While real protectors of our 'dharti' were taken away from us by drawing borders of religion and sect, warmongers imported from outside were foisted upon us as our heroes, says Pakistani writer Farah Lodhi Khan in an Urdu article published on 23 March 2018 .
Her real hero is Bhagat Singh and all those young men who prepared the ground for Hindostan's freedom with their blood, writes Farah in the article that was published in online magazine 'Hum Sub' (हम सब) on the occasion of death anniversary of the great freedom fighter.
Pakistanis have been done a great injustice in that their real heroes and benefactors like Bhagat Singh have been snatched away from them, she says.
"And in place of our real protectors and defenders, invaders and warmongers imported from foreign lands have been imposed on us as our heroes and benefactors."
Farah Lodhi Khan is a pretty regular columnist for Humsub.com.pk. She also has a blog site where her latest post is dated August 2016.
Her Twitter ID is @farah_lodhi.
The following is the English translation that I've done of Farah's Urdu article on Bhagat Singh.
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(23 March 2018, ‘Hum Sab’ magazine, Pakistan)
Three individuals were put to death by hanging for waging war of independence at what is now Shadman Chowk of Lahore on 23 March 1931.
These three individuals were the heroes of our freedom struggle and their names were Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev.
It has been our misfortune that whilst we were taught about Somnath temple and told about the conquerors of Babel of Islam, our very own heroes were snatched away from us.
In just 86 years, we have completely forgotten that there was only one colour of the blood that was poured into the foundations of our freedom and that was red.
That blood had no religion, creed, or sect.
One of the immense sacrifices that gave us our freedom -- whose credit we like to give only our favourite people and the elders of our own social group -- was made by a brave young man whose name was Bhagat Singh.
At an age that today’s children spend finding intense love or loathing on their smart-phones, this boy was showing the world how to liberate one’s land from servitude and indignity.
On 23 March 1931, he was only 23 years old and was already a mortal threat to the Empire.
Resolutions, movements and celebrations became possible only much later; understanding of and demand for freedom came only after Bhagat Singh and other young men of his kind had shaken up the Empire by sacrificing their lives.
For him freedom was not a dream; freedom was his obsession, the mission of his life, and, in his words, his beloved bride.
He is not only Bharat’s but also Pakistan’s hero because he is the hero of Hindostan’s freedom struggle.
He did not belong to our religion; so nobody knows when, if at all, his memorial will be built at the place in Lahore where he was hanged.
If he too had thought like that, he would have fought only for the freedom of Sikhs.
But he died for Hindostan.
So my hero is Bhagat Singh and why I am not embarrassed in admitting that a Sikh figures in my list of heroes?
Because the freedom that we spend today in song and dance and looking for ways to have fun, that freedom he gave his life to.
We’ve been done a terrible injustice – our heroes have been snatched away from us!
We were never told who our real benefactors are.
Bhagat Singh himself said, ‘I am human and everything that affects humanity affects me’.
He was human and so he was free even while in captivity.
We, the captives of our thinking, are unfree despite the freedom we have.
An appeal pending decision and filed by Shaheed Bhagat Singh Foundation at the Lahore High Court seeks re-naming of Lahore’s Shadman Chowk after Bhagat Singh, but peddlers of religion who usually set up their stalls just before elections feel threatened.
They are dead set against any such measure.
And yet even a small cow-related incident in Bharat elicits protests in this country.
It’s a different matter that while Aligarh University continues to be Aligarh University there, no
Bhagat Singh University ever came up here.
It’s actually all a difference in the way we think.
We like to believe that while those Kafirs cannot do any good, we Muslims have a birthright over
Jannat and so we take pride in doing wrong.
Here people litter the roads in order to keep their cars clean and visit others’ homes not for sociality but to spy on them.
Here a boy’s adulthood is greeted with pride and a girl’s coming of age is a cause for concern. Here even a visit to a sickbed is made in exchange for a similar visit or as a favour.
Here a 16-year education is pursued merely for a degree, not for broadening one’s mind.
Here selfish interests regularly set up shop in the name of God, prophet, and faith.
But I have been wronged in having my heroes snatched away from me and my poets and writers pushed into shadow of controversy and dispute.
While the real protectors and defenders of my ‘dharti’ were taken away from us by drawing borders of religion and sect, warmongers imported from outside were foisted upon us as our heroes and benefactors.
This really is an injustice – a dark night in which all our benefactors are disputed.
We have been confined in a circle and made to go round and round, asking each other when this journey will end, when we will reach our destination.
There really is darkness and only darkness.
-------------------------------
The following Web-links have been used in this post.
1. http://www.humsub.com.pk/117494/farah-lodhi-khan-19/
2. http://www.humsub.com.pk/author/farrah-lodhi-khan/
3. https://farahlodhi.wordpress.com/
Her real hero is Bhagat Singh and all those young men who prepared the ground for Hindostan's freedom with their blood, writes Farah in the article that was published in online magazine 'Hum Sub' (हम सब) on the occasion of death anniversary of the great freedom fighter.
Pakistanis have been done a great injustice in that their real heroes and benefactors like Bhagat Singh have been snatched away from them, she says.
"And in place of our real protectors and defenders, invaders and warmongers imported from foreign lands have been imposed on us as our heroes and benefactors."
Farah Lodhi Khan is a pretty regular columnist for Humsub.com.pk. She also has a blog site where her latest post is dated August 2016.
Her Twitter ID is @farah_lodhi.
The following is the English translation that I've done of Farah's Urdu article on Bhagat Singh.
-----------------
Hero of Freedom Struggle Bhagat Singh’s Death Anniversary
By Farah Lodhi Khan(23 March 2018, ‘Hum Sab’ magazine, Pakistan)
Three individuals were put to death by hanging for waging war of independence at what is now Shadman Chowk of Lahore on 23 March 1931.
These three individuals were the heroes of our freedom struggle and their names were Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev.
It has been our misfortune that whilst we were taught about Somnath temple and told about the conquerors of Babel of Islam, our very own heroes were snatched away from us.
In just 86 years, we have completely forgotten that there was only one colour of the blood that was poured into the foundations of our freedom and that was red.
That blood had no religion, creed, or sect.
One of the immense sacrifices that gave us our freedom -- whose credit we like to give only our favourite people and the elders of our own social group -- was made by a brave young man whose name was Bhagat Singh.
At an age that today’s children spend finding intense love or loathing on their smart-phones, this boy was showing the world how to liberate one’s land from servitude and indignity.
On 23 March 1931, he was only 23 years old and was already a mortal threat to the Empire.
Resolutions, movements and celebrations became possible only much later; understanding of and demand for freedom came only after Bhagat Singh and other young men of his kind had shaken up the Empire by sacrificing their lives.
For him freedom was not a dream; freedom was his obsession, the mission of his life, and, in his words, his beloved bride.
He is not only Bharat’s but also Pakistan’s hero because he is the hero of Hindostan’s freedom struggle.
He did not belong to our religion; so nobody knows when, if at all, his memorial will be built at the place in Lahore where he was hanged.
If he too had thought like that, he would have fought only for the freedom of Sikhs.
But he died for Hindostan.
So my hero is Bhagat Singh and why I am not embarrassed in admitting that a Sikh figures in my list of heroes?
Because the freedom that we spend today in song and dance and looking for ways to have fun, that freedom he gave his life to.
We’ve been done a terrible injustice – our heroes have been snatched away from us!
We were never told who our real benefactors are.
Bhagat Singh himself said, ‘I am human and everything that affects humanity affects me’.
He was human and so he was free even while in captivity.
We, the captives of our thinking, are unfree despite the freedom we have.
An appeal pending decision and filed by Shaheed Bhagat Singh Foundation at the Lahore High Court seeks re-naming of Lahore’s Shadman Chowk after Bhagat Singh, but peddlers of religion who usually set up their stalls just before elections feel threatened.
They are dead set against any such measure.
And yet even a small cow-related incident in Bharat elicits protests in this country.
It’s a different matter that while Aligarh University continues to be Aligarh University there, no
Bhagat Singh University ever came up here.
It’s actually all a difference in the way we think.
We like to believe that while those Kafirs cannot do any good, we Muslims have a birthright over
Jannat and so we take pride in doing wrong.
Here people litter the roads in order to keep their cars clean and visit others’ homes not for sociality but to spy on them.
Here a boy’s adulthood is greeted with pride and a girl’s coming of age is a cause for concern. Here even a visit to a sickbed is made in exchange for a similar visit or as a favour.
Here a 16-year education is pursued merely for a degree, not for broadening one’s mind.
Here selfish interests regularly set up shop in the name of God, prophet, and faith.
But I have been wronged in having my heroes snatched away from me and my poets and writers pushed into shadow of controversy and dispute.
While the real protectors and defenders of my ‘dharti’ were taken away from us by drawing borders of religion and sect, warmongers imported from outside were foisted upon us as our heroes and benefactors.
This really is an injustice – a dark night in which all our benefactors are disputed.
We have been confined in a circle and made to go round and round, asking each other when this journey will end, when we will reach our destination.
There really is darkness and only darkness.
-------------------------------
The following Web-links have been used in this post.
1. http://www.humsub.com.pk/117494/farah-lodhi-khan-19/
2. http://www.humsub.com.pk/author/farrah-lodhi-khan/
3. https://farahlodhi.wordpress.com/