhagat Singh, which includes photographs of statues, his displayed photographs in books/journals/offices etc. These photographs are clicked from different parts of India and abroad, including Mauritius, Fiji, USA, Canada etc. More than ninety percent of these photographs are his famous and most popular photograph with hat, which was clicked by photographer Sham Lal of Kashmere gate Delhi on 3rd April 1929. Sham Lal’s statement in this regard is part of Lahore Conspiracy case proceedings. But for the last few years and this year even more, there has been a competition among media, particularly electronic media to distort Bhagat Singh’s real picture/photographs and present his face with distorted yellow turbaned painting by unknown painter/s.
    There are four real photographs of Bhagat Singh(Attached in file), which were taken at 1. About 11 years, sitting on chair at home in white clothes; 2. Of about sixteen years in a drama group of National College Lahore with white Kurta Pyjama and white turban; 3. Sitting at a cot with open hair without turban in somewhat dishevelled shape of about twenty years in 1927, a police officer in civil clothes is interrogating him, sitting on chair and 4. The last photograph as mentioned above of little less than 22 years taken at Delhi. No other photograph has been found yet either in family or in govt.;jai/court records. How come that not his real, but imagined/distorted painting based photograph becomes viral on electronic media?
         Till seventies, it was Bhagat Singh with hat photograph, which remained viral anywhere and everywhere in India and abroad. It is only in seventies that the distortions/disfiguring of Bhagat Singh’s facial look began. Incidentally, not only in India, nowhere in world, there could be such disfiguring of a historic personality’s face in such brazen manner as has been done with Bhagat Singh’s face. Punjab Government, some political groups of Punjab are primarily responsible for committing this blasphemy with Bhagat Singh’s real face, if one could use this term in dealing with secular personalities!
    On 23rd March 1965, when then home minister of India Y.B.Chavan, laid a foundation stone of Bhagat Singh-Rajguru-Sukhdev memorial at Hussainiwala near Ferozepur, which has been now turned into an annual ritualistic place for most of the parties/leaders to visit and hypocritically garland the statues, while suppressing the ideas for which they sacrificed their lives.
     In fact, the real reason of disfiguring Bhagat Singh’s face and turning him into statue with distorted painting, under which his revolutionary ideas are buried by ruling parties of India, is to keep youth and the people away from his ideas, while exploiting common people’s love and respect for the supreme martyrs for their vote catching agenda! U K Based Punjabi poet Amarjit Chandan has reproduced Khatkar Kalan statue photograph of 1973, where then chief minister of Punjab, Giani Zail Singh, who later became President of India is garlanding Bhagat Singh statue with hat, Kultar Singh, younger brother of Bhagat Singh is looking. M S Gill, who later became Central minister, used to take pride in saying that ‘he is the one who got turban and Kada(Iron bracelet-a Sikh sign) put on the statue’! One can easily see the design here-to turn socialist revolutionary atheist Bhagat Singh into a symbol of ‘Sikh hero’! In these very days, Bhagat Singh’s revolutionary writings, which were in print since 1924 in different magazines/journals, started getting published into booklet/book forms, revealing the revolutionary thinker personality of the hero! By eighties, major collections of Bhagat Singh came into print in Hindi, Punjabi and English with introduction of eminent historian like Prof. Bipan Chandra, proving him to be an enlightened Socialist/Marxist thinker. That alarmed the rightist religious fundamentalist groups/parties in Indian society. Since India is still not in a stage of educational/intellectual development of common people, whereby people could decide/think/imagine historic personalities on the basis of their writings, it was easy to stuff their minds with disfigured/distorted images of Bhagat Singh’s face with yellow turban, pistol in hand or with a bomb, with apparent admiration for their ‘bravery’/ ‘patriotism’! That is what is being conspired to suppress the libratory ideas of a great international thinker revolutionary by focusing on his disfigured/distorted face with aggressive media blitzkrieg!

·         Chaman Lal is retired Professor from Jawaharlal Nehru University(JNU), New Delhi and editor of  Documents/Writings of Bhagat Singh, also author of few books on him in Hindi, Punjabi and English, which have been translated in Urdu, Marathi and Bengali.


भगत सिंह को पीली पगड़ी किसने पहनाई?
चमन लालरिटायर्ड प्रोफ़ेसर, जेएनयू, दिल्ली
·         29 मार्च 2015
भगत सिंह, पीली पगड़ी और दाढ़ी में तस्वीर
मेरे पास भगत सिंह से जुड़ी 200 से ज़्यादा तस्वीरें हैं. इनमें उनकी प्रतिमाओं के अलावा किताबों और पत्रिकाओं में छपी और दफ़्तर वगैरह में लगी तस्वीरें शामिल हैं. ये तस्वीरें भारत के अलग अलग कोनों के अलावा मारिशस, फिजी, अमरीका और कनाडा जैसे देशों से ली गई हैं.
इनमें से ज़्यादा तस्वीरें भगत सिंह की इंग्लिश हैट वाली चर्चित तस्वीर है, जिसे फ़ोटोग्राफ़र शाम लाल ने दिल्ली के कश्मीरी गेट पर तीन अप्रैल, 1929 को खींची थी. इस बारे में शाम लाल का बयान लाहौर षडयंत्र मामले की अदालती कार्यवाही में दर्ज है.
लेकिन पिछले कुछ वर्षों से मीडिया, खासकर इलेक्ट्रॉनिक मीडिया में भगत सिंह की वास्तविक तस्वीरों को बिगाड़ने की मानो होड़ सी मच गई है. मीडिया में बार-बार भगत सिंह को किस अनजान चित्रकार की बनाई पीली पगड़ी वाली तस्वीर में दिखाया जा रहा है.
पढ़ें लेख विस्तार से
भगत सिंह की वास्तविक तस्वीरेंभगत सिंह (बाएँ से दाएँ)11 साल, 16 साल, 20 साल और क़रीब 22 साल की उम्र की तस्वीरें. (सभी तस्वीरें चमन लाल ने उपलब्ध कराई हैं.)
भगत सिंह की अब तक ज्ञात चार वास्तविक तस्वीरें ही उपलब्ध हैं.
पहली तस्वीर 11 साल की उम्र में घर पर सफ़ेद कपड़ों में खिंचाई गई थी.
दूसरी तस्वीर तब की है जब भगत सिंह क़रीब 16 साल के थे. इस तस्वीर में लाहौर के नेशनल कॉलेज के ड्रामा ग्रुप के सदस्य के रूप में भगत सिंह सफ़ेद पगड़ी और कुर्ता-पायजामा पहने हुए दिख रहे हैं.
तीसरी तस्वीर 1927 की है, जब भगत सिंह की उम्र क़रीब 20 साल थी. तस्वीर में भगत सिंह बिना पगड़ी के खुले बालों के साथ चारपाई पर बैठे हुए हैं और सादा कपड़ों में एक पुलिस अधिकारी उनसे पूछताछ कर रहा है.
चौथी और आखिरी इंग्लिश हैट वाली तस्वीर दिल्ली में ली गई है तब भगत सिंह की उम्र 22 साल से थोड़ी ही कम थी.
इनके अलावा भगत सिंह के परिवार, कोर्ट, जेल या सरकारी दस्तावेज़ों से उनकी कोई अन्य तस्वीर नहीं मिली है.
आखिर क्यों?
वाईबी चव्हाण, भगत सिंह की प्रतिमा का शिलान्यास करते हुएवाईबी चव्हाण, भगत सिंह की प्रतिमा का शिलान्यास करते हुए. (तस्वीर चमन लाल ने उपलब्ध करवाई है.)
आख़िरकार, भगत सिंह की काल्पनिक और बिगाड़ी हुई तस्वीर इलेक्ट्रानिक मीडिया में वायरल कैसे हो गई?
1970 के दशक तक देश हो या विदेश, भगत सिंह की हैट वाली तस्वीर ही सबसे अधिक लोकप्रिय थी. सत्तर के दशक में भगत सिंह की तस्वीरों को बदलने सिलसिला शुरू हुआ.
भगत सिंह जैसे धर्मनिरपेक्ष शख्स के असली चेहरे को इस तरह प्रदर्शित करने के लिए सबसे अधिक जिम्मेदार पंजाब सरकार और पंजाब के कुछ गुट हैं.
23 मार्च, 1965 को भारत के तत्कालीन गृहमंत्री वाईबी चव्हाण ने पंजाब के फ़िरोजपुर के पास हुसैनीवाला में भगत सिंह, सुखदेव और राजगुरु के स्मारक की बुनियाद रखी. अब यह स्मारक ज़्यादातर राजनेताओं और पार्टियों के सालाना रस्मी दौरों का केंद्र बन गई है.
विचारों से दूरी
भगत सिंह की तस्वीर
दरअसल भारत की सत्ताधारी पार्टियाँ भगत सिंह की बदली हुई तस्वीरों के साथ उन्हें एक प्रतिमा में बदलकर उसके नीचे उनके क्रांतिकारी विचारों को दबा देना चाहती हैं, ताकि देश के युवा और आम लोगों से उनसे दूर रखा जा सके.
ब्रिटेन में रहने वाले पंजाबी कवि अमरजीत चंदन ने वो तस्वीर शाया की है, जिसमें 1973 में खटकर कलाँ में पंजाब के उस समय के मुख्यमंत्री और बाद में भारत के राष्ट्रपति बने ज्ञानी जैल सिंह भगत सिंह की हैट वाली प्रतिमा पर माला डाल रहे हैं. भगत सिंह के छोटे भाई कुलतार सिंह भी उस तस्वीर में हैं.
भारत के केंद्रीय मंत्री रहे एमएस गिल बड़े ही गर्व के साथ कहते सुने गए हैं कि उन्होंने ही प्रतिमा में पगड़ी और कड़ा जोड़ा था. यह समाजवादी क्रांतिकारी नास्तिक भगत सिंह को 'सिख नायक' के रूप में पेश करने की कोशिश थी.
क्रांतिकारी छवि
भगत सिंह
भगत सिंह के क्रांतिकारी लेख 1924 से ही विभिन्न अख़बारों, पत्रिकाओं में प्रकाशित होते रहे हैं. इस समय उनके लेख किताबों, पुस्तिकाओं, पर्चों वगैरह के रूप में छप रहे हैं, जिनसे इस नायक की क्रांतिकारी छवि उभर कर सामने आती है.
अस्सी के दशक तक भगत सिंह का लेखन हिंदी, पंजाबी और अंग्रेजी में छप चुका था, जिसकी भूमिका बिपिन चंद्रा जैसे प्रसिद्ध इतिहासकार ने लिखी थी.
उनके लेखन से यह प्रमाणित हो गया कि वो एक समाजवादी और मार्क्सवादी विचारक थे. इससे भारत के कट्टरपंथी दक्षिणपंथी धार्मिक समूहों के कान खड़े हो गए.
मीडिया की साज़िश?
भगत सिंह, सुखदेव, राजगुरु की प्रतिमाएँ
भगत सिंह को बहादुर और देशभक्त बताने के लिए उन्हें पीली पगड़ी में दिखाना ज्यादा आसान समझा गया.
यह उग्र मीडिया प्रचार के जरिए भगत सिंह की बदली गई छवि के ज़रिए एक अंतरराष्ट्रीय क्रांतिकारी विचारक के मुक्तिकामी विचारों को दबाने की साज़िश है.
(चमन लाल जवाहर लाल नेहरू विश्वविद्यालय, दिल्ली के सेवानिवृत्त प्रोफ़ेसर हैं. उन्होंने भगत सिंह के सम्पूर्ण दस्तावेजों का संपादन किया है. वो हिन्दी, पंजाबी और अंग्रेजी में भगत सिंह पर किताबें लिख चुके हैं जिनका उर्दू, मराठी और बांग्ला इत्यादि में अनुवाद हो चुका है.)

Sunday 29 March 2015

Lecture on Bhagat Singh at IIT Madras-7-3-2015

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Updated 4 seconds ago
Ambedkar-Periyar discussion forum and IIT for society-two student groups organised this lecture on 7th March at IIT Madras. It was pleasant experience to talking to IITians! Some more photographs of IIT Madras campus also posted!

Thursday 19 March 2015

Lectures on Bhagat Singh at Central University of Tamilnadu(CUTN) Thiruvarur-6th March 2015

I was invited by IIT Madras students to deliver lecture on Bhagat Singh's ideas. Central University of Tamilnadu, based at Thiruvarur also wished me to speak there on Bhagat Singh as well as on Comparative Literature&Translation to their students. Prof. K Nachimuthu, my former colleague and friend at Centre of Indian Languages, JNU, is heading Tamil dept. at CUTN. An eminent Tamil writer gifted his Tamil epic on Bhagat Singh to me on that occasion. I gifted my two books to CUTN, received by Prof. K NachimuthuActing Vice Chancellor of the University also came for the lecture held on 6th March, which was followed by discussion.


Relevance of Bhagat Singh's Ideas-Lecture at Longowal-15th March 2015

Desh Bhagat Yaadgar Committee invited me to speak on above theme. It was a meeting of left leaning activists. Longowal is known for its Praja Mandal-All India People's Movement activist Bhagwan Singh Longowalia, who fought against Feudal Patiala state under Bhupinder Singh and against British colonialism. Lecture was presided over by DIET Sangrur Principal, Ghanshyam Joshi and Dr. Bhiminder Singh. Balbir Chand Longowal conducted the proceedings. Spoke for nearly two hours ,followed by lively discussion Later visited Bhagwan Singh Longowalia's ancestral home and Comrade Vidyadev Longowal statue in once known as biggest village of Punjab, now a town!

Bhagat Singh Memorial Lecture-Panjab University Chandigarh-16-3-2015

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Updated about a minute ago
This year I was invited to deliver Bhagat Singh Memorial lecture by Political Science Dept. of Panjab University Chandigarh on 16th March 2015. I spoke on Bhagat Singh's understanding of law and jurisprudence, followed by discussion. Prof. Bhupinder Brar, former DUI, chaired the lecture, while Dr. Pumpa Mukhrejee Chairperson of Dept. welcomed. Prof. Ronki Ram, Bhagat Singh Chair Professor also spoke. Some photographs of the occasion.

Bhagat Singh di Ghori



Updated 4 minutes ago
This Ghori, a popular folk singing form, of Bhagat Singh was published from Jalandhar, year not known. I was given its photocopy by a friend, which I scanned and posted on Bhagatsinghstudy.blog. There were lot of complaints about its readibility bad quality. Now I have tried to rescan and put some brightness to pages with the hope it becomes readable now.! Though in Persian script, Ghori is in Punjabi language!


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23rd March-Martyrdom day&Birth anniversary day!

23rd March is not only martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh-Rajguru&Sukhdev, it is also birth anniversary of martyr Hemu Kalani from Sindh, who was executed on 21st January 1943 at the age of 2o years. 23rd March is also birth anniversary of Ram Manohar Lohia and Harkishan Singh Surjeet, eminent Indian personalities!
Interestingly Hemu Kalani's portrait became part of Central parliamentary Hall, courtesy Lal Krishn Advani in 2003, but Bhagat Singh portrait is not allowed in that Hall, where Gandhi and Savarkar's portraits hang together-the one accused of Gandhi assasination!

Wednesday 18 March 2015

Bhagat Singh in Indian Literature-Ghori by Mela Ram Tayar-1932



Remembering Raghuvir Singh Khanna-Nagpur



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Raghuvir Singh Khanna has been an institute in himself-an example of dedication to revolutionary cause and selflessness. He was a professional engineer, but left his lucarative job to dedicate himself to publish revolutionaries related literature from Nagpur by establishing Vishav Bharti Prakashan. He published Muktibodh's school prescribed but later banned text book-Bharat:Itihas aur Sanskriti! He fought court case on it. He also published Jitender Sanyal's banned biography of Bhagat Singh, in 1946, when ban was lifted from it. Later on Muktibodh and Sanyal's books many editions have come up. He also published Sukhdev Raj's Jab Jyoti Jagi for first time. He established Bhagat Singh Vichar Manch in Nagpur and all comrades of Bhagat Singh visited him, whenever they were in Nagpur. He was the one who discovered Kundan Lal Gupt, comrade of Bhagat Singh who prefered to live in anonymity for many years, after coming out of jail, a monograph on him was published by Khanna ji. Everytime I visited Nagpur, I visited his modest office-cum residence of Vishav Bharti prakashan in Sita Bardi. He passed away after brief illness on 8th January at his sister's place in Jabalpur, where he arrived a few minutes ago with her from Nagpur. Most shocking was that for more than two months, I had no information. Only on 13th March, got an sms from a friend Dr. Raghuvir Singh of Palwal, informing me of this sad news. At his invitation, I delivered lecture on Bhagat Singh in Nagpur in September 2013, of which some photographs shared in a albume then. Here his interview with Basant Tripathi and his photograph and few old photographs are being posted as a tribute to 89 years old Khanna ji! I remember him fondly and pay my tributes! He did not marry and lived alone in a small room near his book shop! Pushpender Pushpendra Phalgun's write on his blog also attached as link here
http://pushpendrafalgun.blogspot.in/2011/03/blog-post.html

Remembering Martyr Sewa Singh Thikriwala

This album contains my article in Punjabi on the martyr from my book Inqlabi Itihas de Sunehri Panne. Other photographs are from Thikriwala village, birth place of the martyr, where school is named after him and statues are built in his memory. I visited the village in August 2014.

Tuesday 17 March 2015

Some Book and Journal issues on Chandershekhar Azad-On martyrdom

These are some of book titles and Journal issues on great martyr Chandershekhar Azad, whose martyrdom day fall today 27th February 1931. To pay tributes! Some other rare photos like Azad's handwriting too


Women Revolutionaries of Bengal-1900-1947

Updated on Friday
These photographs of women revolutionaries were clicked at West Bengal archives exhibition on Women revolutionaries of Bengal in February 2015.This is belated tributes to international women day-8th March!
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