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With the support of various progressive, democratic literary, and cultural organizations across the country, ‘Dhai Akhar Prem’, a cultural journey began on September 28, 2023, from Alwar, Rajasthan, on the occasion of Bhagat Singh’s birth anniversary which will continue to move in various regions of the country and conclude at Delhi on January 30, 2024, which marks the martyrdom day of Mahatma Gandhi. Under the same a series of one-day cultural journeys was initiated and the initial leg of this journey was organized on October 6, 2023, in the Raebareli district of Uttar Pradesh.
Subsequently, under the leadership of the organizing committee, Lucknow of ‘Dhai Akhar Prem’, renowned playwright, director, and national president of IPTA, Prasanna, along with the senior theatre thinker and national executive president of IPTA, Rakesh, again a one-day journey took place in Lucknow on October 21, 2023. This journey commenced from the statue of Baba Saheb Ambedkar located in Gram Launga Kheda Panchayat Bhawan, passing through Ghosiyana Primary School, Vrindavan Colony, and culminating at Gop Inter College, Baldev Vihar.
Addressing the people at the starting point(Gram Launga Kheda Panchayat Bhawan), Prasanna, IPTA’s National President, emphasized that this cultural journey is not for any political agenda but aims to foster mutual love, harmony, and brotherhood in society, which won’t be possible without people’s active participation. Prasanna urged everyone to join this grand campaign wholeheartedly. Rakesh, IPTA’s National Executive President, stated in his speech that IPTA has a long history of reaching out to the masses for dialogue and this journey in today’s times is an attempt to respond to hatred, division, injustice, and cruelty with unity, freedom, justice, and fraternity.
On this occasion, a reading of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s preamble to the Constitution was presented by Om Prakash Nadeem, a member of IPTA’s National Committee.
Ipta Lucknow and Little Ipta presented the welcoming song “Dhaai Akhar Prem ka Padhne aur Padhane Aaye Hain, Hum Bharat Se Nafrat Ka Har Daag Mitane Aaye Hain”; Kabir’s verse “Mere Sar Se Tali Bala, Meri Mala Tooti, Kabira Bhala Hua” and the song “Hume bhi dikha do kitaabon ki duniya” along with a presentation of the story “Girgit” by Russian writer Anton Chekhov (dramatized by Ramesh Upadhyay) under the direction of Iccha Shankar. The travellers were welcomed by the local coordinator and former Councillor, Munna Lal Kuril.
The travellers of the journey sang and performed street plays at Ghosiyan Primary School, near the residence of former councillor Munna Lal Kuril, in Vrindavan Colony and as they went through villages and markets. At their final destination, the Gop Inter College, Baldev Vihar campus, they presented folk songs and street plays to the public. At the conclusion of the journey, the college’s administrator, Vimal Yadav, expressed gratitude to all.
Several individuals, including state journey coordinator and Uttar Pradesh IPTA’s state general secretary Shahzad Rizvi, members of the National Committee Om Prakash Nadeem and Sandhya Rastogi, state organization secretary Deepak Kabir, regional secretary and coordinator of Little IPTA Lucknow Suman Shrivastav, along with Rahul Singh, Ichha Shankar, Vipin Mishra, Soni Yadav, Damini, Kavita Yadav, Savita Yadav, Babita Yadav, Pooja Prajapati, Arti Prajapati, Garima, Shivi Singh, Priya Nagar, Vaibhav Shukla, Rahul Pande, Honey Khan, Krishna Gupta, Ankit, Krishna Singh and many others were present during the journey.
Report by Shahzad Rizvi,
State Jatha Coordinator and State General Secretary, U.P. IPTA
Translation: Kritika Sharma