Social and cultural organisation Punjab Lok Sujag and Kuknas in collaboration with Panjabi Waves and Art Home Media Agency have come together to celebrate 109th birth anniversary of Bhagat Singh at his ancestral house in Bangay village of Faislabad district, Pakistan.
In a rather hostile ambiance between India and Pakistan following the Uri terrorist attack, love for Bhagat Singh is a common thread which holds the two countries together.
Rizwan Safdar, one of the main organizers and regional manager of Lok Sujag, said, “This is the second time that we are organizing this event. My organization and Kuknas are civil society outfits working to promote Punjabi language and heroes of this part of the world. Bhagat Singh’s struggle was beyond the boundaries of religion or country. He wanted freedom for all. Whole Jaranwala is proud of him that he fought against British imperialists and he is our hero.”
The organisers said that the whole village was there to celebrated Bhagat Singh’s anniversary last year and they are expecting 800-1000 people to join the fair this year as well.
As the relations between India and Pakistan turned acrimonious after the Uri Attack with clamour getting louder for war, Safdar said, “If Pakistan and India want to progress and end all evils like poverty, we must be peaceful. War is not a solution. Peace is our message. Common people don’t want fight, they want peace.”
Singers like Jassi Lakhpuria, Sanwal Dhillon and Aslam Lohar will be performing in the event. Trailer of a short film ‘Swaraj’, made by some stdents of Government College University, Faisalbad, would be released during the event.
Meanwhile, Indians also appreciated the event being organised in Pakistan. “We cannot deny the fact that we have a common past. Tension between India and Pakistan will rise and fall but we do share our history and freedom fighters. It is really a good news that in this hour of rising tension between two countries, some organizations are rekindling the light of friendship,” said writer Kewal Dhir, who is frequent visitor to Pakistan as a goodwill ambassador.
“I must appreciate the villagers who have beautifully maintained the belongings in his native village as I had seen that during my visit there around 4-5 years ago,” he added.
Sourced from agencies, Feature image courtesy: en.wikipedia.org
