Uniform Education will further deteriorate education standards. Listen Radio Show

Uniform Education will further deteriorate education standards

Issue is standard of education and it need little attention. Government should come out from the fear of 18th amendment and engage all actors related to education.

As par Mid term review of Education policy 2007, we had 40% education sector in private, thanks to Structural Adjustment Program of World Bank & Islamist dictator Gen. Zia. 

Education was under interior ministry in 1947, thanks to colonial legacy.

learning English is a 3 month course. Why we introduce it as an essential subject from class 1 to 10? Cannot we come out from this slave mentality?

By rejecting our own languages what type of nationalism we are promoting?

 

Program was recorded at MastFM103, Lhore Studios 24rth July 2020

Listen the program click here https://voca.ro/aM7xo2xuPSQ

Further readings

1. Is Education a service or business? or we can develop a mid way?
2. Curriculum of Hate or Peace
   
3. Interview Aamir Riaz: A sharp eye on education By Ather Naqvi
   

Reflections by Jaspal Singh about Baba Bhuja Singh: A Ghadaritte turned nixalite who was killed by Indian Establishment in july 1970

Reflections by Jaspal Singh about

Baba Bhuja Singh: A Ghadaritte turned nixalite who was killed by Indian Establishment

in july 1970

Fifty years ago today, Baba Bujha Singh was murdered by Punjab police, at the ripe age of 80, on the orders of the government. On July ,27, 1970, as he was bicycling on a road near a small village called Nagar, a police Jeep hit him. He fell down. Seeing police, he shouted “ I am Bujha Singh of Chak Mai Dass” ,so the passers by would know what police is doing. This was standard training of the Ghadar Party, that if one is caught by police in a public place , they should let everyone know. Police pulled him into Jeep and took him to Philaur fort, which had been turned into torture center by the police. In the morning his body was found on a small bridge on a Canal near by and the government announced that he had been killed in an Encounter with the police. The news of his arrest spread like a wild fire. Couple of passers by had seen the whole thing. Thousands of people surrounded the police station and forced the police to hand over his body to the family and they cremated him in his village on a plot of land. A memorial stands there now, where people gather every year on his anniversary . Justice Tarkunde carried out inquiry but no one has been punished to this day for his and thousands of others that were murdered by police during those days.

Baba Bujha Singh was an inspiring and towering figure in the independence movement. My grandfather had often talked about him, as our village was one of the main centers of Ghadar Party. He was born in the earlier part of the 20th century. In his twenties he went to Shanghai, worked there for sometime and took a ship to Argentina, where one of his relatives Bhagat Singh Bilga was working. Argentinian economy was better than the US those days , so many Punjabis went there.Argentina had a very active branch of Ghadar Party. Bujha Singh soon became one of its leaders and travelled across Latin America with Baba Ratan Singh, another leader of Ghadar Party, who was traveling across the world organizing the Indian immigrants abroad. After working in Rosario, Argentina for sometime, he led a group of Ghadarites to Moscow, to study at University of Peoples of the East. They walked for 18 days to Bolivia to board a ship to go to Soviet Union.

In Moscow he studied for two years, learnt Russian, German, English and mastered political science, economics and history. Here he met many anti colonial leaders from all across the world and leaders of Soviet Union. He returned to India via China and joined the anti colonial revolutionary movement. He was arrested and tortured in Lahore fort. After his release he continued his revolutionary activities. He edited Kirti, a newspaper of the Ghadar Party. One of the regular contributors was Bhagat Singh. When the Ghadar Party joined Communist Party of India, he became one of its leaders. He was instrumental in arranging the escape of Subhash Chandra Bose to Kabul. After transfer of power in 1947, he was in and out of prisons during the reign of Nehru. He was Vice President of All India Kisan Sabha.

He was very critical of Soviet Union. In a speech in 1958, he predicted that the Soviet Union will break into pieces because it’s leaders were following counter revolutionary and chauvinist policies. CPI leadership did not like his assessment . Those days CP(I) leaders used to put their umbrellas up , if it rained in Moscow. He left the party. When CPI ( M) was formed , he joined it but again left when the leadership of CPI(M) carried out anti people policies in Bengal . He supported the Naxalbari uprising , along with Baba Sohan Singh Bhakhna, founder president of Ghadar Party and when CPI(M-L) was formed he was elected one of its main leaders in Punjab. He would bicycle from village to village speaking at study circles. Amongst the people he was a legend and inspired the youth. He was specially popular amongst Dalits , because of struggle against caste oppression and was nicknamed by upper caste Congress and Akali leaders as “ leader of Chamars”.

I met him in earlier part of 1970, when some students had organized a study circle in a village just outside Chandigarh. He explained to us what state is. He also explained what liberal Democracy was. I still remember him saying,” It is like two robbers, who take turns in robbing you and beating you, every five years you get to choose which robber is going to rob you and beat you”. He had tremendous knowledge of world affairs, philosophy, history and economy. I remember we were just awed by his presence, practice, knowledge and life.

Years later when I met Hardip and found out that she was his grand daughter, I remember, that study circle that I had been to , once again came so vividly in front of my eyes. As I write these lines, I can still see him in the yard of a mud house. His bicycle standing on the side, surrounded by many youth and elderly people sitting on a cot, talking and explaining many issues of the time. White beard,white turban, white Kurta, great sense of humor and a lot of patience for our impatient questions. Life and work of Baba Bujha Singh will live and be remembered by people for times to come.

On the 50th anniversary of Baba Bujha Singh’s state sanctioned murder,my heart goes out to revolutionary Telugu poet Varavara Rao, he is also same age as Baba Bujha Singh, who has been incarcerated for writing poetry and exposing the draconian rule of the Indian ruling elite. All the Bhima Koregaon, prisoners who have been imprisoned and tortured for raising their voice against tyranny, they are carrying out legacy of Baba Bujha Singh and all others who have sacrificed for the cause of justice and dignity. Jalib Sahib’s defiant words come to mind:

Chup Rahne Pe Sazaa Hai Yahan

Hamne To Phir Bhi Kucch Kaha Hai

(People are punished even for silence

We have said quite a bit)

20th July 2020

Shiv Kumar Batalvi wrote a poem in memory of Baba Bujha Singh that is worth reading

بڈھے رکھ نوں پھانسی

میرے پنڈ دے کسے رکھ نوں
میں سنیٔے جیل ہو گئی ہے
اوہدے کئی دوش ہن :
اوہدے پتّ ساویاں دی تھاں
ہمیشہ لال اگدے سن
بناں 'وا دے وی اڈدے سن

اوہ پنڈ توں باہر نہیں
پنڈ دے سگوں اوہ کھوہ 'چ اگیا سی
تے جد وی جھومدا تاں اوہ سدا چھاواں ہلاندا سی
تے دھپاں نوں ڈراندا سی
تے راہیاں نوں ترے جاندے اوہ
دھپاں توں بچاندا سی
تے پانی بھردیاں کڑیاں نوں
دھی کہہ کے بلاندا سی

تے ایہہ وی سنن وچ آئٔے
کہ اسدے پیر وی کئی سن
تے اوہ راتاں نوں تردا سی
تے پنڈ دے ساریاں رکھاں نوں مل کے
روز مڑدا سی
تے ادھ-رینی ہوا دی گلّ کرکے
روز جھردا سی
بھلا یارو عجب گلّ ہے
میں ساری عمر سبھ رکھاں دیاں
شاخاں تاں تکیاں سن
کی رکھاں دے وی میرے دوستو
کتے پیر ہندے نے ؟

تے اج اخبار وچ پڑھئ
کہ اوہ ہتھیار-بندآر رکھ سی
اوہدے پلے بندوقاں، بمب تے لکھاں سنگیناں سی

میں رکھاں کول سدا رہندیاں
چھاواں تاں سنیاں سن
پر بمباں دی عجب گلّ ہے ؟

تے ایہہ جھوٹھی خبر پڑھ کے
مینوں اعتبار نہیں آؤندا
کہ اسنے پنڈ دے
اک ہور رکھ نوں مار دتا ہے
جہڑا پنڈ دے شاہواں دے گھر
ویہڑے 'چ اگیا سی
جس توں روز کوئی کاگ
چغلی کرن اڈیا سی

تے اج کسے یار نے دسئ
جو میرے پنڈ توں آئٔے
کہ میرے اس پنڈ دے رکھ نوں
پھانسی وی ہو رہی ہے
تے اوہدا پیو ککراں ورگا
تے ماں بیری جہی ہو رہی ہے

Further Readings

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baba_Bujha_Singh

Inked in red

At the auditorium hall of the Museum and Art Gallery, Sector 10, a crowd of 100 odd people (mostly youngsters dressed in kurtas, denims, and Kohlapuri chappals, with gamchas around their necks) marked their attendance at a lecture organised by Lokayat—a people’s movement solidarity group.

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/lifestyle/inked-in-red-444014

A debate about Muslims who were against Muslim League (Book Review Session) Ali Usman Qasmi, Amandeep Bal & Aamir Riaz

A book review session 

Book: Muslims against Muslim League 

Speakers Professor Ali Usman Qasmi (Author), Professor Amandeep Bal & Aamir Riaz

In 1947 history had witnessed a huge massacre, horrible migration in South Asia in general but in the British Punjab in perticular. It was a time when British colonial power was ruling in our lands and after Atlantic Charter of 14 August 1941, she was compelled by new super power USA to decolonize its last big colony as early as possible. There is a huge documentary evidence of that pressure. After 1945, US with the help of former USSR had designed a planed cold war between two blocks and every big & small country wanted to make their attendance in it. To give hype to cold war, project of Mccarthyism was there. Massacre on the basis of religion may be an effort by the losers to save their anxieties.  Colonizers had to leave and Congress had to accept Pakistan but main responsibility of massacre was on rulers i-e colonizers who used it as an opportunity to take credit for making an Anti communist Islamic country  near the border of Red USSR. Interestingly using religion against Communists was an old weapon as recorded by Author of MI6 history  Transfer of the population on the basis of religion was neither on the agenda, nor demanded by any party till February 1947. But massacre compelled people to leave their places. It was so sudden that even migrated people thought that it was a temporary thing. On the other hand Congress was against the Punjab due to consistent defeats politically as well as in elections either by Unionists or ML. In 1946 election its performance looks better and it attracted editors/contributors of this book too but  facts were far different. Congress got 51 out of 175 seats in 1946 while in 1937 it had 18 seats. It was due to her alliance with one Sikh party and Mahasabhai Hindu Board and if you compare it with 1937 results it was a loser. Last not the least was rise of the Punjab since two decades in politics, education, film,literature, services etc and that is why partition of the Punjab suited many local players too. Calling it partition of India is a fallacy, check data yourself, it was Partition of Punjab. Check Punjab Assembly record and you will realized that majority of Punjabi Muslim lawmakers did not vote in favour of partition of the Punjab, a fact often missed due to opposite reasons by ''wealthy'' scholars. 

Due to time, in the talk i could not explain my points yet in this blog am pasting few notes in the end too. 

Some Questions

Why Congress failed to attract Muslims living in British India? in general and Punjabis in particular? How misleading Lucknow Pact of 1916 had provoked Muslims of Bengal & the punjab? Why Communists supported Muslim League?

Why Congress rejected Cabinet Mission Plan that was the last option against partition. Two Nation theory was a political reaction of One Nation theory. What was the 3rd option?  What was the role of colonizers and US? 

Information about speakers

Link of the program 

Book of the Week "Muslims against Muslim League" By Prof. Ali Usman Qasmi

Table of the Content

A long introduction & 14 articles. In below at Table of content you can read their names and topics too. 

Out of 14, ten papers are on personalities but they missed some important personalities and parties especially Ahrar,and it damaged the book & the work. Inclusion of Tiny rather irrelevant Sindhi & Baluch political actors looks strange. Had they included Mian Fazl e Hussain, Sir Shahnawaz Bhutto, Mollana Ubaidullah Sindhi, Raja Sahib Mahmoodabad, Mollana Abdul Bari, Ch Afzal Haq, Abul Kalam Azad, Molana Mazhar Ali Azhar, Saifuddin Kitchlow etc it would well represent Muslims against Muslim League. Choice of Ghuffar Khan,Mian Iftiqaruddin, Ch Rehmat Ali, was appreciable but writers could not do justice in spite of information. Articles related to Role of communists too failed to give fresh information & analysis although we have lot of material now. WW2 had created a huge opportunity for resistance movements or parties. Unlike Communist Party of China, the Congress failed to use it. Resignation from ministries may be the first step but reluctant Congress leadership failed to maintain momentum. Subhas Chandar Bose & Mian Iftikharuddin had advised them to develop a national consensus and challenge the Empire but Congress even failed to intact her allies like Ahrar & CPI. Even Mollana Ubaidullah Sindhi had advised Congress to change One Nation theory and accept subcontinent as home of numerous Nations on ethnic grounds so provinces should stand with it but Congress & Jamiat Ulma e Hind did not listen to him. It is to be remembered that the Shift in former USSR position was natural because it was under attack but that shift did not halt or obstruct Chinese revolution at all. Than what happened in British India? It needs a fresh inquiry to check positions, weaknesses and twists of Congress, CPI especially Oxford returned Communists as well as priorities of Communist party of GB. But in more than one articles included in the volume authors failed to address it.

In-spite of all odds, for students of history and political science there are lot of references and debate in it too. The subject is very vast and it needs more attention.

Few Notes from my personal diary 

Further links

Book of week "Events at the Court of Ranjit Singh 1810-1817"

Mapping roots of extremism in the Punjab and South Asia 

Lhore Darbar, Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Rise of Communalism in Post- Annexation Punjab (Part 1)

Zia, US, Western Europe , Jihad, Privatization, World Bank, NGOs, left nationalist twists & Compromise on democracy: What is missing in the debate

In #Corona times if we can shift from advertiser & State driven private (Socalled Free) media it will be a blessing in disguise. at july 5th naya daur media has arranged a debate that you can listen in a link below. It was co anchored by Raza Rumi & Murtaza solangi while Mr Ziauddin and Zubair Nazar participated as guests. 

Background & few facts

After breakage of Pakistan we did not learn lessons. It was a reality that till December 1971, Yahya regime had full faith on London & Washington, many were waiting for the 6th fleet. Some people knew what was cooking yet many were daydreaming as usual. As State, we had already lost an opportunity in   Sino-Indian war of early 1960s, thanks to US advice or order. In 1965 war, when US % former USSR had stopped arms cum assercise supplies to both quarreling countries, we had lost that war in Tashkent by signing an agreement without mentioning Kashmir Conflict.  Who had pressurized us to omit Kashmir? is still a mystery. Yet then FM Mr Bhutto had resigned from his job and had announced that he would open secrets of Tashkent. Although he remained silent yet it a common fact that we did it again on foreign cum US advice. 

So waiting for the 6th fleet was not knew and it never came. So in Feb 1972, ZAB did a historic speech and had left Commonwealth. It was a first step to revisit Western reliance yet till after 5th July 1977 , Pakistan was again shifted to pre 16 December 1971 policy. It is an interesting fact that Pakistan was not allowed to rejoin CW during Zia times although it was a frontline State. Return of Pakistan in CW happened in the first period of ZAB's daughter. Foreign powers wanted to remind us that we could compel same party to revise its mistake to challenge us. May be they are working similarly on Nawaz Sharief too, these days. its a story of colonial mindset that is still their in so-called post colonial times.

What is missing in the debate mentioned above regarding 5th july is role of World Bank, Structural Adjustment Program,Privatization without regulation, promotion of Jihad along with killing of Public education, compromises of Pukhtoon, Baloch, Sindhi nationalists, support of dictatorship and entry of NGOs & Jihadi phenomenons.  

Link of the show

July 5th 1977 Marshallah

Some interesting things for further inquiry

An interesting audio recording of Radio Pakistan news aired at 6 am July 5th 1977 without knowing imposition of marshallah but finally caught at the end.

سنو 5 جولائی 1977 دی سویرے 6 بجے دی خبراں ۔۔ اخیر وچ باندر کلہ آئے گا

conversation with early workers of PPP...  Sohail Mannaan, Mian Sajid Pervaiz, Malik Ghulam Jailani Akhter, Justice R Malik Saeed Hasan and Farooq Baidar...

https://youtu.be/SHYpuQzLWtU?t=2055

Harassment at Workplace & institutions ( She was harassed by her Professor) Listen the discussion in Lok Lhar radio show @Mastfm103

Harassment at Workplace & institutions

Lok Lhar Punjabi Radio Network weekly show @ MastFM103 

recorded at July 3, 2020, Friday from 2 to 4 Lhore.

Guests 

1. Sabiha Shaheed Executive Director Bargad, working in literate youth & women rights activist.
2. Nargis Chohan Advocate, Supreme Court, CEO Baz law Consultants & Corporate Advisers Islamabad. Human right activist also working cyber crimes and harassment cases.
3. Iqbal Haider Butt, Consultant, writer, Intellectual, Human Rights activist and translator.

Host: Aamir Riaz

Few days back some brave & courageous Lhori girls decided to raise their voice against consistent harassment they faced in school, so they used the popular forum of social media. One should remember that they had exhausted all major forums, right from school administration till main stream media and find it easy to raise their voice at social media. Many of us retweeted their posts at different social media networks i-e Facebook, Twitter, WhattsApp, Instagram etc and in few days they got response. we too did this program after it. It is power of social media that is accessible to all of us. Although I did many programs on harassment and you can find few in this blog and at LOK LHAR Facebook page yet it give me an opportunity to check many no go areas associated with it. You just listen it and if you find it important then do share it with others. 

Click here & Listen Lok Lhar Show