HarshThakor
12th May 2013, 04:23
Burning flame in Punjab
In the state of Punjab one is literally witnessing a torrent flowing or a storm. The people’s hearts are burning like a red flame .In recent months some of the most memorable events have taken place in the democratic revolutionary movement.In all fronts struggles have sprouted.
1.Youth Movement
The Naujawan Bharat Sabha ,named after Bhagat Singh ‘s organisation and re-organised 2years ago and the Punjab Students Union(Shaheed Randhawa group)has made some significant contribution to the democratic movement,doing painstaking work.The main aspect that the Naujawan Bharat Sabha is countering is the feudal and l Imperialist culture as well as the consumerist culture.Use of drugs is also predominant amongst the youth .The youth organization raised lower level classes for youth on at ground level.The Punjab Students Union(Shaheed Randhawa group) restricts it’s manifesto to democratic student issues which excludes higher level revolutionary politics.The Naujawan Bhrat Sabha(youth organization( includes higher level political issues in it’s manifesto which incorporate anti-feudal and anti-imperialist politics.The author interviewed the secretary of Naujawan Bharat Sabha,Pavel Kussa in Bhatinda.He explained that the revolutionary consciousness was low in the youth and it is a herculean task to organize them in mass political movement.However he expressed hope .
The Punjab Stubents Union(Shahaeed Randhawa) and Naujawan Bharat Sabha took up the issue of lack of facilities in government schools,in Bhatinda,Moga and Muktsar districts.They have taken the initiative to organize the youth of Punjab against deterioration of conditions in education, lack of infrastructure in schools ,lack of playgrounds, insufficient number of schools in villages ,very low ratio of teacher to student in villages ,no educational activities etc.The schools in villages are 60% vacant.It propagated amongst the youth that privatization was a weapon in the hands of the ruling classes to rob the majority of the youth of facilities and to uplift the condition of the wealthier section of the youth.It demanded the employment of teachers in vacant spots in schools and the need for a significantly greater number of teachers to fill posts as well as grants for the poor educational institutions. It also took up the issue of the unemployed youth.A survey found out that 45 lakh youth were unemployed.It raised the issue of the right to education.A general campaign was launched by Naujawan Bharat Sabha for higher education,with a handbill distributed on the issue.It investigated conditions in the schools.In Ramamandi village in Moga it mobilized 300 youthfor the right to education.A monthly youth magazine ‘Naujawan’ is brought out on the issues of the youth propogating the values and politics of Shaheed Bhgat Singh.The theme of the propaganda of Naujawan Bharat Sabha was that the problem sof the society were collectively faced by the youth,peasantry ,working class and various sections of society collectively.
In Faridkot the Naujawan Bharat Sabha launched a campaign against the kidnapping of Shruti by goon s of the ruling Akal Dal govt. Traders downed shutters and locals took to the streets on October in Punjab’s Faridkot town to protest Punjab Police’s failure to act over the kidnapping of a teenaged girl by a local gangster last week.The girl, a Class 10 student of a local convent school, was kidnapped from her house Sep 24 by an armed gang led by local gangster Nishan Singh. Her parents were assaulted by the gang and had to be rushed to hospital.The protestors criticised police for failing to arrest the gangster and his henchmen and for not rescuing the girl.
According to reports, the girl was kidnapped by the same gangster in March this year as well. She returned home in August after police traced her in Kharar town, 15 km from Chandigarh.
Inspite of the backing of goondas by the deputy chief minister the villagers of Faridkot displayed valiant courage in resisting the entry of any ruling class forces into the village where the rape took place.The two peasant organizations –the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union and the Bharatiya Kisan Union (ekta-Ugrahan) protested with the Naujawan Bharat Sabha mobilizing around 8,000 people. The people heroically combated the iron feet of oppression proving the capability of their combined forces.
On the issue of the rape in Delhi the Naujawan Bharat Sabha launched a protest in a chain of villages in Moga and Bhatinda districts.It propogated that a hard punishment must be awarded to the killers and a strong democratic rights movement must be lodged.In Ramamansdi a 6year old girl was raped for which a youth from neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh was falsely convicted.A protest was lodged on 24th December explaining how the active state machinery made no effort to catch the culprits.Inspite of the presence of no organization in Ramamandi a handbill was brought out on the issue of women.The Sabha stressed in the handbill that the aspect of hard punishment on killers was baseless when innocent people are falsely convicted for a crime and that rape crime was related to the feudal and imperialistic nature of the Society which targeted women.It would be baseless to fight the evil without connecting it to the basic oppressive character of the society.
The NBS Launched a rally of around 1700 people on how artists could combine with the democratic movement and integrate with the masses.In it’s youth magazine it condemned the hanging of Afzal Guru and joined a protest with the Association for Democratic Rights,Punjab.
On February 27th a protest was held by NBS outside the Bhatinda court for the release of the falsely convicted youth from Uttar Pradesh and for the punishment of the real culprits. About 300 youth including 0ver 200 girl students participated.
It is strange that the Naujawan Bharat Sabha claiming allegiance to the C.P.I(M.L.) New Democracy has often clashed with the Naujawan Bharat Sabha led by Pavel Kussa.In a nursing college a student commited suicide and the new democracy led youth organization claimed that the teacher was the culprit .The Shaheed Randhawa group NBS explained that the suicide was related to the problem of the society as a whole .
In another private college educational unit students were falsely arrested so the PSU(SR)encouraged the formation of a committee .It supported te committee from outside. This was again opposed by the New Democracy group led PSU.
A huge agenda of programmes were lauched by democratic organizations demanding the arrest of the culprits of the Delhi gang rape.On 6th January at Faridkot a womens gathering was mobilized in protest by Lok Morcha,Inquilabi Kendra and Lok Sangram Manch.On 5th January at teachers Home in Bhatinda lok Morcha organized a convention and rally alongs with BKU(Ugrahan),Technical Services Union,Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union ,Technical Services Union, Naujawan Bharat Sabha and democratic teachers front.On 2nd January the lawyesr launched a big protest outside the courts where women were mobilsed in big numbers.Punjab Students Union (Shaheed Randhawa) along with NBS blocked traffic in protest on January 2nd at Fauji chowk in Bhatinda.On 26TH December in Ludhiana at Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha Chowk a rally was launched protesting against the Delhi gang rape involving mass organizations while at Punjab Agricultural University campus a joint programme was launched by college and school students with the union of V.S.N.L.workers.On 30th December at Lambi activists of the BKU-Ugrahan,the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union nad the Naujawan Bharat Sabha burned the effigies of the government goondas responsible for the rape of Shruti.In Hasapur village of Gurdaspur a campaign was launched by students protesting against the rape of a six year old school girl while at Jamu university students launched a huge rally and march demanding the punishment of the culprits and even caused a traffic jam. Narmhal Deobha Arya senior secondary school students launched a a huge rally all through the town.Such protracted struggles reflected the rage of the masses of Punjab,particularly the youth.
On 27th January the Punjab Students Union (Shaheed Randhawa) organised a programme at the Government Rajindra College in Bathinda to celebrate the centenary year of the foundation of the Gadar Party. Addressing the gathering, the state leader of the union, Sumit, spoke at length about the principles of the Gadar Party. He added that the members of the Gadar party, who played a major role in the Indian freedom struggle, had dreamt of an India that would be free from prejudices on the basis of caste, creed, region or religion. That dream remained unfulfilled, he added.
On April 8th in Bhatinda a joint demonstration was held by the Naujwan Bharat Sabha and Punjab Students Union with teachers organizations,of about 500 youth .They were protesting against the merging of 750 primary schools with secondary schools,against the charge of tuition fees and scrapping free education for girl students,and against the planned takeover of 15 schools in Bhatinda-Mansa district by A.T.L.co.
2. Cultural Programmes
The other most encouraging aspect in the movement in Punjab is the inspiration drawn from revolutionary democratic cultural programmes. Quoting the Tribune of September 2012 “Thousands of people including a large number of women poured into grain market of this town holding high red flags, banners, mottoes and raising slogans to join the ``Red Salute Gathering” in memory of the supreme builder of revolutionary theatre movement. Gursharan Singh.The huge gathering full of enthusiasm and emotion which came from all corners of Punjab, travelling long distances, was highly dominated by rural masses who had been enjoying and getting inspired for decades, by reflection of their aspirations, on the stages of a unique but simple variety of theatre, full of revolutionary message and art, contending to surpass each other.”
Last September on the 27th one of the biggest gatherings ever in the revolutionary movement took place in Punjab commemorating the 2nd death anniversary of the revolutionary playwright Gursharan Singh.It literally looked like a red flame reverberating in the hearts of the masses who literally claimed Comrade Gursharan Singh as one of them.The late comrade played a outstanding role in building an anti-feudal,anti-imperialist cultural movement and his plays reflected the aspiration of the broad masses of Punjab . He literally wrote the language of the masses.The manner in which the masses identified their personal aspirations with Gursharan Singh was a sight to behold,as though he was one of them.What was remarkable was that the commemoration programme did not project the poltical image of any revolutionary group but only the democratic revolutionary aspect of Gursharan Singh’s role. Prominent theatre activists from India, cultural groups, writers, poets, academicians, students, peasants and people from the working classes gathered at Bal Bhawan to remember Singh — with plays, music and discussions. The evening saw more than 1500 people view plays such as Dhamak Nagare De, Tunda Hauldaar and Khuh, apart from a medley of revolutionary songs, a documentary titled Sada Safar Te on the life of Singh, and a langar through the participation of thousands of people. "Hundreds of women volunteered with their services to cook langar as Singh always insisted that he would not start a play unless the women were done with their cooking. This was their way of thanking him,'' recalls Iqattar Singh, Director of Chandigarh School Of Drama, which was started by Singh.
More than 50 theatre and cultural groups from all over Punjab, members of Punjab Lok Sabhyacharak Manch, friends and family of Gursharan Singh decided that September 27, Singh's death anniversary, will be marked as Revolutionary Theatre Day.
On January 27th,2013 the Punjab Loksabhyacharak Manch stage a huge gathering on the issue of rape and molestation of women ,highlighting the link between the recent rape cases in Delhi and Punjab and it’s relation to the feudal society . Addressing issues like crime against women, cultural pollution and to encourage scientific temperament, a function was held at the SSD Girls' College. Vinay Mahajan and Charuk Bharwada from Loknaad, Ahmedabad, presented their much acclaimed play, "Hum Insaan Hain", before an enthusiastic audience.
Through the presentation, Charul and Vinay raised issues like the Shruti abduction case, Kiranjit murder case in Mahal Kalan, Damini gangrape case in Delhi in Punjabi in their bid to connect with the local audience. They presented the pain of being a woman and the testing times that the fair sex is facing. Earlier, the Manch released audio and video cassettes of Vinay and Charul, awarded them with a memento and released a calendar.Jagat Singh, Lachhman Singh Kotra Kaura, Lok Sangeet Mandali, Bhadaur, Lok Sangeet Mandali, Jeeda, Beant Jethuke, Chetna Kala Kendra, Barnala, Amritpal, Navdeep Dhaula, Lok Sangeet Mandali and others presented songs on different challenges that society faces.At the concluding ceremony, Vinay and Charul came up with their presentations like "Kitthe Gaiyan Maa Saddhe Hisse Diyan Loriyan", "In Dinon", "Beta Jaldi Ghar Aana", "Mandir Masjid", "Janane Ka Haq Hai", "Meri Baari Hai" and others.
At the end of the function, the lights were switched off in the auditorium to mark the darkness that prevails in society. The darkness was dispelled by lighting candles, which signified knowledge and wisdom.The response was tremendous.
The NBS launched a convention in Bhatinda mobilizing 400 activist on the issue of the women’s situation nad the viewpont of the late revolutionary dramatist Gursharan SinghA theatre day was organized with a series of cultural programmes and a youth team was prepared to perform cultural programmes on the revolutionary role of women nad their oppression in Society.It received a tremendous response.
3. Peasant agitations.
On 4th February the peasant organization for landed peasants ,BKU(Ekta –Ugrahan lodged a 4000 strong protest in village Kussa organising 160 women.On the 3rd death anniversary of the late Sadhu Singh Taktupura,(vice –president of the B.K.U(ekta-ugrahan)a huge commemoration programme was held in a bordering village of Amritsar district where Com.Takhtupura was slain by goons of the ruling Akali Dal part.Around 10,000 people participated parading into the village like bees swarming in a nest.Just recently the same peasant orgnisation demanded 2 lakhs for the families of peasants who commited suicide as as compensation ,demanded loans sanctioned at lower rates while the Punjab Khet Mazdur Union (landless peasants organization)demanded agricultural labour plots.
The Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) staged a dharna recently outside the office of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Bathinda police to protest against the delay in pursuing a case registered against Ambala-based seed manufacturing units having dealers in Sirsa. The district president of the union, Shingara Singh, said the police had registered a case against three firms of Sirsa for selling spurious seeds of paddy which caused losses to the farmers of Raike Kalan village falling under the Nandgarh police station.The BKU leaders said due to spurious seeds, farmers in Raike Kalan village suffered huge losses. The farmer leader said there were many more farmers in Punjab and Haryana who fell prey to the fake seed sellers but a formal complaint was lodged by eight farmers of Raike Kalan village. The agitators said despite spending huge amount of money on labour, water, sprays and urea and putting in a lot of hard work, farmers got nothing as the seeds were spurious.
The Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union, Faridkot, on Wednesday held a dharna at the mini-secretariat to condemn the registration of cases against 50 people from Panjgrain Kalan and Wara Bhai Ka village for possessing plots allotted to Dalit families, at Bajakhana police station on February 22. They claimed that the plots had been allotted to landless families in 1974 and they had paid installments to the panchayats department. They also demanded that such beneficiaries should have been given rights of the plots after three years. The protesters demanded that 27 people from Wara Bhai Ka village, eight from Nangal, 14 from Bhana and 60 from Kabulwala are in the dire need of plots to build houses. They also demanded payment for MNREGA works carried out by labourers at Surghuri, Madak, Hasan Bhatti and Moranwali villages.
On March 16th at Lambi a Dharna was staged by the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union on general demands of the landless peasantry like plots,etc.
On April 5th a historic joint convention of the BKU(Ekta-Ugrahan) and the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union was held at Barnala.20,000 peasants assembled like a tornado emerging.The main demands were those of land reforms and the implementation of the land ceiling act.Laws were also demanded to curb the power of commission agents and adequate compensation was demanded for the families of peasants who commited suicide.Farmers had gathered in Fatehgarh Channa village, where they had started their protest against land acquisition, a few years back. The farmers announced they would protest against the 'repressive' attitude of the state, because last month, the government had arrested more than 2,500 farmer union leaders against their proposed rally in Chandigarh regarding their pending demands.The Khet Mazdoor union members on Friday demanded waiver of domestic bills of electricity and asked for housing scheme for the poor.
The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) and Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union had organised the event at Fatehgarh Channa village in this district. “We gathered to demand proper implementation of land reforms, besides compensation of Rs. 5 lakh and a government job each to close relatives of the farmers who committed suicide,” said BKU state president Joginder Singh.
The other demands related to the sanction of plots to landless farmers, and waiving farm loans and electricity payment arrears without condition. “The state and the union government had infringed upon the rights of farmers to benefit capitalist business powers such as big entrepreneurs and multinational companies,” said Joginder Singh.
“The government should give away barren land for the rehabilitation of landless people across the state and not hand it over to big companies,” the BKU leader said. “The government should also give farmers ownerships rights of this land.”
4.Democratic Rights Movement
Another encouraging recent development is the resurrection of the Association for Democratic rights, a civil liberties Organization that earlier played an important role in the democratic revolutionary movement in the 1970’s and 1980’s.For the last 15 years it was hardly very active as in the earlier years. It organized a convention on the violation of rights of women in Bhatinda on February 28th.
A huge series of arrests have taken place of 2000 leaders and activists of farmers organizations launching a joint protracted agitation for cancellation of debts and other general demands.Activists of democratic organizations like P.K.M.U,NBS etc launched a campaign protesting the arrests and explained the connivance of the state machinery with the ruling class forces.A series of public meetings were held at district collector’s office.The Naujawan Bharat Sabha has resolved to propogate the issue of the arrest of the peasant organization leaders on March 23rd,the day of Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s martyrdom.The Association for Democratic Rights Punjab is also planning to launch a campaign and already stage a press conference in protest.
One of the most predominant features of the movement is the revolutionary mass political approach which does not project the politics of a communist revolutionary organization in mass democratic fronts or organizations and inversely represents the broad aspirations of the revolutionary masses.The broad based unity of the struggling masses and their organizations for their demands connected to the nature of the exploitative society has great significance,particularly the unity of peasant organizations from different trends and the unity of democratic organizations struggling against state repression.
In the state of Punjab one is literally witnessing a torrent flowing or a storm. The people’s hearts are burning like a red flame .In recent months some of the most memorable events have taken place in the democratic revolutionary movement.In all fronts struggles have sprouted.
1.Youth Movement
The Naujawan Bharat Sabha ,named after Bhagat Singh ‘s organisation and re-organised 2years ago and the Punjab Students Union(Shaheed Randhawa group)has made some significant contribution to the democratic movement,doing painstaking work.The main aspect that the Naujawan Bharat Sabha is countering is the feudal and l Imperialist culture as well as the consumerist culture.Use of drugs is also predominant amongst the youth .The youth organization raised lower level classes for youth on at ground level.The Punjab Students Union(Shaheed Randhawa group) restricts it’s manifesto to democratic student issues which excludes higher level revolutionary politics.The Naujawan Bhrat Sabha(youth organization( includes higher level political issues in it’s manifesto which incorporate anti-feudal and anti-imperialist politics.The author interviewed the secretary of Naujawan Bharat Sabha,Pavel Kussa in Bhatinda.He explained that the revolutionary consciousness was low in the youth and it is a herculean task to organize them in mass political movement.However he expressed hope .
The Punjab Stubents Union(Shahaeed Randhawa) and Naujawan Bharat Sabha took up the issue of lack of facilities in government schools,in Bhatinda,Moga and Muktsar districts.They have taken the initiative to organize the youth of Punjab against deterioration of conditions in education, lack of infrastructure in schools ,lack of playgrounds, insufficient number of schools in villages ,very low ratio of teacher to student in villages ,no educational activities etc.The schools in villages are 60% vacant.It propagated amongst the youth that privatization was a weapon in the hands of the ruling classes to rob the majority of the youth of facilities and to uplift the condition of the wealthier section of the youth.It demanded the employment of teachers in vacant spots in schools and the need for a significantly greater number of teachers to fill posts as well as grants for the poor educational institutions. It also took up the issue of the unemployed youth.A survey found out that 45 lakh youth were unemployed.It raised the issue of the right to education.A general campaign was launched by Naujawan Bharat Sabha for higher education,with a handbill distributed on the issue.It investigated conditions in the schools.In Ramamandi village in Moga it mobilized 300 youthfor the right to education.A monthly youth magazine ‘Naujawan’ is brought out on the issues of the youth propogating the values and politics of Shaheed Bhgat Singh.The theme of the propaganda of Naujawan Bharat Sabha was that the problem sof the society were collectively faced by the youth,peasantry ,working class and various sections of society collectively.
In Faridkot the Naujawan Bharat Sabha launched a campaign against the kidnapping of Shruti by goon s of the ruling Akal Dal govt. Traders downed shutters and locals took to the streets on October in Punjab’s Faridkot town to protest Punjab Police’s failure to act over the kidnapping of a teenaged girl by a local gangster last week.The girl, a Class 10 student of a local convent school, was kidnapped from her house Sep 24 by an armed gang led by local gangster Nishan Singh. Her parents were assaulted by the gang and had to be rushed to hospital.The protestors criticised police for failing to arrest the gangster and his henchmen and for not rescuing the girl.
According to reports, the girl was kidnapped by the same gangster in March this year as well. She returned home in August after police traced her in Kharar town, 15 km from Chandigarh.
Inspite of the backing of goondas by the deputy chief minister the villagers of Faridkot displayed valiant courage in resisting the entry of any ruling class forces into the village where the rape took place.The two peasant organizations –the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union and the Bharatiya Kisan Union (ekta-Ugrahan) protested with the Naujawan Bharat Sabha mobilizing around 8,000 people. The people heroically combated the iron feet of oppression proving the capability of their combined forces.
On the issue of the rape in Delhi the Naujawan Bharat Sabha launched a protest in a chain of villages in Moga and Bhatinda districts.It propogated that a hard punishment must be awarded to the killers and a strong democratic rights movement must be lodged.In Ramamansdi a 6year old girl was raped for which a youth from neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh was falsely convicted.A protest was lodged on 24th December explaining how the active state machinery made no effort to catch the culprits.Inspite of the presence of no organization in Ramamandi a handbill was brought out on the issue of women.The Sabha stressed in the handbill that the aspect of hard punishment on killers was baseless when innocent people are falsely convicted for a crime and that rape crime was related to the feudal and imperialistic nature of the Society which targeted women.It would be baseless to fight the evil without connecting it to the basic oppressive character of the society.
The NBS Launched a rally of around 1700 people on how artists could combine with the democratic movement and integrate with the masses.In it’s youth magazine it condemned the hanging of Afzal Guru and joined a protest with the Association for Democratic Rights,Punjab.
On February 27th a protest was held by NBS outside the Bhatinda court for the release of the falsely convicted youth from Uttar Pradesh and for the punishment of the real culprits. About 300 youth including 0ver 200 girl students participated.
It is strange that the Naujawan Bharat Sabha claiming allegiance to the C.P.I(M.L.) New Democracy has often clashed with the Naujawan Bharat Sabha led by Pavel Kussa.In a nursing college a student commited suicide and the new democracy led youth organization claimed that the teacher was the culprit .The Shaheed Randhawa group NBS explained that the suicide was related to the problem of the society as a whole .
In another private college educational unit students were falsely arrested so the PSU(SR)encouraged the formation of a committee .It supported te committee from outside. This was again opposed by the New Democracy group led PSU.
A huge agenda of programmes were lauched by democratic organizations demanding the arrest of the culprits of the Delhi gang rape.On 6th January at Faridkot a womens gathering was mobilized in protest by Lok Morcha,Inquilabi Kendra and Lok Sangram Manch.On 5th January at teachers Home in Bhatinda lok Morcha organized a convention and rally alongs with BKU(Ugrahan),Technical Services Union,Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union ,Technical Services Union, Naujawan Bharat Sabha and democratic teachers front.On 2nd January the lawyesr launched a big protest outside the courts where women were mobilsed in big numbers.Punjab Students Union (Shaheed Randhawa) along with NBS blocked traffic in protest on January 2nd at Fauji chowk in Bhatinda.On 26TH December in Ludhiana at Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha Chowk a rally was launched protesting against the Delhi gang rape involving mass organizations while at Punjab Agricultural University campus a joint programme was launched by college and school students with the union of V.S.N.L.workers.On 30th December at Lambi activists of the BKU-Ugrahan,the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union nad the Naujawan Bharat Sabha burned the effigies of the government goondas responsible for the rape of Shruti.In Hasapur village of Gurdaspur a campaign was launched by students protesting against the rape of a six year old school girl while at Jamu university students launched a huge rally and march demanding the punishment of the culprits and even caused a traffic jam. Narmhal Deobha Arya senior secondary school students launched a a huge rally all through the town.Such protracted struggles reflected the rage of the masses of Punjab,particularly the youth.
On 27th January the Punjab Students Union (Shaheed Randhawa) organised a programme at the Government Rajindra College in Bathinda to celebrate the centenary year of the foundation of the Gadar Party. Addressing the gathering, the state leader of the union, Sumit, spoke at length about the principles of the Gadar Party. He added that the members of the Gadar party, who played a major role in the Indian freedom struggle, had dreamt of an India that would be free from prejudices on the basis of caste, creed, region or religion. That dream remained unfulfilled, he added.
On April 8th in Bhatinda a joint demonstration was held by the Naujwan Bharat Sabha and Punjab Students Union with teachers organizations,of about 500 youth .They were protesting against the merging of 750 primary schools with secondary schools,against the charge of tuition fees and scrapping free education for girl students,and against the planned takeover of 15 schools in Bhatinda-Mansa district by A.T.L.co.
2. Cultural Programmes
The other most encouraging aspect in the movement in Punjab is the inspiration drawn from revolutionary democratic cultural programmes. Quoting the Tribune of September 2012 “Thousands of people including a large number of women poured into grain market of this town holding high red flags, banners, mottoes and raising slogans to join the ``Red Salute Gathering” in memory of the supreme builder of revolutionary theatre movement. Gursharan Singh.The huge gathering full of enthusiasm and emotion which came from all corners of Punjab, travelling long distances, was highly dominated by rural masses who had been enjoying and getting inspired for decades, by reflection of their aspirations, on the stages of a unique but simple variety of theatre, full of revolutionary message and art, contending to surpass each other.”
Last September on the 27th one of the biggest gatherings ever in the revolutionary movement took place in Punjab commemorating the 2nd death anniversary of the revolutionary playwright Gursharan Singh.It literally looked like a red flame reverberating in the hearts of the masses who literally claimed Comrade Gursharan Singh as one of them.The late comrade played a outstanding role in building an anti-feudal,anti-imperialist cultural movement and his plays reflected the aspiration of the broad masses of Punjab . He literally wrote the language of the masses.The manner in which the masses identified their personal aspirations with Gursharan Singh was a sight to behold,as though he was one of them.What was remarkable was that the commemoration programme did not project the poltical image of any revolutionary group but only the democratic revolutionary aspect of Gursharan Singh’s role. Prominent theatre activists from India, cultural groups, writers, poets, academicians, students, peasants and people from the working classes gathered at Bal Bhawan to remember Singh — with plays, music and discussions. The evening saw more than 1500 people view plays such as Dhamak Nagare De, Tunda Hauldaar and Khuh, apart from a medley of revolutionary songs, a documentary titled Sada Safar Te on the life of Singh, and a langar through the participation of thousands of people. "Hundreds of women volunteered with their services to cook langar as Singh always insisted that he would not start a play unless the women were done with their cooking. This was their way of thanking him,'' recalls Iqattar Singh, Director of Chandigarh School Of Drama, which was started by Singh.
More than 50 theatre and cultural groups from all over Punjab, members of Punjab Lok Sabhyacharak Manch, friends and family of Gursharan Singh decided that September 27, Singh's death anniversary, will be marked as Revolutionary Theatre Day.
On January 27th,2013 the Punjab Loksabhyacharak Manch stage a huge gathering on the issue of rape and molestation of women ,highlighting the link between the recent rape cases in Delhi and Punjab and it’s relation to the feudal society . Addressing issues like crime against women, cultural pollution and to encourage scientific temperament, a function was held at the SSD Girls' College. Vinay Mahajan and Charuk Bharwada from Loknaad, Ahmedabad, presented their much acclaimed play, "Hum Insaan Hain", before an enthusiastic audience.
Through the presentation, Charul and Vinay raised issues like the Shruti abduction case, Kiranjit murder case in Mahal Kalan, Damini gangrape case in Delhi in Punjabi in their bid to connect with the local audience. They presented the pain of being a woman and the testing times that the fair sex is facing. Earlier, the Manch released audio and video cassettes of Vinay and Charul, awarded them with a memento and released a calendar.Jagat Singh, Lachhman Singh Kotra Kaura, Lok Sangeet Mandali, Bhadaur, Lok Sangeet Mandali, Jeeda, Beant Jethuke, Chetna Kala Kendra, Barnala, Amritpal, Navdeep Dhaula, Lok Sangeet Mandali and others presented songs on different challenges that society faces.At the concluding ceremony, Vinay and Charul came up with their presentations like "Kitthe Gaiyan Maa Saddhe Hisse Diyan Loriyan", "In Dinon", "Beta Jaldi Ghar Aana", "Mandir Masjid", "Janane Ka Haq Hai", "Meri Baari Hai" and others.
At the end of the function, the lights were switched off in the auditorium to mark the darkness that prevails in society. The darkness was dispelled by lighting candles, which signified knowledge and wisdom.The response was tremendous.
The NBS launched a convention in Bhatinda mobilizing 400 activist on the issue of the women’s situation nad the viewpont of the late revolutionary dramatist Gursharan SinghA theatre day was organized with a series of cultural programmes and a youth team was prepared to perform cultural programmes on the revolutionary role of women nad their oppression in Society.It received a tremendous response.
3. Peasant agitations.
On 4th February the peasant organization for landed peasants ,BKU(Ekta –Ugrahan lodged a 4000 strong protest in village Kussa organising 160 women.On the 3rd death anniversary of the late Sadhu Singh Taktupura,(vice –president of the B.K.U(ekta-ugrahan)a huge commemoration programme was held in a bordering village of Amritsar district where Com.Takhtupura was slain by goons of the ruling Akali Dal part.Around 10,000 people participated parading into the village like bees swarming in a nest.Just recently the same peasant orgnisation demanded 2 lakhs for the families of peasants who commited suicide as as compensation ,demanded loans sanctioned at lower rates while the Punjab Khet Mazdur Union (landless peasants organization)demanded agricultural labour plots.
The Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) staged a dharna recently outside the office of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Bathinda police to protest against the delay in pursuing a case registered against Ambala-based seed manufacturing units having dealers in Sirsa. The district president of the union, Shingara Singh, said the police had registered a case against three firms of Sirsa for selling spurious seeds of paddy which caused losses to the farmers of Raike Kalan village falling under the Nandgarh police station.The BKU leaders said due to spurious seeds, farmers in Raike Kalan village suffered huge losses. The farmer leader said there were many more farmers in Punjab and Haryana who fell prey to the fake seed sellers but a formal complaint was lodged by eight farmers of Raike Kalan village. The agitators said despite spending huge amount of money on labour, water, sprays and urea and putting in a lot of hard work, farmers got nothing as the seeds were spurious.
The Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union, Faridkot, on Wednesday held a dharna at the mini-secretariat to condemn the registration of cases against 50 people from Panjgrain Kalan and Wara Bhai Ka village for possessing plots allotted to Dalit families, at Bajakhana police station on February 22. They claimed that the plots had been allotted to landless families in 1974 and they had paid installments to the panchayats department. They also demanded that such beneficiaries should have been given rights of the plots after three years. The protesters demanded that 27 people from Wara Bhai Ka village, eight from Nangal, 14 from Bhana and 60 from Kabulwala are in the dire need of plots to build houses. They also demanded payment for MNREGA works carried out by labourers at Surghuri, Madak, Hasan Bhatti and Moranwali villages.
On March 16th at Lambi a Dharna was staged by the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union on general demands of the landless peasantry like plots,etc.
On April 5th a historic joint convention of the BKU(Ekta-Ugrahan) and the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union was held at Barnala.20,000 peasants assembled like a tornado emerging.The main demands were those of land reforms and the implementation of the land ceiling act.Laws were also demanded to curb the power of commission agents and adequate compensation was demanded for the families of peasants who commited suicide.Farmers had gathered in Fatehgarh Channa village, where they had started their protest against land acquisition, a few years back. The farmers announced they would protest against the 'repressive' attitude of the state, because last month, the government had arrested more than 2,500 farmer union leaders against their proposed rally in Chandigarh regarding their pending demands.The Khet Mazdoor union members on Friday demanded waiver of domestic bills of electricity and asked for housing scheme for the poor.
The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) and Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union had organised the event at Fatehgarh Channa village in this district. “We gathered to demand proper implementation of land reforms, besides compensation of Rs. 5 lakh and a government job each to close relatives of the farmers who committed suicide,” said BKU state president Joginder Singh.
The other demands related to the sanction of plots to landless farmers, and waiving farm loans and electricity payment arrears without condition. “The state and the union government had infringed upon the rights of farmers to benefit capitalist business powers such as big entrepreneurs and multinational companies,” said Joginder Singh.
“The government should give away barren land for the rehabilitation of landless people across the state and not hand it over to big companies,” the BKU leader said. “The government should also give farmers ownerships rights of this land.”
4.Democratic Rights Movement
Another encouraging recent development is the resurrection of the Association for Democratic rights, a civil liberties Organization that earlier played an important role in the democratic revolutionary movement in the 1970’s and 1980’s.For the last 15 years it was hardly very active as in the earlier years. It organized a convention on the violation of rights of women in Bhatinda on February 28th.
A huge series of arrests have taken place of 2000 leaders and activists of farmers organizations launching a joint protracted agitation for cancellation of debts and other general demands.Activists of democratic organizations like P.K.M.U,NBS etc launched a campaign protesting the arrests and explained the connivance of the state machinery with the ruling class forces.A series of public meetings were held at district collector’s office.The Naujawan Bharat Sabha has resolved to propogate the issue of the arrest of the peasant organization leaders on March 23rd,the day of Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s martyrdom.The Association for Democratic Rights Punjab is also planning to launch a campaign and already stage a press conference in protest.
One of the most predominant features of the movement is the revolutionary mass political approach which does not project the politics of a communist revolutionary organization in mass democratic fronts or organizations and inversely represents the broad aspirations of the revolutionary masses.The broad based unity of the struggling masses and their organizations for their demands connected to the nature of the exploitative society has great significance,particularly the unity of peasant organizations from different trends and the unity of democratic organizations struggling against state repression.