November 19, 2019
Sukhendu Sekhar Ray speaks on The Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill, 2019
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Dhanyabad, Deputy Chairman Sir. Jallianwalabagh humare desh ke har deshpremi ke liye ek tirth sthan jaisa hain. Jo kuchh ghata tha April 13, 1919 ko, yeh hamare itihas ki kala chapter ban ke reh gaya.
Yeh jo massacre hua tha is barein mein sabse pehle kadam uthaya tha Rabindranath Tagore ji ne is barein mein. Unhone Gandhi ji ke paas CF Andrews ko bheja tha, Santiniketan se, Visva Bharati se; unhone ye prarthana kiya tha ki ham aapse milenge Delhi mein, Mahatma ji se, aur keval main aur Mahatma ji hum dono Jallianwalabhagh jayenge. Aur agar police gireftar karta hain to gireftar honge. Is ka protest hona chahiye thik se. Lekin koi karan ke vajah se Gandhi ji razi nahin huye. Fir Tagore ne CR Das ko bola ek protest ayojan hona chahiye; woh bhi nahi hua.
Ghatna ghata tha April 13 ko aur May 31 tak kuchh nahi hua. May 31 ko Tagore ne us zamaane ke jo Viceroy the, James Ford, unko ek chitthi likha, aur woh chitthi humare itihaas mein ek dalil ban ke reh gaya. Main ek do line aapki izazaat se quote karna chahta hoon.
“The enormity of the measures taken by the Government in the Punjab for quelling some local disturbances has, with a rude shock, revealed to our minds the helplessness of our position as British subjects in India. The disproportionate severity of the punishments inflicted upon the unfortunate people and the methods of carrying them out, we are convinced, are without parallel in the history of civilised governments. These are the reasons which have painfully compelled me to ask Your Excellency, with due reference and regret, to relieve me of my title of Knighthood.”
Toh Knighthood unhone tyaag kiya. Is ke baad rajnaitik mahal pe sansani paida hua ke kuchh karna chahiye. Dhire dhire kuchh public opinion form hua. Congress party ne sub committee form kiya. Woh sub committee waha visit kiya.
Humare dusre sathi bi bol rahe thhe Udham Singh ke bare me. Is ghatna mein Udham Singh bhi shahid ho jate usdin. Woh the udhar, kisi tarha bach gaye. Fir baad mein woh America gaye Africa gaye England gaye. London ki Hall mein ek sabha bulaya gaya tha; woh sabha tha East India Association ka. Unke paas jankari tha ki Michael O’Dwyer (jo Lieutenant Governor tha Punjab ka us samay ka) woh ayenge bhasan dene ke liye. Toh chhupake pistol leke gaye the Udham Singh aur chhe goli se unko ura diya, usi hall mein. Unka jo trial hua, us mein unko fansi ka order diya gaya. Unhone court mein bola, I want to quote one line,
“He, means Michael O’Dwyer, wanted to crush the spirit of my people so I have crushed him. For full 21 years I have been trying to seek vengeance, I am happy that I have done the job and I hope that when I am done thousands of my country men will come to free my country.”
Sir, yeh Sardar Udham Singh Ji, ek mahan shahid sirf nahi hain. Ikkis saal apne mann mein woh jwalo ko jalate rahe ki jab bhi humko opportunity milega hum is ka badla lenge aur dikha diya sare duniya ko ki kaise jawab diya jata hai. Toh aaj wahan pe unka mortal remains rakha geye hai Jallianwala Bagh mein. Lekin usko thoda renovate karna chahiye. Main Sarkar se appeal karna chahta hoon, unka mortal remains jo wahan pe rakha gaya hai, usko thoda renovate kare, public ko zyada jaankari mile unke bare mein. Yeh mera Sarkar se arzi hain.
Teesra yeh hai Sir, wahan pe ek museum hai, Jallianwala Bagh main, woh museum bhi properly maintain nahi ho raha hai. Is museum ko properly maintain karna hai isko dekhna hai.
Aur jo sansadiya Amendment laye hai is Bill mein… theek hai, aapka prerogative hota hai Sarkar ka. Lekin jo log shahid huye the us samay, woh jo saikro aadmi ko jo hatya kiya gaya tha, unki family mein se aapne kisiko Trust mein rakha hai kya? Agar nahi rakha hai to unko aap laiye. Nahi to agar aap aisa Amendment laye hain sirf kisiko hatane ke liye to is ko log sochenge, aam janta sochenge, ki aap rajneeti kar rahe hain. Aisa mat kijeye, kaska kar ke jo log shahid huye the us samay Jallianwala Bagh mein, unke jo descendants hai, un mein se kuch log ko aap Trust main laiye, yeh mera nivedan hain.
Dhanyavad.
