हिन्दी | English | বাংলা | ಕನ್ನಡ | മലയാളം
Dhai Akhar Prem National Cultural Jatha has set out with full vigor on its nationwide cultural campaign. Fraternity, equality, love, harmony, affection and progressiveness are our strengths. This foot march of the cultural group started from Alwar, Rajasthan on September 28, 2023(birth anniversary of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh) with an attempt to understand and embrace the multicolored culture, folk life, shared heritage and harmony of 22 states of the country. It will be concluded in Delhi on 30 January 2024 (Mahatma Gandhi’s Martyrdom Day).
Dhai Akhar Prem cultural Jatha arrived in Rae Bareli district of Uttar Pradesh on 6th October. Under the leadership of the Jatha’s Organizing Committee of Rae Bareli and the presence of cultural workers, scholars and social workers of the city a cultural march was organised from Shaheed Chowk located at Degree College intersection in the heart of the city.
In the initial address of the Jatha, while giving his views on the purpose of the Jatha, State General Secretary of IPTA UP and State Jatha Coordinator, Shahzad Rizvi said that this Yatra of Dhai Akhar Prem is not for any political purpose but to fight the increasing hatred that is being spread in the society and the country today. In response to the divisive politics and culture of hatred leading to injustice and cruelty, we must promote equality, freedom, justice and brotherhood among the masses.
On this occasion, members of Little IPTA and IPTA Lucknow started by singing the Avhan song, ‘Hum Dhai Aakhar Prem ka Padhne aur Padhane aye hai, hum Bharat se nafrat ka har daag mitane aye hai'(We have come to read and make you read lettwrs of love, We have come to erase every stain of hatred from India) followed by the presentation of Russian storyteller Anton Chekhov’s story named Chameleon(drama adaptation – Ramesh Upadhyay). It was directed by Ichha Shankar. Hundreds of citizens of Rai Bareli were present in the program. From here the cultural convoy of about 50 people started for its next destination.
Passing through the busiest area of the city, this convoy reached its second spot at Rai Bareli, the place where thousands of farmers and laborers had lit the torch of revolution against the brutality of the British rule and shattered their arrogance, and freeing the district from their clutches for 18 months. The place is named Raja Beni Madhav Singh Tirahe after the Freedom fighter.
Here the members of IPTA Rai Bareli and Little IPTA Lucknow presented the songs ‘Tu Zinda Hai To Zindagi Ki Jeet Par Yakin Kar’, Kabir’s verses – ‘Mere Sar Se Tali Bala’, ‘Meri Mala Tooti’, ‘Kabira Bhala Hua’. The members of the cultural jatha danced, sang and staged street plays. After singing folk songs and street plays at their third stop, Nehru Nagar, the yatris moved towards their last destination.
The concluding point of the journey was the Martyr Memorial built on the banks of river Sai in memory of the Munshiganj firing incident, where unarmed farmers were fired upon by the British government in 1921. More than 700 farmers were killed and more than 1500 were injured in this incident. It was India’s biggest massacre after the Jallianwala Bagh incident. The presentation started with all the comrades of the group paying their respects to the martyrs by applying the soil on their forehead. Street play Chameleon was staged again with folk songs at the memorial in the presence of a large number of people.
In the end, Santosh Dey, the local jatha coordinator and executive president of the state IPTA, expressed his gratitude to all the artists participating in the jatha. On behalf of the state committee, State Vice President Pradeep Ghosh, National Committee member of IPTA Om Prakash Nadeem, Regional Secretary Suman Srivastava, Ichha Shankar, Vipin Mishra, Soni Yadav, Damini, Vaibhav Shukla, Harshit Shukla, Rahul Pandey, Honey Khan, Krishna Gupta, Tanmay, Krishna Singh, Shri Nand Kumar, Ramesh Srivastava, Janardan Mishra, Santosh Chaudhary, Amit Yadav, Renu Srivastava, Surendra Srivastava, Sapna, Aman, Vaishali, Rahul, Pooja, Ram Dev, Akash, Rama Kant, Ashok etc. were present.
Report: Shahzad Rizvi | Translation: Talha Sheikh