Bhagat Singh Study: January 2010

Sunday, 24 January 2010

Bhagat Singh playmate passes away in Lyallpur

Abdul Haque, a childhood playmate of Bhagat Singh in Chak no. 105,distt.Lyallpur,now Faislabad in Pakistan passed away last week.He was nearly 105 years old.Shehzad Aalm of Sanjhey Lok phoned today and gave this sad news.I was looking for his photograph,which he promised to send.He told that a video has already been made on him and I hope that shall also be available in some time. Last year Shehzad sent me photographs of Primary school of Bhagat Singh, also photographs of his birth house,which I also clicked in April 2007.Shehzad told about one Mai of nearby village,where Bhagat Singh used to take shelter in his underground days,about which no body talked about earlier.Mai also has passed away,I have requested the photographs of that house and also pictures of that family. Some photographs sent by Shehzad last year,now attached above-Primary school of Chak no.105,where Bhagat Singh studied and Beri in his birth house.

Shehzad also referred to the mangoes in Bhagat Singh family owned 17 acre mango garden. Though he picked mangoes to be sent to India,these got ripe so they had it.Some delegates are likely to visit Lyallpur Khalsa College Jalandhar on 6th February 2010 college function from the area of Bhagat Singh birth place.Bhagat Singh birth area people are planning to hold a function in Bhagat Singh's memory at Faislabad, new name for Lyallpur this year.Lyallpur historian Janab Waqar is also working on Bhagat Singh. Sibte Rizvi's old book in Urdu=Bhagat Singh Aur Unke Sathi- translation of Ajoy Ghosh memoirs of Bhagat Singh with leftist scholar activist Sibte Rizvi's introduction was published in Pakistan in early seventies,its new edition perhaps has come recently.So Bhagat Singh continues to live in the hearts of Pakistani people.People like Farhad Khan has named their lane as 'Bhagat Singh lane'.

Friday, 8 January 2010

Bradlagh Hall Lahore save campaign

Bradlaugh Hall was found out with much difficulty by me and Zubair in April 2007,everyone seems to have forgotten about this historic bulding after 1947,which is in diloapidated condition.Its outside appearance still seems to be grand but from inside it is in bad shape.The place which was locating National College during 1922-1926,where Bhagat Singh was a student,now locates some small technical training kind of institute,that too not well maintained.Surroundings are also not conducive even to reach the place.The Hall was constructed in honor of Charles Bradlaugh, Labour party member of British parliament, a socialist,who supported freedom struggle of India at that time.The condition of the building should make Pakistani and Indian peace and freedom loving activists and Pakistani aestheticians to come out in support of making it internationally protected heritage building.I wrote to President and Prime Minister of India during BHagat Singh centenary year(2007) to approach Pakistan Govt. to declare it heritage building and bring it under at least archeology deptt. of Pakistan Govt.,but as usual,when the Presidents/Prime Ministers have time for such aesthetic/cultural issues? Hope Indo-Paki peace meet in IIC Delhi on 10-12 January will take note of it and also National School of Art like important institutions of Lahore will pay attention to make awareness campaign to protect and preserve this historic politic-cultural-aesthetic building,which could be one of bridges of friendship and peace between Indian and Pakistani people