Struggle for human rights

                                                                                                                                                   Sun, Jan 13, 2013 at 2:06 PM

Fight for the dignity of the women!"  --Professor Chaman Lal

On Lohri occasion, sharing a message of Shah eed Bhagat Singh Vichar Manch Patiala-(Translated from Punjabi)-"Million Greetings on Lohri and Maghi- Lohri and Maghi festival are known as symbols in Punjabi culture for the onset of warmth, community feeling of closeness, the enthuse to fight/die for Human rights and the challenge from woman to man for fighting against oppression. In Lohri folk songs-Dulla Bhatti has remained a part of Punjabi mentality as fighter against state oppression on people. Muktsar(A Punjab town) Maghi festival, held in memory of 40 Muktas-the liberated ones reminds us of Mai Bhago, who had challenged the retreating men from war against oppression, leaving Guru(Gobind Singh) behind. But it is regrettable to say that because of forgetting our militant and proud tradition, the piousness of relations and warmth has evaporated. Gang rape case like Delhi, the worsening conditions of girls and female foeticide like fires have extinguished the soul of sensitive men.

Well meaning and good fellows! Festivities of Lohri and Maghi like festivals in meaningful only if we will make sincere efforts for communal amity, struggle for human rights and fight for the dignity of the women!"
Mai Bhago is the symbol of brave Punjabi woman, who made the forty soldiers of Guru Gobind Singh come back to fight with him, while they were retreating out of fear of death. Later they all sacrificed their life in war and were given the title of Muktas-the liberated ones by Guru Gobind Singh, they died near Muktsar, a district hq, but small town of Punjab, where every year on Maghi day, a big mela is held. Perhaps Veerangna Jyoti or the brave fighter of Delhi shame case is Mai Bhago of present day India, who raised the conscience of Indians by her sacrifice!
Lohri song says-sunder mundriye ho-tera kaun vichara ho?-O poor girl who is your saviour?-Dulla Bhatti wala ho!-he is Dulla Bhatti! Dulle dhi viyahi ho!-Dula married the poor girl(Daughter)!, ser shakkar payi ho!(He gave one ser(Near kilo) jaggery(not exact)(in dowry) kudi da lal pataka-red suit of the girl! kudi da shalu pata-the torn headgear(not exact) of the girl.....it goes on and on with different lines added at different times by folks, but Dulla is saviour of poor and Akbar got him hanged for rebellion. Najam Hussain Syed in Lahore and another playwrites have written good plays in Punjabi on Dulla Bhatti. He is like Bhagat Singh of medieval times and shatters the myth of Akbar as the great king of India!                                        --Chaman Lal,

Professor & Former Chairperson
Centre of Indian Languages, JNU, New Delhi
Former President JNU Teachers Association(JNUTA)
Cell no. +919868774820, 011-26704656(O), 011-26742095(R)
Former Visiting Professor

Centre for Language Learning(CLL)

Faculty of Humanities and Education(FHE)

University of West Indies,St. Augustine Campus

Trinidad&Tobago(West Indies)
Blogs-www.bhagatsinghstudy.blogspot.com
www.professorchamanjnu.wordpress.com
www.twitter.com/ProfChaman
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaman_Lal
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Durga Puja an occasion for communal harmony

For Bengali Hindus, the annual Durga Puja festival is the equivalent of Eid and Christmas. The appeal, however, transcends religious boundaries.

By Sahana Ghosh for Khabar South Asia in Kolkata
October 27, 2012:

A priest performing the rituals before the Goddess 

Durga at a Kolkata pandal on October 22nd. Durga 

Puja has become an occasion for bringing people 

of different faiths together. [Sahana Ghosh/Khabar]

For five days and nights, residents and visitors forgot Kolkata's drudgeries, political tensions and widespread poverty. The Durga Puja festival, which concluded on Wednesday (October 24th) has evolved over time from a religious holiday to a cultural festival with appeal beyond the Hindu community.
People from all social, economic and religious backgrounds join in the revelry each year during the third week of October. The festival has a unique ability to bring together Hindus, Muslims and Christians in an atmosphere of camaraderie and communal harmony.

"I spent the whole time, moving from one pandal (ceremonial structure) to another and chilling out with my friends," Gulshanara Khatun, a 21-year-old Muslim student at Jadavpur University, told Khabar South Asia. "This is a great occasion for all of us to enjoy and have fun."

Community pujas (ritual) are a great way to unite people of different backgrounds, Hindu priest Samaresh Bhattacharya told Khabar. "You can’t distinguish between communities or religions among the thousands of visitors to the Puja, who come to watch the rituals or just to have a glimpse of the idols," he said.

"Durga symbolizes the victory of the good winning over the evil Asura [deities]. It also signifies family values as Durga – the mother– makes her annual visit to her parents’ house along with her four children. The rituals are something every Bengali can associate with, even when the mantras are chanted in Sanskrit," said Bhattacharya.

During the annual festival, men, women and children dressed in their best attire visit pandals -- makeshift tents that house the idols of the Goddess Durga and her four children, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartik -- eat delicacies and take part in cultural programmes.

From somber affair to economic windfall

Until a decade ago, Durga Puja used to be a somber affair. Then-organised by communities who broke down barriers between the rich and poor, Pujas focused mostly on the rituals.

Now, preparations for the festival begin months ahead. Pandals range from simple bamboo and tarpaulin material to art deco works using innovative medium like compact discs, terracotta sculptures, glass bangles and various other materials.

This year, many pandals were created with themes ranging from rural Bengal greenery to Rajasthan deserts to Kashmir mountain settings. Illuminations were creatively designed to depict social, cultural or political themes. Lights were used to create pictures of favorite personalities and events.

For craftsmen who build pandals, the festival is their main source of income through the year. The north Kolkata locality of Kumartuli, where idols are made with mud and bamboo, begins to bustle at least six months ahead.

The budgets of most Puja organisers have skyrocketed. Corporate sponsorships have become the norm. Rathin Sanyal, an organiser of a moderate-scale Puja in Kolkata's Salt Lake said, "Our budget has almost tripled over the last five years to about $30,000, which includes cultural programmes with invited artistes and community lunches for four days."

Budgets of over $200,000 for four-day community Pujas are common. "All companies operating in the eastern part of India earmark substantial portions of their advertising and sponsorship budgets for spending during the Pujas," public relations professional Ashoke Kumar Mukhopadhyay told Khabar. Telecom, media and consumer goods companies provide the sponsorships, he said.

Because this is the time of year most Bengalis shop for everything from clothes to accessories, consumer durables and books, Puja also brings a bonanza for retailers and a boon for publishers.

"I make one-third of my yearly sales in the months of September-November, the festive season that starts from Durga Puja and ends with Diwali," Gariahat retailer Saradindu Pal said.