Surya Barathi K P
Dear Comrade Bhagat Singh, we salute you for the sacrifices that you’ve done for the independence of our country. For you voluntarily gave yourself up to the police and didn’t even try to resist while getting arrested. For you greeted death with a smile on your face and eventually became an inspiration for the youth throughout our country.
Dear Comrade Bhagat Singh, we salute you for the struggles that you undertook and the struggles that you lead while being in prison, demanding better facilities for the prisoners, thus continuing your struggle for the betterment of people’s living conditions even when you were imprisoned.
Dear Comrade Bhagat Singh, we salute you for proving the baselessness of the caste system that is being prevalent, for you wrote, “(You) make a temple to worship the God who loves everyone, but if an untouchable enters it, it becomes defiled. God becomes angry”.
Dear Comrade Bhagat Singh, we salute you for the way in which you exposed how religions have been a divisive force in our country, for you wrote, “Under these conditions (the various instances of religious riots), the future of Hindustan seems very bleak. These ‘religions’ have ruined the country. And one has no idea how long these religious riots will plague Hindustan”.
Dear Comrade Bhagat Singh, we salute you for your vision of freedom that our country deserves, for you wrote, “Our freedom does not mean merely to escape the hold of the British; it means complete independence – when people will intermingle with each other and be rid of mental slavery as well”, thus explaining the necessity to achieve a society without any sort of divisions.
Dear Comrade Bhagat Singh, we salute you for your message to the common masses regarding the necessity of the revolution of the proletariat, for you wrote, “It is in your (the poor workers and peasants) interest that all discrimination on account of religion, race, colour and nationality is eliminated and the power of the government be taken in your hands”.
Dear Comrade Bhagat Singh, we salute you for the way in which you incited the students and youth to take part in politics and struggle, for the way in which you are still inciting the students and youth to take part in politics and struggle, and at the same time emphasising on the importance of education which does more than impart facts into one’s mind, or in your own words, “only if they have acquired some practical knowledge. If they have done more than just cramming for the Maths and Geography Exams”.
But Comrade Bhagat Singh, we owe you an apology, for we have failed to ensure the eradication of discrimination on the basis of various grounds. For there are still instances where people are not allowed to enter temples because of their caste background. For there is an embarrassingly huge number of instances of Islamophobia prevailing in our country.
Dear Comrade Bhagat Singh, we definitely owe you an apology, for we were unable to stop the Sangh Parivar, a group of organisations known for their hate mongering and for their devotion to Manusmriti, use your images in their posters and project you as their ideologue, eventually bringing disgrace to your legacy.
Dear Comrade Bhagat Singh, we owe you an apology, for we were unable to stop the divisive forces in our country from stopping our masses from intermingling with each other and ignoring the differences, one of the many aspects of your vision of an independent Hindustan.
Dear Comrade Bhagat Singh, we owe you an apology, for we have failed to make sure that the basic facilities are available for everyone. For the COVID Pandemic reflected the loads of inequalities that are prevalent in our society when it comes to access to facilities, especially the health care, one of the most basic facilities that should be available to anyone. For the common masses who were affected by COVID directly or indirectly were suffering to get access to medical facilities throughout the pandemic and this problem was further amplified by the insensitive handling of the pandemic by the current BJP led central government.
Dear Comrade Bhagat Singh, we owe you an apology, for we were unable to make sure that everyone has access to education, let alone education which does more than imparting facts. For still there are instances where students from the marginalised community are being beaten to death by teachers for their caste backgrounds. For the issue of dropping out of schools is still a prevalent issue among the marginalised community. For the COVID Pandemic showed the huge gap in access to education prevailing in our country. For the ineffective UGC is cutting the funds allocated to the Central Universities without any shame. To make matter worse, the current BJP led central government is hell bent on implementing the New Education Policy – an atrocious policy which is expected to perpetuate inequality, impede the progress of the marginalised section and increase chances of privatisation
Dear Comrade Bhagat Singh, we owe you an apology, for we were unable to stop the exploitation of the proletariats by the Bourgeoisie. For the current BJP led central government is supporting the capitalists and endorsing neoliberal policies shamelessly. For the level of inequality is in such a worrisome state that, a part of our country was very recently celebrating the crooked capitalist Adani becoming the second richest person in the world while the ranking of our country in the global hunger index has reached a new low of 101st position out of 116 countries.
But Comrade Bhagat Singh, we assure you that we will fight till everyone gets access to the basic facilities. We assure you that we will fight till all these divisive forces are put to rest. We assure you that we will fight till all forms of discriminations are eradicated from our society. We assure you that we will fight till our country attains the independence which you envisioned. We assure you that we will fight till the exploitation of the common masses by the bourgeoisie is put to rest.
Dear Comrade Bhagat Singh, there are still loads of salutes which you deserve, loads of apologies which we owe you and loads of assurances which we want to give you. But, words are not enough to express them all. However, on your 115th birthday, we assure you that we will continue our fight against all these issues which are currently pestering our country. And finally, we assure you that we will fight till our common goal of establishing the rule of the proletariat, the reconstruction of the whole society on socialist basis is realised and eventually, a classless society emerges.
For the darkest hour is just before dawn.
LONG LIVE REVOLUTION
(28th September is the birthday of comrade Bhagat Singh)