The Bhagat Singh Reader

                Fulfilment of a mission in life

     As The Bhagat Singh Reader appeared in print by 13^th April 2019 from HarperCollins India, it gave me the greatest satisfaction in life, ironically at the age of 71+ years. Had this satisfaction come a few years before in 50+ age, perhaps I could have enjoyed this satisfaction a bit longer. Still, it is fine. Last year on 23^rd March 2018, setting up of Bhagat Singh Archives and Resource Centre in Delhi Archives, Delhi has also given me great satisfaction, though some irritation also, but with the publication of this volume and with archives functioning has completed my mission in life to promote the ideas of Bhagat Singh, which has now reached at a higher level!

         When Rajkamal Prakashan brought out Bhagat Singh aur Unke Sathiyon ke Dastavez in 1986, 33 years ago, and at the beginning of my academic career in Punjabi University Patiala, I did not think that I will make it a mission in my life to work further on collecting Bhagat Singh’s writings and finally bringing out it in from some reputed international publisher in English. In 2004, I came out with Bhagat Singh ke Sampuran Dastavez from Aadhar Prakashan Panchkula, while still serving Punjabi University Patiala at that time. But there was no such excitement at that publication and after joining JNU in the year 2005 beginning, I took to pay more attention towards collecting more material and documents of, and on Bhagat Singh, it led to the publication of complete documents from Publication division of Govt. of India, during Bhagat Singh birth centenary in 2007 in Hindi, still I was not excited so much. Though by that time I had signed an agreement with Penguins India to bring out The Bhagat Singh Reader by 2009 in English. Despite being happy and excited with this, somehow, I did not pay much attention and remained engaged in JNU Teachers Association (JNUTA) activities as its President in the year 2007 and remained occupied being Chairperson of Centre of Indian Languages (CIL) during 2008-10. Then got an offer of being Visiting Professor in the University of the West Indies in Trinidad, I thought that I would complete the task during this period. But the temptation to visit countries around took priority and on return in 2012 beginning, did start paying attention to Bhagat Singh Reader. In the meantime, Penguins management changed and it started cancelling long pending contracts. Wendy Doniger book was pulped by Penguins in this period. Still, a further rise of Modi even before coming to power started changing the scene of the publishing world. I finally submitted the manuscript by September 2013, but it did not find favour with the publisher and they cancelled the contract. It was greatly disappointing. I was so upset that I wrote to many friends in anguish about it, then Oxford University Press took an interest, but they dragged feet. Finally, V K Karthika, who was the first to accept it for Penguins, again came forward from HarperCollins India and by the time she could assign an editor for it, she joined Westland! But HarperCollins new editor Udyan Mitra and Shantanu Gupta formalized and Prema Govindan was appointed an editor to deal with the manuscript and the target for 23^rd March 2019 was decided. The contract was signed even on better terms from Penguins and again felt excited and started working on manuscript once again. This time I tried to remove the earlier flaws and made the mss compact, though it became larger too. Though in delayed publication, the more and more newly found documents could be added, one document was added in March 2019 itself. The number of documents has reached 130, whereas in 2007 Publication division edition, it was only 100. The publisher was ready to publish a larger volume. The first three months of the year 2019 were mostly devoted to editing the mss from editors and myself helping in the process, as the matter was huge and from editing point of view, quite complicated.

      The title was made and the book was announced around 23^rd March in media, the date was given 28^th March. But there were many errors still and I took to correct these, still one or two minor errors did go in the print edition, which is promised to be corrected in the next edition. Checked on amazon.uk, I found UK edition of the book has been announced for March 2020 and its advance sale is already on. Though Kindle edition has been made available world over and its priced much lower than any other book of this size, nearly 700 pages. In fact, print price is also kept much lower as I wished from the publisher and it is being sold even at nearly 50% discount. Amazon.us is also offering the book at about 31 dollar price in print and 6 dollars for kindle edition. I wished maximum readers could buy this book, especially the youth and students, throughout the world. Book date was given 25^th April later, but it came on 13^th April eve, the hundredth anniversary of Jallianwala Bagh tragedy-a right occasion. I got the first copy in Delhi on 16^th April from the publisher and did some reading from it on the same day at Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts along with Kishwar Desai, who read from her book on Jallianwala Bagh. Book has been brought out beautifully, I wished to have its release function, but the publisher wants it after the elections.

     Incidentally around same time Publication Division also wished to bring out its 2007 documents edition in collaboration with Sasta Sahitya Mandal and I suggested to make it in three volumes and they accepted my proposal. I completed editing Hindi edition as well, which they thought they can bring out by 23^rd March. It may now come bit late; I have to go through the final typed manuscript to check errors. In the meantime, Publication Division updated Hindi edition in its Urdu edition in 2014, taking the documents to near completion so was its Marathi translation in 2016 edition. So, now the complete writings editions in English and Hindi both in the same year are a source of great satisfaction and joy. As Amarjit Chandan said it is ‘fulfilment of life’-Janam Safla Bhayia-

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/bhagat-singh-was-revolutionary-thinker-like-che-guevara-5685392/?fbclid=IwAR1j4l1xpZhKZsQBV8hKaKiNLO3jhsZKVRMAcubHM17Ag2WP1DUii3YJ4as

    Now what more I need to do? Even if nothing more is added in terms of publications, I can remain now satisfied with life. Yet I have a few more plans, if achieved, would add to my satisfaction with life.

1.     Editing of articles from Mainstream weekly on Bhagat Singh with Sumit Chakravarti, about which I had spoken to him a few times. The best articles on Bhagat Singh have been published in Mainstream and that can become the most authentic evaluation of Bhagat Singh.

2.     Another documentation-Bhagat Singh: Through Colonial and Nationalist Perspective. Documents from National Archives and NMML from colonial records and Indian leaders’ views can be put in contrast.

3.     Another volume on young revolutionaries-They Died Young for the Nation/Country-which can have sketches of Kartar Singh Sarabha, Khudiram Bose like young revolutionaries.

4.     My two books on Hindi literature and two volumes on Punjabi literature are pending publication. Now these may be taken up

5.     More importantly after setting up Bhagat Singh archives and securing long life for rare books and documents of freedom struggle, I do wish to gift my literature and other collection of books to some library. The first priority is my home town Public Library Rampura Phul, which created consciousness of literature and knowledge in me from my childhood, but they may not have space and utility. Second preference could be Central University of Punjab (CUP), Bathinda, where I taught for a year in post-retirement year 2014, and had earlier gifted books nearly 2000, which is my home district. Third preference could be my alumnus institutions either PU Chandigarh or JNU, New Delhi. Punjabi University Patiala could be another option, where I taught for nearly two decades before joining JNU in the last phase of my academic job. This task also must be completed in the next two years or so.  But I need to have assurance from any of these institutions,  accepting my gift, of proper care, space and my association with the institution for my lifetime.