'Bhagat Singh, a shared hero for India-Pak'

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 15

Majha House hosted a session of Sanjha Punjab, centred around the life of Bhagat Singh and its depiction through graphic novel Inquilab Zindabad by Ikroop Sandhu. Joining the conversation were eminent historian Irfan Habib, Arpita Das, Ikroop Sandhu and Pakistani writer and activist Shahid Nadeem.

Bhagat Singh should also be seen as an intellectual and this is evident with the fact that he wrote his first essay at the age of 17. Bhagat Singh's idea of freedom was comprehensive. — Irfan Habib, An Eminent Historian

Ikroop Sandhu, while beginning the conversation, said Bhagat Singh is largely known as a young revolutionary, who sacrificed his life for freedom. ‘He was much more than that. He was a profound thinker and writer, who wrote extensively. My focus is on his idealism and his connections with Lahore and it was a wonderful experience to capture the depth of his thoughts and the beauty of Lahore as Lahore can rightly be called his ‘karmbhoomi,’ said Ikroop.

To this, historian Irfan Habib added that Bhagat Singh should also be seen as an intellectual and this is evident with the fact that he wrote his first essay at the age of 17. ‘Bhagat Singh’s idea of freedom was comprehensive. He wanted freedom from all that was old and wrong. He never talked about Hindus or Sikhs or Muslims but of universal brotherhood where human values were at the centre. For me, he is the bridge between the two so called ‘enemy countries’. He was also very ahead of his times. He speaks about scientific temper, rational thinking, gender equality, for a new order, and he also said things which are very relevant to today’s India,’’ said Irfan.

Ikroop also shared how she read about Bhagat Singh and conceived her novel. ‘When you are reading, you are also coding the information, using your memory to create images in your mind. The language used by a writer is intensely personal and universal at the same time. So, while I continued to be impressed by Bhagat Singh’s extraordinary life as I read about him but at the same time, I was also assimilating the information as images, my mind providing me with images and colours and shades. I hope that I have been successful in depicting this life as bravely and truly as it was lived.”

Meanwhile, Shahid Nadeem, stressed that Bhagat Singh and his legacy can be the bridge of peace between India and Pakistan. “The absence of Bhagat Singh from the Pakistani ethos was a glaring omission, which got rectified when in 1974 Mohammad Ahmed Khan was executed in place of Nawab Mohammad Ahmad Khan. But the irony was that Nawab Ahmad Khan was the magistrate, who signed Bhagat Singh’s execution orders.

Then Majeed Sheikh wrote an article ‘Cycle of Blood’, which talks about links between the generals of Ranjit Singh and Bulle Shah and between the oppressed and the oppressor. Now, we are going to perform ‘Rang de Basanti Chola’ and both Indians and Pakistanis can take pride in the life of a legend like Bhagat Singh and this can be used as a bridge of peace between the two countries,” said Shahid Nadeem.

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