If one travels around India, one would find many such libraries, which were established during freedom struggle to spread consciousness of national movement against British colonialism Not only libraries, many national schools and colleges were established to provide alternative education with stress on national heritage. Dwarka Dass Library and National college Lahore were some such institutions established during 1920's. Kashi Vidyapeeth Benaras and another in Ahmedabad were also such. In my own town Rampura Phul in Bathinda district of Punjab, Public Library was established by people active in national movement.If any one institution can be given credit my my mental liberation from traditional yokes of thought, I will name Public Library Rampura Phul, though later in life, I have got the chance to know some of the best libraries of the world like Nehru Memorial Museum and Library to Indian Institute of Advanced Study Library Shimla. Marwari Library in Delhi and many more are shining examples of library movement in India.
This time I visited Begusarai district of Bihar to deliver lectures on Bhagat Singh and Dr. Ambedkar on 13th and 14th April,These were hot days, but pleasant part of the whole trip was to visit two libraries established by democratic movement. One Viplav Pustkalaya, Godhargaon near Begusarai and another comrade Chandershekhar smark pustkalaya Beehat village near Brauni town, close to Begusarai.While Viplav Pustkalaya(Rebellious Library) in Godhargaon was established in 1986 by Communist Party of India(CPI), so was Com. Chandershekhar memorial library in Beehat recently. On my way back to Patna, saw one such library in Fatuha town established in 1944.
Libraries play a major role in spreading consciousness among people in small towns and villages for changing the society.Knowledge is the most effective tool to prepare people for change and libraries provide space for that.For leftist movement in any Asian country, perhaps elsewhere too, establishing libraries and providing good books and infra structure there, is the task of democratic movement.Ghadar party activists established Desh Bhagat yadgar Hall and library in Jalandhar in 1960's. Shiv Verma, close comrade of Bhagat Singh and life convict in that case established Shaheed Smark library in Lucknow in a college and school run by Durga Bhabhi. Thakur Ram Singh another revolutionary comrade of that movement, who passed away at the age of 104 years at Agra recently, established Bhagat Singh memorial library in Agra. Even some good intentioned Police officers established Paash Library in police lines Karnal in Haryana in memory of slain policemen by Khalistanis.
At Beehat village in Bhagat Singh memorial function I spoke about Jallianawala Bagh's Khooni Baisakhi(Bloody Baisakhi of 1919), along with talking about Bhagat singh's philosophy of national liberation. I announced there that I am committing my royalty on 10 plus books on revolutionary freedom movement in Hindi, Punjabi and English to these 6-7 libraries established in memory of revolutionaries. It was a simple gathering of five hundred plus ordinary working people of the area, including some women, who listened to me for more than one hour in pin drop silence.They later expressed the desire that they wanted to listen me more. It was my 41st lecture in memory of Bhagat Singh, starting from 2006, 75th martyrdom anniversary of Bhagat Singh. It seems that kind of narrative style I had developed during this period, goes well with the audience in villages, towns and big cities as well.
Next day in the same place, I spoke on Dr. Ambedkar memorial function organized by same Student Club of Beehat ,under influence of CPI.Here I spoke on the need of inter caste and inter religious marriages at wide level as task of democratic movement to weed out the poison of casteism and communalism from society, which was the advise of Dr. Ambedkar as well Chandereshwari Singh, President of Bihar AITUC was the spirit behind these functions.Though with CPI, he seems to be quite radical. Photographs of Che Guvera were on display along with Indian revolutionaries photos and he spoke also about Che Guvera feelingly. Shatrughan Prasad, two times CPI member Parliament from the area was also present and in fact, he took me to Viplav Library Godargaon later. He had earlier invited me to Patna in year 2007 or 08 in a big function attended by Com A.B.Bardhan, Gen. Secretary of CPI.
In Viplav Library Godhargaon, statue of Bhagat Singh welcomes you at the entry. At the square towards library, a huge full size statue of Chandershekhar Azad has come up recently.In adjoining building, statue of Prem Chand and poet Meera Bai is there.Collection of books and pictures of writers is fantastic in the library. Many eminent personalities have visited this library if far flung area of Bihar. Bihar has better reading habits than all other states of North India and among Hindi or Urdu speaking states.
I shall attach some photographs of libraries later to this note or in a separate album.
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