The belief that the Taliban or other militant forces alone are responsible for the spread of extremism in our country is a flawed one. In fact, the extremist mindset has taken over the people of Pakistan and is affecting every aspect of life. This is indeed what makes it a devastatingly dangerous force, distorting thinking and adding to bias in matters of everyday life.
Most recently, this has surfaced in the controversy over the renaming of landmarks in Lahore. In the latest development, on November 16, the Lahore High Court (LHC) restrained the City District Government of Lahore (CDGL) from renaming Fawwara Chowk in Shadman after Bhagat Singh. Singh was a hero of the Indian independence movement, which led to the freedom from colonial rule of both India and Pakistan in 1947. Singh, aged only 23, was hanged by the British at the said chowk in 1931, for killing a British officer and for other acts aimed to rid his nation of oppression. In Pakistan, his extraordinary courage is almost never acknowledged.
Hearing a petition filed by a Tehreek-e-Hurmat-e-Rasool member, an LHC judge has stayed the name change. The petition states that it was earlier decided that the chowk would be named after Chaudhry Rehmat Ali, the man who coined the name of Pakistan. It also says that a “so-called” foundation had been established in the name of Bhagat Singh and that it has, with other “so-called” human rights associations, pressured the CDGL to name the chowk after him.
If anything, the petition illustrates our growing ignorance and sheltered approach towards other religions. Despite attempts to alter this attitude and include the story of Bhagat Singh in textbooks, this has not happened and large sections of the population have no idea about his achievements. Born near Jaranwala in Punjab and educated in Lahore, it is entirely illogical that his religion should exclude him from tribute in the land he grew up and died in. Bhagat Singh deserves to be remembered. The attempts to block this are absurd.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 18th, 2012.
COMMENTS (26)
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@Blithe: muslims better not talk about non violence...
Let's not forget the sacrifice of our freedom fighters whatever color, caste, religion they belong.
How come the court is int ervenng in this matter. It should have simply thrown the case out in the registrar office. Secondly, I support the name change to BS because he practiced violence that most of us Pakistanis approve of. He was truely a son of the soil.
Bhagat Singh Shaheed was a son of soil, such a great nationalist and a freedom fighter I recommend Jaranwala rord should be named after the Shaheed name instead of fawwara chowk.
I belong to the same village as Bhagat Singh, i.e. Chak # 105 Bangay, Jaranwala Road, Faisalabad. Now this decision is very good indeed. If we have any muslim personality to name the roads as compared to non muslim then we should prefer muslim, but should not deny to acknowledge the services of people from other religions as well. We need to classify various methods of acknowledging diffident kinds of services rendered from different people in different walks of life who belong to different religions, and if we do so then we are surely not making any mistake because we still would be less racist than our non muslim so called developed countries. Just saying....
It's not that his religion came in the way. the problem is that Bhagat Singh had no religion.According to the state of Pakistan today, being an atheist is the unpardonable. You can be a Shia, Ahmedi, Sikh and evne Hindu and get away with it. But you cant possible be an atheist. Had Bhagat Singh lived today and visited Pakistan, he would have been hanged all over again under the lovely blasphemy law since according to him there is no Allah. So unlike in India where atheism is part of the main stream, in Pakistan you will be killed for it. So simply naming the chowk after him, evne if it happens is simply tokenism. the man's ideals and thoughts have to be understood. Unfortunately if that is done, Pakistan will realize that Bhagat Singh stood for everything against what Pakistan stands for today including secularism.
Also, what about all the other Hindu and SIkh freedom fighters born in Pakistan? Lala Lajpat Rai? what about Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan? fact is that the people who won India her freedom obviously won Pakistan it's freedom from the British too. In that sense, Gandhi is as much the father of Pakistan as he is of India but because Pakistan is trying to forge an identity antithetical to India, it can never acknowledge this. This identity is what comes in the way of truly appreciating all that Singh stood for. Forget equality, Pakistan has not yet implemented land reforms! The naming, even if it comes through is mere tokenism. The individuals stand has to be understood if this 'naming' has to have any meaning whatsoever.
Forget about Bhagat Singh (Sukhdev, Raj Guru, Lajpat Rai) and other Pubjabi freedom fighters of non-Muslim origin. Muslim freedom fighters such as Maulana Azad are also completely ignored in Pakistan. No wonder Pakistanis continue to ponder about their "identity", "language", "sovereignty" and the level of "Purity". Good editorial
Please don't name this or any chowk after him, also please don't send your cricket team, ambassador or anyone else to India. Believe me, we hate you far more than you hate us. Stop coming to our country, stay on your side of the fence.
As a Pakistani I was really happy that a revolutionary and a freedom fighter was being given his rightful place in the heart of Lahore as a son of Lahore! IIt also showed to me that people of Lahore are more open minded than they are given credit for. However, t does saddens and angers one as to the extent these psudo religious reactionary forces have influence over our courts and how much our courts cowtow to them.
@Bilu: He was not an indian you fool, are you blind to not see he was born, lived and died on our land. He was our hero and will stay. Your highly so called Islamic and patriotic thinking is flawed.
There are hundreds of cities , towns , villages , parks and streets / roads across the length and breadth of India in the name of Muslim men and women and none has been changed , must we continue to live out petty prejudices and hatreds . Let us grow up and move forward .
Bhagat Singh was the son of the soil and gave his life for the freedom of our homeland. His sacrifice must be acknowledged with open heart, leaving religion aside. Following article also needs to be viewed and keep in mind.
A village named "Pakistan" is situated in the Purnia district of Bihar, India. The village was named "Pakistan" in the memory of the Muslim residents who migrated in 1947 to what was then called East Pakistan. At the time the district bordered East Pakistan.
There has never been any attempt to rename the village, which is official recorded in government documents as 'Pakistan' Ref: Wikipedia
he did not contribute anything for our independence, then why should we honor him. why should we dance to Indian tone all the time.
I don't know much about him, except he was a brave son of the soil. To my mind he must be respected as the hero of the land leaving religion aside.
I liked the post reflecting the deeds of the martyrs of Indian Independent Movement, which led us to get our free nations. At least we need to and paying back through small contributions.
Well, I liked the line "Bhagat Singh deserves to be remembered. The attempts to block this are absurd."
Thanks
It is irony of the history that Muhammad Bin Qasim, an invader, is our hero and Raja Dahar and Bhagat Singh, son of the soil, are our villians. We need surgery of our history. It is high time to correct our fabricated history. @Blithe But Qasim, Ghazni,Abdali were invaders and employed violence but we termed our missiles after them.
@Raw is War: "i guess anything Hindu is not acceptable to Pakistanis. That is the reason Hindus are being forcibly converted."
Bhaga SIngh was born in a Sikh family but he was an atheist.
A very fair and balanced editorial by an independent paper. Freedom Fighter Bhagat Singh was supported by Jinnah, Nehru, Gandhi and all other leaders except the landlords of Punjab. Here is the reason that some still oppose this freedom fighter: "It is reported that no magistrate of the time was willing to supervise his hanging. The execution was supervised by the Honorary Magistrate of Kasur, Nawab Muhammad Ahmad Khan Kasuri, who also signed Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev's death warrants as their original warrants had expired" Of course B. Singh was a freedom fighter and was dreaming about equality and socialism. How could the feudal and landlords who always supported the masters support an ordinary fighter? At no time there were more than 20,000 Englishmen including all civilians women and children in combined India/Pakistan and BD. They ruled with the help of local who were faithful to their masters.
Pakistan might be the only country which decorates its invaders & prosecutes its ancestors.
i guess anything Hindu is not acceptable to Pakistanis. That is the reason Hindus are being forcibly converted.
Born near Jaranwala in Punjab and educated in Lahore, it is entirely illogical that his religion should exclude him from tribute in the land he grew up and died in. Bhagat Singh deserves to be remembered. The attempts to block this are absurd.
The same applies to Dr Abdus Salam too.
It did not cut any ice then.
It will not cut any ice now.
End of discussion.
Why does the court have to agree? The place does belong to Bhagat Singh. There are a huge number of other places that can be named after Ch. Rehmat Ali. Whatan utter ignorance.
The Friends of Bhagat Singh Society in India thanks Lahore High Court for staying the renaming of Fawwara Chowk.
How the Court can intervene in the functioning of the Executive on the flimsiest grounds beats me. The seeds of destruction have taken a long time to germinate and the outcome may be bitter.
The only issue is that he was a proponent of violence , not the role model Pakistan needs.
See, all India Muslim league never employed violence - that's an excellent role model ,