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Hindustan Times
11-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Unplanned solo trips can be food for soul
With 10% of battery charge left in my phone, I sat sulking at the Jalandhar bus stand. Bus operations to Chandigarh were to resume 10 hours later at 5pm. I wondered what to do with the time on hand. Last December, I had chosen to set myself free from the routine and went to visit a friend in Kapurthala. It was a one-day trip and I was supposed to return the next morning. We were having fun until the news of a Punjab bandh called by farmers from 9am to 6pm the next day flashed on TV. Hoping to dodge the protest, I decided to take the bus back to Chandigarh at 7am. My friend dropped me at the Jalandhar bus stand before heading to work in the misty morning. To my surprise, not a single bus was running. I waited an hour only to be told that there would be no bus service till the evening. Going back to Kapurthala didn't seem practical with my friend off to work. In the hurry to catch the morning bus, I had even forgotten the phone charger. Sitting at the bus stand was the last thing I wanted to do that winter morning. So, I made a call to another friend and asked him about the places I could visit in the city. Of all the places he mentioned, I chose to go to the Ghadar Movement Museum simply because it was a kilometre away from the bus stand. The museum building, painted in red and white, looked serene with hardly any visitors. On the left stood a bookshop and on entering the premises, I found a library with a few students studying in scattered corners. In the museum, I met Ravinder Kumari Kochhar, a lady in her late eighties, wearing a green scarf on her white hair. She gave me a guided tour of the museum, telling me about Kartar Singh Sarabha, Lala Har Dayal, and all prominent figures of the Ghadar Party, who had envisioned an independent country for their people, free of any discrimination and had sacrificed their life for the cause. Seeing the pictures of sacrifices, hardships and the Komagata Maru ship, there was a subtle realisation of what freedom had cost our forefathers. With much zeal, my elderly guide narrated the story behind each picture. Her voice was as vibrant as the red colour in a 'Ghadar di Gunj' poster. As she held my hand during the tour, she reminded me of my grandmother who would often take our support to climb stairs. The lady was compassionate enough to help me with the charger. As I put my phone to charge, she took me to her room on the first floor which was full of pictures of her family. On top of the wall stood a flag of the Communist party and a photo of Stalin. She told me how she had devoted her life to the nation and chosen not to marry. Having shown all the pictures, she took me to the cafeteria. The food was kept on the table, each person serving themselves and washing their plate afterwards. It was a simple meal that felt like home. The lady bid me adieu with a warm hug, and I left for my next destination, the Tripurmalini Shakti Peeth Temple. Like Harmandar Sahib, the temple is surrounded by water. I sat beside it, letting the still water seep calmness in me. Having watched the sunset, I made my way back to the bus stand. Gladly, buses had started plying and soon I was on my way home, wiser and more grateful. The writer is a correspondent with Hindustan Times, Chandigarh.
Hindustan Times
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana West bypoll: Arora faces criticism for forgetting name of freedom fighter
As campaigning continues for the Ludhiana West byelection that to be held on June 19, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate and Rajya Sabha member Sanjeev Arora is facing strong criticism from opposition parties for not remembering the full name of freedom fighter Kartar Singh Sarabha during a public speech. The incident happened on Saturday during an AAP public meeting held in Sarabha Nagar, a prominent area in Ludhiana named after Ghadar movement hero Kartar Singh Sarabha. Shopkeepers in the area have long demanded that the local market should be renamed in his honour. During an event, in which chief minister Bhagwant Mann was also present, MP Arora in his speech referred to the revolutionary as 'Shaheed Sarabha Singh', forgetting his full name — Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha — who was executed by the British at just 19 and admired by Bhagat Singh. A video of the speech has gone viral, showing MP Arora struggling to recall the name and being corrected by others on stage. MP Arora then said, 'I am sure CM saab will announce it soon and Sarabha's statue has already been ordered. It will be installed soon.' Following the video, opposition leaders sharply attacked the AAP. Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira posted on X (formerly Twitter), 'This proves AAP is full of fake revolutionaries. Their candidate doesn't even know who Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha is. Leaders like Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann are using our martyrs' names for politics.' The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) also expressed outrage. Harjinder Singh Bobby Garcha, president of the Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha Foundation and SAD spokesperson, called it 'extremely shameful'. He said, 'How can someone who doesn't even know our martyrs protect their legacy or serve Punjab and Punjabi culture?' Garcha further warned that if MP Arora does not apologise publicly, the foundation will protest his campaign. He also claimed AAP is bringing outsiders into Punjab who have no knowledge or respect for the state's culture and history. 'This shows the real face of AAP. They are insulting Punjab's martyrs and traditions,' Garcha added.
Indian Express
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
At 111th foundation day, Ghadar party recalls heroics of Indian revolutionaries in freedom struggle
April 21 was the 111th foundation day of the Ghadar party, which was formed in Astoria, the US, on April 21, 1913, by Indian immigrants, primarily Punjabis. As Punjab remembers the party and its contribution to the freedom struggle. Let's know more about the Ghadar party, the movement and the way it is remembered now. When was the Ghadar party formed? According to records available at the library of Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall in Jalandhar, the Ghadar party was formed in Astoria on April 21, 1913, and at that time it was named as the 'Hindustani Association of Pacific Coast Foundation'. On November 1, 1913, the foundation took out its first newspaper by the name of 'Ghadar' from San Francisco, which was made the headquarters of the party with Sohan Singh Bhakna as the founder president. The first newspaper was in Urdu, and gradually many languages were added, such as Punjabi, Marathi, Hindi, etc, in light of the freedom movement in India. The newspaper grew its popularity, and by word of mouth, people started calling the foundation the Ghadar party, and eventually, it was registered as the 'Hindustani Ghadar Party'. Though it is popular as the Ghadar party in today's world, all records of the party can be found under the name of the Hindustani Ghadar Party, said Amolak Singh of the Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Committee. Why was the party formed? The party was formed to fight for India's independence from British colonial rule. In the early 1900s, many Indians, especially Punjabis, migrated to North America (mostly Canada and the US), faced severe racial discrimination and exclusionary immigration laws in Canada and the US. Under British rule, political discontent was growing back home. The idea for an organised revolutionary movement was initiated by Lala Har Dayal, a popular scholar and nationalist, who was teaching in the US. Along with Sohan Singh Bhakna, Kartar Singh Sarabha, Pandit Kanshi Ram, and others, they formed a political organisation to free India through armed rebellion. Building in Astoria where first meeting of Ghadarites took place in 1913. It has been preserved in its original form as a historical monument to this day. (Photo credit: Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Committee) What does Ghadar mean? The word 'Ghadar' means 'revolt' or 'rebellion. 'The name signified their clear aim: an armed uprising against British rule. The party started publishing a newspaper called 'Ghadar' in multiple languages, including Punjabi, Urdu and Hindi, spreading revolutionary ideas among Indian expatriates worldwide. The Ghadarites began returning to India in 1914, mainly between August and December 1914, after the outbreak of World War I. Prominent Ghadarites Kartar Singh Sarabha became a symbol of revolutionary zeal. He was hanged on November 16, 1915, at the Lahore Central Jail at the age of 19. He greatly inspired Bhagat Singh. Gulab Kaur, Sohan Singh Bhakna, Lala Hardyal, Rasbehari Bose, Pandit Kanshi Ram, Vishnu Ganesh Pingle and many other prominent Ghadarites, who are still remembered. Remembrance The Desh Bhagat Yadgar Hall in Jalandhar was established in 1959 to honour the legacy of the Ghadar Movement and its revolutionary leaders. The initiative to create the memorial began in the 1950s by Ghadarites. They aimed to preserve the history and sacrifices of those who fought against British colonial rule. Located at the heart of Jalandhar, the hall became a significant site for cultural and political discourse. It regularly hosts events and discussions, reflecting on India's revolutionary past and its relevance to the present-day social and political issues. The Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Committee organised a seminar on April 21 on the topic 'New Market and Farming Policies', and discussions highlighted widespread destructive impacts of these policies and the need for a mass public movement against them. Participants on the foundation day program. (Express Photo) Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall The main exhibition hall (90×60 feet) features 212 portraits of Ghadar heroes, arranged thematically. The museum also showcases over 300 rare photographs and paintings of freedom fighters, covering movements from the 1857 revolt. A dedicated library and archive section holds manuscripts, journals and oral records related to the history of the Ghadar party, aiming to preserve and educate the public about the revolutionary contributions of Ghadarites and other freedom fighters. The Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Committee regularly organises events commemorating the heroes of the Ghadar movement. The cultural wing of the committee organises cultural evenings dedicated to the Ghadar movement in the forms of plays, songs, poetry, etc, said Amolak Singh, cultural wing head of the Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Committee. Farmer unions organise their meetings and seminars in this hall off and on. Prominent SKM leaders were present at the foundation day seminar. The Yadgaar Hall is also a tourist spot. What next? Currently, leaders associated with the Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Committee focus on issues like farming and democratic rights. They also demand the immediate release of jailed intellectuals, writers, journalists and theatre artists. They demanded compensation for crop losses caused by fires, hailstorms, and heavy winds. 'The Punjab government must refrain from turning the state into a police regime and from using brutal force, especially against women, youth, and job seekers,' said committee members. Though the British tried to suppress the Ghadar movement, its ideological legacy continued to inspire Indian revolutionaries for decades.
