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Tracking Memories of Bhagat Singh in
Lahore
Chaman Lal
Exclusive to the WSN.
Due to persistent efforts by Rajya Sabha member and former Chief
Election Commissioner of India, Manohar Singh Gill, the Indian
Parliament is to have a statue of Shaheed Bhagat Singh. It is sad
that 60 years after the Partition, someone had to fight so hard so
that the statue of the nation’s most iconic martyr be put up in
Parliament premises. Now the Punjab Government has announced it will
bear the expense. But what about the real karam-bhoomi of Shaheed
Bhagat Singh? His village? His school? His real house in Pakistan?
(Not the officially anointed Khatkar Kalan in Nawan Shahr). We
present here the experience of a well-known scholar who was recently
tracking the memories connected to the great martyr in Pakistan.
.JPG) I had
felt an excitement at the prospect of visiting Pakistan when
invitation came from Ganga Ram Heritage Foundation to present paper
on Dr. B.R.Ambedkar on his birth anniversary at Lahore because of my
involvement with the study of Bhagat Singh and his movement, Ghadar
movement and Kartar Singh Sarabha.
Both
these national heroes were executed in Lahore jail. Bhagat Singh’s
life and activities were centered more in Lahore, so I wanted to
visit the locations of his activities. Not for a moment did I feel
that I am in an ‘alien’ country.
In
Lahore’s museum, the term used was Pakistan freedom struggle, but
for me it was a mixed struggle. I saw the photographs of national
leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhash Bose and
Baldev Singh along with Jinnah, Liaqat Ali Khan, Khan Abdul Gaffar
Khan etc. Lot many photographs of Fatima Jinnah also. The
photographs of Ratti, Parsi wife of Jinnah and their daughter Dina
attracted my attention a lot. Then there was complete Gandhara Art
section, having Buddhist tradition in art in NWFP area. There is now
a complete section on Sikh art as well. Old ‘Deorhies’(Front door of
house) were too attractive to be missed. Renowned National College
of Art is located next to Museum. It looks like slowly but steadily,
Pakistan, particularly Lahore is owning up its traditional richness,
even when it is not Islamic.
I
tried the Lahor touristy stops, like having a lunch in bazaar, the
food streets of Anarkali and Gwalmandi, the Shahi Qila, the Samadhi
of Ranjit Singh, the Gurdwara Dehra Sahib, the Minar-e-Pakistan, etc
but really was on my mind was a visit to the sites related to Bhagat
Singh’s activities.
Accompanied by Zubair, well known progressive story writer of
Punjabi, I first went to Bradlaugh Hall, which few people know now.
Hall is in dilapidated condition and some training school is being
run from there. From the shape of building, one can well imagine
that it was a grand building once. Fortunately, the foundation plate
is still intact. The foundation of this headquarters of freedom
movement was laid by Surender Nath Sen in 1900. It would be better
if Government of India could impress upon Pakistan Govt. to get it
declared as heritage building. Lajpat Rai Hall of Lahore, which
housed famous Dwarka Dass library, now in Chandigarh, is now held by
fingerprint bureau of Pakistani Police. I could not locate the
National College, where Bhagat Singh was a student during 1922-26. I
also could not locate Khwasarian village, near Lahore, which was the
abode of Bhagat Singh family for many years. Even river Ravi’s bank,
where Lala Lajpat Rai and later the remains of Bhagat Singh ,
Rajguru and Sukhdev were cremated or Bhagwati Charan Vohra gave his
life in bomb explosion, while testing, could not be located. This
section of Ravi has perhaps dried up and people say it has become a
‘nullah’. They also say that India has stopped releasing water to
river Ravi. However I could easily locate the place of Saundras
killing and DAV college hostel nearby. There is not much change in
that area, except that DAV College and hostel have turned into Govt.
Islamia College and hostel now. But the SSP office remains the same
as was during Scott’s time. I was also able to visit ‘Phansighat’,
execution spot of Lahore jail, which has now been demolished and
Shadman Chowk or’ Fountain Chowk’ instead has come up. It is a
residential colony now, with no trace of jail or its historicity,
where hundreds of freedom fighters were hanged. Democratic Pakistani
activists do gather on 23rd March at Shadman Chowk and
burn candles. They also plan to put a plaque nearby, indicating its
historicity. Bhagat Singh lived in many houses of Lahore during his
underground days and people still talk of those houses. One such
house is said to be on Jail road. Najam Hussain Sayeed, well known
Punjabi writer lives on jail road, but he has no idea of that
house.
I
could go to the birth place of Bhagat Singh with newly met local
friends, who arranged a car, which took us first to Waris Shah’s
mazar at Jandiala Sheikh. We crossed through Sheikhupura town, quite
known and from distance I was shown ‘haran magar’, beautiful place
built in memory of a deer, which got killed during shikar by Prince
Salim. From Jandiala , we moved to Nankana Sahib from where there
was a direct route to Jadanawala, though the road patch was bad for
few kilometers. Crossing Jadanawala, a tehsil town, we reached at
the road leading to Chak No. 105, before we could ask someone on the
way, a pleasant surprise awaited us. There was a tin board on
roadside, painted with Bhagat Singh’s picture behind bars. Some
Jasbeer Singh from Faislabad (Lyalpur) had put this signboard, with
his email address. It became easier for us. When we were reading the
signboard, some people came close to us and seeing our interest in
Bhagat Singh told us the lane to his village. They suggested that
before going to village, we should meet one Farhan Khan nearby. As
it turned out, Farhan Khan is 82 year old gentleman, retired as
Excise officer, having his factory named as Gulab Farm. He belonged
to Chak No.107, Pathankot nearby. We reached his place and he
welcomed us warmly. In his drawing room, there was old but framed,
glass broken black and white photograph. The typical hat wearing
popular photograph. Farhan Khan was too happy talking about Bhagat
Singh’s family. He was five years old when Bhagat Singh was
martyred. Bhagat Singh’ younger brothers Kulbir Singh and Kultar
Singh used to meet him. The man was such an admirer of Bhagat Singh
that I wanted to present him a copy of his writings, but I had no
spare copy. I had taken few copies, but Farhan Khan got it
photocopied, borrowing it for just one hour or so, the time which we
spent at house of Bhagat Singh. We moved to Chak no. 105,
accompanied by the man sent by Farhan Khan. It was getting dark. The
road to village was not very good. When we reached there, it was not
the old house; it was now being shared by three Virk brothers.
It was
almost four canal land area, which is now shared by Iqbal Virk,
Sadiq Virk and Mushtaq Virk families – the three brothers, who were
allotted this house after Partition. They had migrated from Virk
village from Amritsar. Out of the three, Sadiq Virk is no more, but
his family lives there. When we reached there were few women working
near the chullah. Later on we could meet Akhtar Virk, son of Mushtaq
Virk, who is now an advocate at Faislabad. He told us that not only
this house, they also acquired the 17 acre mango garden of Kishan
Singh, father of Bhagat Singh. Asked about the value of this land,
we were told it was Rs six lakh per acre, which meant that it was
roughly equivalent to more than Rs one crore today. Though Bhagat
Singh’s family also having garden at Chak no. 105, was not known
earlier to us, yet it came as no surprise to me. The judge, who
wrote judgment for the execution of Kartar Singh Sarabha, has
clearly mentioned that Kishan Singh (father of Bhagat Singh) has
contributed Rs 1,000 (equivalent to nearly Rs 1 lakh) to the cause
of Gadar party in 1914 or 1915. The legend of Bhagat Singh and
family becomes more fascinating, because their commitment to the
nation overstepped their comforts in life. It is no wonder that
Waqar Ahmad, a political science student from Peshawar becomes
enamored of Bhagat Singh and reached me through mail, just to know
more about Bhagat Singh. Waqar remained in touch with me on phone
during my stay in Lahore and was hoping to meet me, as Peshawar
University Teachers Association was trying very hard to get visa
cleared for me, so that I could visit Peshawar. We had welcomed
Peshawar University teacher’s delegation recently in JNU. And it was
also during my stay in Lahore that Raza Naeem, a columnist for Dawn,
reached me through mail to get a copy of ‘The Jail Notebook and
Other writings’ of Bhagat Singh, compiled and introduced by me and
published by Leftword on this 23rd March, for reviewing
it in ‘Dawn’.
 Meeting people was an enriching experience for me. I met Salima
Hashmi, daughter of legendry poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz, who along with
Faqir Aazijudin, both well known artists and art scholars of
Pakistan had recently visited the Fine Arts Department of Punjabi
University Patiala for a seminar. Prof. Salima Hashmi is now Dean,
Visual Arts of Beaconhead University Lahore, after retiring as
Principal of famous National Art College of Lahore. Her husband
Prof. Shoib Hashmi, retired Economics Professor is columnist for
some dailies and jolly person. Their daughter is named as Meera and
granddaughter as Anya. Salima told me that Faiz Ahmad Faiz had heard
shots of firing on Saundras, as he was somewhere close to DAV
College that day. These shots were also heard by legendry Communist
leader of Pakistan late Mazhar Ali, this was confirmed by his wife
and mother of famous writer Tariq Ali—Tara Mazhar Ali, whom I met at
her house and presented Bhagat Singh’s writings. She is also among
those who celebrate Bhagat Singh in Pakistan. Tara Mazhar Ali, at
the age of 82 years and Salima Hashmi, both are active in democratic
movement of Pakistan.
One of
my most fascinating meetings was with F.E.Chaudhary, 98 year old
first photo journalist of Pakistan. Chaudhary worked with Faiz Ahmad
Faiz, who took over as editor of ‘Pakistan Times’, in place vacated
by ‘The Tribune’. Earliest photographs of Pakistani leaders have
been shot by F.E. Chaudhary, a Christian. He is the one, who shot
the pictures of Central Jail Lahore, when it was being demolished in
1960’s. He has kept that file of photographs, which includes the
photographs of ‘Phansighat’, where Bhagat Singh, Sarabha and so many
other freedom fighters were executed. I tried to capture these
photos through my ordinary camera, but did not succeed. But I
understand that Daljit Ami has shot these on his video camera few
days earlier.
Nawab
Mohd Ahmad Khan was a prosecution witness(Sarkari gawah) against
Bhagat Singh and his comrades in Lahore Conspiracy case. He rose to
become an honorary magistrate in Pakistan. He was murdered at the
same place in 1970’s, where Bhagat Singh was executed i.e. Shadman
Chowk. Interestingly, Zulifkar Ali Bhutto was trapped for the murder
of this man by Zia ul Haq and hung in Lahore jail in 1977.
(The
author is Professor, Centre of Indian Languages(SLL&CS), JNU, New
Delhi and President of the JNU Teachers Association)
13 June 2007
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