Farmers Movement Archive

Mela Ghadri Babeyan Da to focus on fascism, farm Bills

Jalandhar, September 19The 29th Mela Ghadri Babeyan Da will be dedicated to Baba Sohan Singh Bhakna’s 150th birth anniversary. Amid the Covid-19, the mela, which is usually held for three days, shall be reduced to a one-day affair this year and shall feature fascism and people’s rights as its central theme.The one-day fair shall be held on November 1. The day-long fair would begin with the ceremonial flag hoisting ritual at 10 am on November 1. The information was shared by Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Committee president Ajmer Singh, general secretary Gurmeet Singh and cultural wing convener Amolak Singh (members).Dedicated to Baba Sohan Singh BhaknaMembers said the flag-hoisting ceremony would be conducted by Surinder Singh Jalaldiwal, present member of the Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Committee (DBYC) and grandson of DBYC founding member Baba Dulla Singh Jalaldiwal.In a meeting of the general body, it was decided that various contests, traditionally held during the fair, would be impossible to be held successfully this year due to the prolonged closure of educational institutes. Scholar, playwright and senior journalist Dr Swarajbir along with farm economist and food policy analyst Devinder Sharma would be the keynote speaker at the mela.The general body of the Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Committee has decided that the discourse at the fair this year would be centered on fascist onslaught, attack on people’s rights, subversion of intellectual voices, farm Bills, all-round attacks on the lives of workers and the carrying forward of the Ghadar legacy.Ajmer Singh was chosen as the officiating president and Seetal Singh as the vice-president of the committee unanimously during the general body meeting held on Thursday.In a resolution, it was demanded that an unconditional release of intellectuals, workers and people’s activists be ensured. False cases against activists be stopped and steps being taken to silence those voicing democratic rights concerns be stopped.A resolution was also passed to oppose farm Bills, which members said were aimed at snubbing farm sector voices and also against the sidelining of the Punjabi language in various states.During the meeting, tributes were also paid to deceased luminaries — committee’s former chief Gurmeet Singh Dhadda, senior trustee Naunihal Singh, Manjit Singh Lali, Des Raj Umarpura, Swami Agnivesh, Dr Satinder Aulakh and Randhir Singh.

The Tribune

2020-09-20