Indian revolutionary kin brings message of social justice to Vancouver

Prof. Jagmohan Singh (back right) with members of the protesting Musqueam.

By Gurpreet Singh 

The nephew of Bhagat Singh, a towering revolutionary who had participated in the freedom struggle of India, visited the site of the protest being staged by the members of the Musqueam tribe on the Marine drive.

Prof. Jagmohan Singh, who is a social justice activist himself was here to attend series of events that were organized by the progressive groups within the Indo Canadian community. As a General Secretary of the Association For Democratic Rights (AFDR), he has been consistently raising the voice against oppression of the so called untouchables and tribal population in India, besides human rights violation and state repression against religious minorities.

The Musqueam activists are opposing the proposed construction at their 3,000 years old ancient burial site. Prof. Singh expressed his solidarity with the protesters. He said that the colonization has devastated the lives of both the First Nations in Canada and people back in India. His uncle was hanged in 1931 for killing a British police officer.

Prof. Singh spoke at series of events held in Surrey and Abbotsford. These events were organized by different progressive South Asian groups, including South Asian Network for Secularism and Democracy, Hari Sharma Foundation, East Indian Defence Committee, Chetna Association and an Indian rationalist society; Taraksheel Sabha.

His uncle was not only opposed to British occupation but had also forewarned against class oppression in free India. Prof. Singh spoke at length about issues like untouchability and caste oppression in India and also the challenges of market reforms being introduced in that country. These reforms are widening gap between rich and poor, he said. He revealed that one of his granddaughters is married to a person who belongs to a so called untouchable class.

During his visit, he also paid tributes at a new built Komagata Maru memorial. The Komagata Maru ship carrying Indian passengers was forced to return in 1914 under the then discriminatory immigration policy for which the Prime Minister, Stephen Harper has apologized. Bhagat Singh had also opposed the episode in one of his writings. This incident had ignited the freedom struggle in India. A year before this episode, a militant group called Gadar Party was launched by the Indian immigrants in US with an aim to launch an armed struggle to drive British out of India. Many activists from Vancouver also became members of the party. They not only opposed British rule in India, but also fought against racism and discriminatory immigration policies in Canada. They were also in the forefront of the struggle in support of the Komagata Maru passengers. A heritage Sikh temple in Abbotsford was the nerve center of the Gadar Party activities. Prof. Singh who also paid visit to the temple urged the secularist groups to jointly celebrate the Gadar Party centenary next year. He pointed out that the Gadar Party members kept religion and politics apart and was not a religious fanatic group. For Prof. Singh keeping the struggle against imperialist policies is more important than simply keeping the memories of history alive.

Avtar Gill says:

October 10, 2012 at 6:26 am

Prof: Jagmohan Singh also joined Shaheed Bhgat Singh Memorial 5KM run on 29th Sept 2012 with Phoja Singh.Great information given by Gurpreet Singh Thanks