Three-day mela to spotlight Ghadar Movement's legacy, challenges

The three-day 34th Mela Ghadri Babeyan Da, dedicated to the centenary of the death of Ghadri Gulab Kaur (1925-2025) and the struggle of the Ghadar movement, will begin at the Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall in Jalandhar on October 30, 31 and November 1.

Kashmir MLA Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami, economist and political playwright Prabhat Patnaik, writer and democratic rights activist Dr Navsharan Kaur and veteran playwright, editor, academic and poet Swaraj Bir Singh and will be the key speakers at the mela.

The mela, celebrating the ideals and contribution of Gulab Kaur, will firmly uphold the fundamental foundation, objectives and goals of the Ghadar movement, emphasise its relevance in contemporary times while discussing the burning issues of the present times, said members and trustees of the Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall here today. The mela is also dedicated to immigrants and the hatred they are subjected to.

The mela, committed to upholding democratic rights and making sense of contemporary corporatisation, will witness the Kashmir ideologue Tarigami and Dr Navsharan’s speeches on democratic rights in Kashmir and the country on the final day, November 1. Patnaik and Swaraj Bir will speak on fascism and corporatisation in the mid-day session on October 31.

As many as 1,000 artistes have already reached the yadgaar hall for cultural events.

Yadgaar comittee members said the mela will be witness discussions on issues of corporate, communal fascist attacks; Palestine; massacre of tribals and communist revolutionaries; free trade; pain of migration; the propaganda against migrant workers in Punjab; dispossession of landless people and lands; river of drugs; loot of the country’s national treasury by domestic and foreign corporate houses.

On the final day, a serious discussion will be held on the topic of ‘Remembering the legacy of the Ghadar movement’ at the Ghadri Baba Jawala Singh Hall. Desh Bhagat Yadgar Committee president Ajmer Singh, general secretary Prithipal Singh Marimegha and Cultural Wing convener Amolak Singh said members of the Desh Bhagat Yadgar Committee Hardev Singh Arshi, Dr Parminder, Mangat Ram Pasla, Raminder Patiala, Sukhwinder Sekhon will share their views.

The cultural wing of the committee shall also organise quizzes, speeches, singing, painting competitions, song and music, theatre, poet court, film show, book exhibition, langar, maintenance, medical, preparatory campaign and workshop.