In an enthusiastic atmosphere, the Organising Committee of the Ghadar Jaari Hai Abhiyan met in Lucknow on April 21, 2007.

The meeting was chaired by Com Prakash Rao. The meeting was held in the backdrop of vigorous campaign amongst the people by the constituents of the Abhiyan in different parts of the country. With joy, the members heard the report of the excellent function organized on April 13, 2007 in Jalandhar by the Desh Bhagat Yaadgar Committee and the magnificent socio-cultural event organized in Ulhasnagar, Maharashtra on April 15, 2007 by the Lok Raj Sangathan.

A report and decisions of the previous meeting held in Delhi on Feb 3-4 was read out by Comrade O P Sinha. Members of the Organising Committee who were not present at the earlier meeting in Delhi fully supported the mission statement and made important points elaborating sections of it. For example several members expressed their disgust at the British propaganda that it was a sepoy mutiny and illustrated how the uprising was a popular one of national character. Many participants also laid stress on the nefarious activities of British colonialists after the suppression of the uprising which led to the laying the foundation of the colonial state. One participant gave a detailed expose of how imperialism tried to regulate and control the social, religious and political activities of Indian people by passing the Society Registration Act in 1860. The participant pointed out that a number of events that preceded 1857 revealed that Indians had social and religious organizations which were actively working for the uprising, and forging the unity of the peoples. It was to break this unity that colonialists spread communal poison in Ayodhya after 1857 to create a dispute among Hindus and Muslims. Still another participant talked about the Macaulay’s education system and the Arms Act that disarmed the Indian people physically and intellectually. Another member pointed out that a very important point made by the mission statement is the level of development of science and various technologies in pre-British India, which goes against the conventional wisdom that all science is a gift of British colonialism.

Members of the Committee announced that they will bring out the newsletter of Ghadar Jaari Hai in urdu with immediate effect. This was followed by discussion of future work by constituents as well as by the committee itself. Various members also resolved to organize activities in various parts of UP like Bithoor, Shyamli, Unnao, Allahabad etc.

Com Prakash invited everyone to an important Conference in Delhi in June being organized by CGPI on the Ghadar of 1857.

Sample copies of the Ghadar Jaari Hai magazine were tabled in the meeting causing much rejoicing and all members hailed its excellent content and quality of production. Various members took up responsibility of widely distributing it as well preparing articles for the future issues.

The next meeting of the organizing committee will be held in Lucknow on July 14, 2007.