Man who conceived Mela Gadri Babeyan Da dies at 84

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 25

Back when the rear side of the Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall was an abandoned house referred to as “Badrinath Ki Kothi”, nets were erected by sportspersons who played there. It was Comrade Naunihal Singh who first floated the idea to tell the youth the historical significance of the place.

• Also read: Comrade Naunihal passes away at 84

The Mela Gadri Babeyan Da – a concept envisioned by Comrade Naunihal was the first idea to- engage youth in the pursuit of history - and promote Yadgaar hall as cultural hub.

Having dedicated half his life to the Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Committee, the demise of 84-year-old Comrade marked the end of a glorious chapter. It was with heavy hearts that committee members witnessed the passing of their eldest member and a vocal critic of fascist and communal elements in politics.

Naunihal Singh was credited with shaping the Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall as a literary and cultural hub and involving students in the process to conserve and propagate the historic importance of the Ghadar ideology. He faced injury for standing with Phagwara mill workers and was among those arrested in 2008 for demanding martyr status for those killed during Komagatamru incident and Kooka Lehar.

Cultural wing convener of Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall Amolak Singh said, “With him an era has ended. He was among the three pillars of the committee. The others two, Baba Bhagat Singh Bilga and Comrade Gandharva Sen Kochar, had passed away. He dedicated half a century to the Yadgaar Committee. The arena which houses the rear side of the hall today was earlier an abandoned house called “Badrinath Di Kothi”. It was Comrade Naunihal’s initiative to start Mela Gadri Babeyan Da in this arena. He was acutely aware that youth had to be mobilised and taught lessons of history they were at perils to forget. Two years before an event he would ask us to prepare the mela on historic themes. He started the tradition of announcing the mela’s next year theme a year in advance.”

“Due to his resolute resistance, the Desh Bhagat Yadgaar hall also managed to avoid many instances aimed at politically diluting it. Naunihal Singh stood in the way many times. While he was a proponent of the need to remember the importance Komagatamru martyrs, Kerti Lehar, Ghadar movement, Babbar Akalis, Jallianwala Bagh Massacre etc turn by turn, it was also his and Comrade Sen’s idea to start Sikhiyarthi Chetna camps and involve students in the process,” adds Amolak Singh.

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