Ghadar   Centenary in England

 

                                                 Joginder Bains                                             

THIS year is the year of Ghadar Party                Centenary and it is being celebrated all over the world.                Ghadar Party was                formalised in America                in                1913 with an aim to fight against racism and inhumane                treatment Indian people                were experiencing in America,                 Canada                and many other countries. They soon realised that such                treatment was due to                British colonisation. They redirected their aim to work                to free India                from                foreign rule that had impoverished Indian people, which                forced them to travel                thousands of miles away from the homeland in search of                livelihood. Ghadar Party                planned to take advantage of the First World War. They                thought the perfect time                for the revolution would be when Britain                and its army would have                been fully involved in the War. They organised a network                all over India and                persuaded the Indian army for mutiny in their individual                barracks in the                support of Ghadar revolution. Unfortunately, the British                government became                aware of the plan in time and the Ghadar Party did not                succeed in its aim.                Ghadar Party activists were arrested in their hundreds,                hanged, imprisoned for life                and their assets were taken into government control                leaving their families to                suffer financial hardship to the level of starvation,                homelessness and so on.

 Indian Workers’ Association (GB), Derby                branch celebrated                Ghadar Party Centenary on June 15 at the Indian                Community Centre. 450 people                from Indian Community took part. Jana Natya Manch                travelled from India to                specially perform in the centenary celebrations. Janam                as they are popularly                known, provided a thought provoking presentation on                History of the Ghadar Party                as well as three plays. The first play Yeh Dil Mangey                More Guru Ji – was based                on Gujarat Riots where thousands of Muslims were                massacred by Hindu extremists                just because they were Muslims, same as in 1984 Sikhs in                Delhi were murdered in                the hands of Hindu extremists. The second play Ahinsa                was based on violence                against women. The play illustrated how women are                subjected to violence from                birth to death. The third play Yeh Hum Kyun Sahien                (Enough is enough) was based                on industrial workers. The play illustrated how the                workers are exploited, they                are forced to work on less than a minimum wage,                  work on contracts and are not given permanent                workers status while the                industrialists’ profit margins goes higher and higher.

The programme commenced with patriotic                poems by Kulvinder Johal, and the new UK                members of Janam Roop and Sudesh                also sang two songs. One was based on impoverishing                Indian people under British                Rule “Pagri sambhal Jatta” and the other was based on                female foeticide.

The Ghadar Party Centenary Celebration                programme was conducted by Shangara Singh Gahonia,                general secretary of Indian                Workers’ Association and was chaired by Harbhajan                Singh Johal. The meeting was addressed by Harsev Bains,                national general                secretary IWA GB and by Sharaz Khan, deputy mayor of                Derby City Council. ( Courtsey: Peoples Democracy)