Bhartiya Kisan Union lends support to Mela Ghadri Babeyan Da
Jalandhar, October 30
The Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) has declared a resounding support to the 31st Mela Ghadri Babeyan Da being held at the Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall. The mela is celebrated as part of a tradition of honouring the legacy of Ghadarite freedom fighters and holding a mirror to establishments and posing questions to them about the status quo.
As many as 2,000 farmers owing allegiance to the BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) are expected to participate on November 1 – the third day of the fair.
In a statement, the BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) announced that farmers, farm labourers, intellectuals, public, social activists, artistes had been urged to participate in the “jhande di rasam” on November 1; hence, the union activists, too, would participate in large numbers.
BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan and general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokarikalan said the Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall Committee had dedicated this year’s mela to people’s movements struggling against capitalism and fascist forces. They said in such times, the mela acquired an added importance, when the central and state governments were bent upon imposing capitalist and pro-corporate policies on farmers, labourers and workers.
They said playing a role in contemporary struggles against present-day imperialism and communal-fascism was difficult without understanding the context of relentless sacrifices made by Ghadar ideologues to thwart British imperialism and gain freedom for the country.
Union leaders said scores of Ghadar ideologues who had headed off to study abroad, kicked off the pursuit of education, their earnings and even abandoned big farms to return to the country and struggle for the freedom of the country. They rose above religions and castes and embraced the gallows, took bullets and served sentences for the cause of freedom.
They said the mela stood for the fights for all those and the contemporary heroes fighting the same fights.
He said as per tradition, the union would also participate with a caravan (convoy) of farmers along with flags. The union also declared it will observe the 107th martyrdom anniversary of youngest Ghadarite Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha on November 16 with a huge gathering.
