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Mann pro-imperialism, says Bhagat Singh's
nephew
WSN Network
 Amritsar:
Criticising Akali Dal (Amritsar) leader Simranjit Singh Mann for
calling Bhagat Singh a murderer of 'innocent persons' (British
police officer Saunders and constable Chanan Singh to avenge the
death of Lala Lajpat Rai) who cannot be a national hero, Bhagat
Singh's nephew has said that Mann's statement was in tune with his
family's 'shameful past'.
"And this shameful past is: his family were agents of the British.
When other revolutionaries were fighting for India's independence,
Mann's family was getting jagirs (lands) from the British for their
loyalty," said Professor Jagmohan Singh.
Prof Singh, whose mother Amar Kaur was Bhagat Singh's younger
sister, said: "Mann's maternal grandfather, Aroor Singh, was an
appointed agent of the British. He was instrumental in presenting a
siropa to Gen Dyer -- the killer of Jallianwallah Bagh -- at the
Akal Takht. This stooge refused to accept over 7,000 Ghadarites, who
left North America in the 1910s to fight the British in India, as
Sikhs because these brave people wanted to throw out his British
masters."
Mann's statement was in continuation of his family's pro-imperialist
tendencies, said Prof Singh. "Pleasing the imperialists is deeply
embedded in the psyche of Mann's family. Mann is showing these
pro-imperialist tendencies. What the British said about Bhagat
Singh, Mann is repeating for his family's masters."
Prof Singh said Mann and his family should revise their views about
Bhagat Singh in the light of original documents about the
revolutionary, dug out during the past 22 years, thanks to the
efforts of the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Research Committee.
"Bhagat Singh had read the world's top 70 thinkers and writers by
the age of 23. He had a library of 175 books which were made part of
the conspiracy trial against him," said Prof Singh.
He lamented that barring the British and Mann, nobody had ever
called Bhagat Singh a terrorist. "Even the British judge who tried
Bhagat Singh used the word `revolutionary', not `terrorist' or
`murderer' against my uncle," he said.
Taking a swipe at Mann's career in the Indian Police Service and
politics, Singh said, "The world knows what he did to Nihang Sikhs
when he was the senior superintendent of police of Faridkot. And the
world knows how he came into politics. He and his lineage are an
embarrassment to the Sikhs." Notably, Mann was booked for his
remarks and sent to judicial remand. He repeated the remarks on his
return from jail.
12 December, 2007
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