LAHORE (Sarfraz Ali) – Pakistan needs revolutionary leaders like Bhagat Singh as the country fights against the feudal system to establish a people’s democracy.
These views were expressed by intellectuals, writers and peace activists during a ceremony organized by Punjabi Parchar in connection with the 84th martyrdom anniversary of Bhagat Singh at Shadman Chowk.
The slogans like, “We want freedom”, “Freedom is our right”, “Zinda ha, Bhagat Singh Zinda ha ( Bhagaht Singh is alive),” reverberated the Chowk, where Singh was hanged on March 23, 1931, as hundreds of people belonging to different walks of life gathered to pay glowing tribute to the revolutionary freedom fighter on his 84th death anniversary. A vigil was also held.
The speakers, including Punjabi Parchar chief Ahmed Raza, demanded the “Shadman Chowk be named after Bhagat Singh because he gave his life for the cause of restoring power to the people —and he was the real freedom fighter and we need more people like him.”
Former Diyal Singh College principal and Punjabi Parchar General Secretary Tariq Jatala said Bhagat Singh’s birthday was an important event for the working classes of the Indo-Pak subcontinent.
Activist, Raheela Zareen, said, “We want the government to name the Shadman Chowk after Bhagat Singh as a tribute to the great freedom fighter.”
The city government had decided to re-name Fawara Chowk as Bhaghat Singh Chowk in October 2012, but the plan was put on hold, after the report of renaming drew objections and a group opposed to it took to the streets.
Tehreek-e-Hurmat-e-Rasool member and Shadman Traders’ Union president Zahid Butt had challenged the move in the Lahore High Court. The court then restrained the city government from issuing an official notification in this regard. The hearing of the case has yet to conclude.
Bhagat Singh Memorial Committee President Syeeda Deep said Bhagat Sing was an icon for the youth. She demanded a monument of the great freedom fighter be placed in Shadman Chowk.
Bhagat Singh Foundation President Abdullah Malik said that Bhagat Singh was a revolutionary, who raised voice against injustice and unfair distribution of resources in society. He demanded the Punjab government fulfill its promise to rename the Shadman Chowk to Bhagat Singh Chowk.
Indian intellectuals Sardar Nanak Singh, Jetin Desai, Sataya Paul, Bhagat Singh Memorial Chairman Abdul Rasheed Qureshi Advocate, Pir Masood Chishti Advocate, Allah Bakhush Gondal Advocate and others also spoke at the ceremony.
Bhagat Singh and BK Dutt threw a bomb inside the Central Assembly hall in New Delhi on April 8, 1929 to protest against the British rule in India.
Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were also tried for shooting and killing British Superintendent of Police Saunders on December 17, 1928, and were awarded the death sentence.
Following a hasty trial of the Lahore Conspiracy Case, they were executed by the British a day earlier than the scheduled hanging in the Central Jail at Lahore at 7.15 pm on March 23, 1931.
