The historic city of Agra, known for its friendly atmosphere and ever hospitable people, was witness to an attempt on part of the people of this subcontinent, now divided into three different countries, to come together to end the legacy of division and animosity fostered by the rulers of these countries.

Addressing the gathering, representative of Communist Ghadar Party of India said that this division should be seen in the backdrop of the great unity that was displayed by Indian across the entire sub-continent during the Great Ghadar of 1857 and the freedom struggle. Partition of this subcontinent is part of the colonial legacy and the strategy of the imperialists to keep the people of this subcontinent divided and at loggerheads with each other, so that they do not unitedly challenge the imperialists. The present Indian state is part of this game-plan. He pointed out that struggle against all kinds of oppression is going on and appealed to the youth present in the meeting to fight for a new India that would end the colonial legacy along with the division of people.

The meeting was organized by the Bangladesh-Bharat-Pakistan People’s Forum. Coordinating the proceedings of the meeting Brij Khandelwal in his opening remarks informed that many people from across the border, from Pakistan and Bangladesh, were to join this meeting, but were denied Visa’s by the government of India. Comrade Ramkishore, Convener of the Bangladesh-Bharat-Pakistan People’s Forum, narrated the initiative taken up by the forum in the context of facilitating building unity of people across the borders. In his speech he said that civilization and imperialism cannot co-exist and imperialism has to end.

Prominent speakers in the meeting included Dr. John Dayal, Member, National Integration Council; Prof. Ramesh Dixit, President, Nationalist Congress Party, Uttar Pradesh; Maqsood Ahmad, Jamaat-e-Ulema Hind; Dr. Mittal; C. P. Rao; and others. Dr. Tejeshwar Prasad, Former Director, Institute of Social Science, Agra, chaired the meeting along with Com. Ramkishore.