THE Indo-Canadian Workers Association of Canada held a public meeting to observe the martyrdom day of Saheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, and to mark the birth centenary of former CPI(M) general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet. The meeting, held in Strawberry Public Library in Surrey on March 20, was presided over by Ranjit Singh and moderated by Surinder Dhesi. All the speakers paid homage to the martyrs and spoke about the revolutionary path shown by Saheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh and others. ICWA president Surinder Sangha spoke in details about the revolutionary thoughts of Bhagat Singh and his comrades and how the sedition law which still exist in India was used to hang them. Today again, the government is trying to use the same law against students of the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi, he said. Sangha spoke about how the Indian masses were being divided today on communal lines and stressed on the need to resist these forces and congratulated the Indian Left and democratic-minded people who are opposing all these moves. ICWA joint secretary Harinderjit Sandhu said that there is a need to connect the younger generation with the concept and philosophy of Bhagat Singh. He said we need to highlight Bhagat Singh’s photo with a book in his hand so that the younger generation can be connected with his concept and philosophy. The new generation must be made aware of what kind of change Bhagat Singh wanted to bring in India. This will help equip them with honesty, hard labour, working habits, sincerity and habit to study. Surinder Dhesi said we are unable to spread our roots among the younger generation and stressed the need to spread Bhagat Singh’s idea of freedom among the younger generation. Speaking on the issue of corruption, Surinder said the whole structure of the politics has to be changed in India. The ruling classes will try not to allow that change without a revaluation. ICWA organiser Kulwant Dhesi said there are many revolutionaries in India who made tremendous sacrifices in the freedom struggle but what makes Bhagat Singh Saheed-e-Azam. In every house in India, there are photos of Mahatma Gandhi and Bhagat Singh. Gandhi struggled for independence but it was for the transfer of power from the British but Bhagat Singh wrote a thesis about what kind of independence we need, that makes him Saheed-e-Azam. Today when we are remembering Bhagat Singh, today’s government is trying to change the syllabus of schools and applying the same British laws of sedition against the students and dividing the people on communal lines. It is the duty of the Left and democratic minded people to resist and oppose such move. JNU has a history of creating leadership and Left parties only can provide an alternate. He narrated the achievements of the previous Left Front government in West Bengal in the field of land reforms, education and health though having limited powers. The people of West Bengal have seen Mamata’s misrule in the last five years and they need a change in the state and bring a secular and democratic government in West Bengal and Kerala where Assembly polls are being held. Kulwant said BJP won the last Lok Sabha polls only because of the rampant corruption during Congress rule and the people wanted to defeat Congress. Recalling the contributions of Harkishan Singh Surjeet, Kulwant said he worked effortlessly to stop BJP from coming to power as he knew about the dangers of communal politics which we are seeing in India today. He said ICWA is celebrating the 100TH anniversary of Banda Singh Bahadur for his contribution in land reforms and his sacrifices. (END)