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Baba Bhagat
Singh Bilga: At 102, the Die Hard makes his move
Gian Inder Singh
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Today, as Baba Bilga is no more, one
wonders if he did not know that his hopes and dreams lay
shattered all around him. And one wonders where he found the
strength from within to keep goading us into making sense of the
idea that India could have been. Perhaps deep within, he knew
the rot was too deep. |
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 He
was the last surviving member of the legendary Ghadar Party.
At one hundred and two years, Baba Bhagat Singh Bilga simply could
not relax. He was unwell, was in Birmingham and knew any day could
be his last day, but considered it very necessary to take the call
from a newspaper correspondent from Jalandhar to underline an
important aspect of the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.
“Youth holds the key to development and the future of the
nation lies with them... Politicians have failed the people for so
long, so it is up to the people now to relive the dreams of the
freedom fighters...My appeal is vote for development, solidarity and
secularism of the nation.”
Today, as Baba Bilga is no more, one wonders if he did not
know that his hopes and dreams lay shattered all around him. And one
wonders where he found the strength from within to keep goading us
into making sense of the idea that India could have been. Perhaps
deep within, he knew the rot was too deep.
Bilga fought for freedom of the country, and he fought for
freedom of the people. Not just from the Britishers, but from those
whose vested interests kept teeming millions marginalised. His fight
simply did not get over. No wonder, Bilga died in the trenches,
still giving a message to his people to vote sensibly, still pinning
hopes on the next generation.
“Governments came and went but the issues of the development of
society still lie unaddressed. The picture of India is not the same
as conceived by the freedom fighters... Mulk di halat bigad gayi hai.
Mehangayi te bekari ne aam admi di kamar tod ditti hai...Government
policies are also biased. They are drafted for the elite and the
middle class and the poor people are bearing the brunt.” Bilga's
words, quoted in The Tribune on April 1 this year, showed the man
had a fairly good grasp of what a mess India's rulers had made of an
idea for which men like him worked for a lifetime.
Born on April 1, 1907, in Doaba’s Bilga village (which
abounds with freedom fighters) in the household of Nambardar Hira
Singh Sanghera and Mata Malan, he was a born freedom fighter.
Bilga was a visionary, and the Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall
Trust, Jalandhar is an institution that he has left behind. He was
the prime force behind Ghadar Martyrs Museum at the Desh Bhagat
Yadgar Hall which documents the history of the Ghadar
revolutionaries who led a mutiny against the British in 1918 in
Singapore. About 200 Ghadaris died in the attempt.
He was the last of the surviving members from the movement
that was started in 1913 by Indian immigrants in the United States
who launched an armed uprising against the British in India.
He used to proudly tell anyone that his village, Bilga, was
declared a baghi village (rebel village) as several young men of
this village had become active Ghadarites.
Baba Bilga joined the Ghadar movement in 1927 in Argentina
and spent many years in prison. ‘‘The climate of Argentina was like
India and its people too were like residents of Punjab. That
prompted a number of Punjabis to settle there from where they joined
the Ghadar movement. Soon, Argentina became a hotbed for
anti-British activities.’’
Bilga was the main inspiration behind a sort of rekindling of
the movement both in India and abroad and many memorials sprung up
in the villages of Punjab. Melas are organised every year in India,
US, Canada and UK and Punjabi NRIs make it a point to visit the Desh
Bhagat Yadgar Hall.
Of late, for many years now, Bilga's health was failing, but
rarely did anyone come back after meeting him without being deeply
touched and inspired. He would work himself into anger and rage
talking about the ruling elite.
"We had never dreamt during our days of struggle that a
situation shall arrive where an honest and well-meaning Prime
Minister like Manmohan Singh just weaves the magic of a few numerals
to falsely claim that the country is doing well."
27 May 2009
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