On October 7, 2007, the Kent Branch of Indian Workers Association (Great Britain) organized a militant and grand meeting to commemorate the centenary of the birth of the great patriot and martyr Shaheed Bhagat Singh. The meeting was held in the sports complex of the new Gurudwara that is being constructed by the community in Gravesend. Over 200 people participated enthusiastically in this function. Those who addressed the meeting on the occasion included Comrade Amar Jagpalpuri, President of the IWA(Great Britain) Kent Branch, Professor Jagmohan, and Comrade Prakash Rao, spokesperson of the Communist Ghadar Party of India. The proceedings of the function were conducted by Comrade Dara Singh.

The hall was beautifully decorated with pictures of the martyrs. On the stage, the young comrades of the IWA(GB) projected key messages of Bhagat Singh bringing out the class character of the struggle he and his comrades waged, the inevitability of the struggle, its prolonged character, as well as final goal of the struggle --- the ending of all forms of exploitation of persons by persons. By highlighting these statements of the Shaheed, the organizers of the meeting made sure that all the participants in the meeting, speakers as well as those listening, focused on the lessons that need to be drawn for carrying the struggle that the Indian people are waging today against capitalism and the colonial legacy to victory.

Comrade Jagpalpuri rendered a patriotic poem in Punjabi. Comrade Dara then called upon Comrade Dalwinder to address the gathering. After rendering the patriotic revolutionary song “mitti nu salaam dosto…” (Salute this land that gave birth to a Bhagat Singh…), Comrade Dalwinder spoke on the struggle waged by Bhagat Singh and his comrades, particularly in jail and in the courts, to expose the system of colonial rule, to expose the compromisers, and to rouse the masses of Indian people in revolutionary struggle against the colonizers. Comrade Dalwinder then emphasised how the struggle of the Indian revolutionaries continues till today, as the transfer of power in 1947 constituted a treachery and the Indian people remain an exploited and oppressed people, even as India is marching on the road to become a world class imperialist power. He spoke about the work being carried on today by the Communist Ghadar Party of India to awaken the Indian masses against the system, to organize the working masses to take power into their own hands, and to build the unity of revolutionary forces in the course of directing the fire against the reactionary bourgeoisie. Comrade Dalwinder’s brief speech was met with resounding applause.

Comrade Lekhraj spoke about the struggle of Bhagat Singh and its relevance. Many comrades came forward to render revolutionary songs. Prof. Jagmohan then spoke about the life of Bhagat Singh. Basing himself on information he came to know because of being a nephew of the Shaheed, he recalled the role of women in the struggle, such as Durga bhabhi who used to risk her all for the cause of the revolution.

Comrade Salwinder strongly put forward the view that the real way of commemorating the Shaheed’s centenary was to fight to build and strengthen the Indian Workers Association (Great Britain) as a fighting organization of patriotic and revolutionary Indians in Britain, as an instrument to make Indian workers in Britain conscious and organized, who would fight actively for the victory of revolution both in India and in Britain. Comrade Salwinder hailed the work of the CGPI in this regard.

The last speaker at the meeting was Comrade Prakash Rao. Comrade Prakash congratulated all the organizers as well as the participants for honourably upholding the great traditions of the IWA, which was founded by none other than the great patriot and martyr Shaheed Udham Singh. He pointed out that the hearts of patriotic Indians, wherever they are, in which ever corner of the globe, beats for India. They yearn for an end to the exploitation of persons by persons in our beloved motherland. He said, “I can see so many comrades here in this meeting, who have spent the last 30-40 years – the best parts of their lives – in sacrificing their all, thinking and working night and day for the victory of Indian revolution”. Comrade Prakash informed the audience that this year we are commemorating a number of significant anniversaries. It is not only the centenary of the birth of the Shaheed, it is the 150 th year of the Great ghadar. It is also the sixtieth anniversary of the greatest treachery committed against the people of the transfer of power to prevent a successful and thoroughgoing anti colonial revolution. It is also the 40 th anniversary of the naxalbari uprising. To prolonged applause Comrade Prakash Rao mentioned that it is exactly thirty years since you comrades, since the Indian Marxist Leninists resident abroad who had organized themselves in the Hindustani Ghadar Party (Organisation of Indian Marxists Leninists Abroad) held their first Congress in Toronto Canada. And comrades, that Congress took the historic decision that since the communist movement in India was fragmented, we need to send comrades to India to rebuild the revolutionary headquarters. Comrades the building of the CGPI is the consequence of that glorious decision.

Dwelling on the situation facing the Indian people, and the key lessons we must draw from the life and work of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Comrade Rao pointed out that the Shaheed and his comrades in arms worked with the lofty vision of putting an end to all forms of exploitation of persons by persons. There was not an ounce of pettiness, narrow mindedness, in Bhagat Singh, and the deep love for humanity was evident in the way they waged the struggle. They learnt from the positive experience of the Great Ghadar of 1857, and of the Ghadar revolutionaries of the early twentieth century and the fire of revolution burnt in their hearts. Their struggle forced a division in the ranks of the compromisers, it brought the overthrow of colonial rule directly onto the agenda. We Indian revolutionaries of today know very well from the experience of the past that it is extremely important that revolutionaries have the broad vision, that we concentrate the fire on the Indian big bourgeoisie and imperialism, and unite all the revolutionary forces in the struggle.

Comrade Rao concluded by hailing the role of patriotic revolutionary Indian workers in Britain and exhorting the comrades to vigorously build and strengthen their fighting organisation, the Indian Workers Association (Great Britain).

The evening continued with a play on the life and times of Bhagat Singh, linking it with the developments in India in recent times, staged by a cultural group from Birmingham. The meeting ended in a militant atmosphere, with all present expressing their resolve to work tirelessly for the glorious mission of ending all forms of exploitation on the soil of India.