The Game In the moonlight of the evening The children in the lanes, play Grasping each others’ shirts they make a train And whirl around and around, saying: Long libe reolusion… Long libe reolusion… One day they witnessed An old man playing the same game they play The police swooped on him, and Dragging him in their jeep, Went away. The children shuddered with fear Till the next evening -Lal Singh Dil The Heights a Revolutionary Achieved Baba Bujha Singh was a man of politics. He had been a stalwart and an activist of the Ghadar Movement, the Kirti Movement, the Tenant’s Struggle, the Communist Parties and the Naxalite Movement. His political life of forty years was shaped neither in a laboratory nor was he a product of some political dynasty. He reached the pinnacle of heroes because of his hard labour in the freedom movement of the country, the communist movement and years of struggle for his ideals. I have not been a witness to what they had gone through or what had happened to other revolutionaries and Baba Bujha Singh during the last century. I was born in the years he was murdered, but his comrades-in-arms who would tell me about his life are around. He is present in the newspaper libraries in which he used to appear as news. The files of the government agencies are kept in offices in which he was branded as the most dangerous person. I have not been a student of communist history, theory, and politics too. Only I had the opportunity to go through the history of those movements as I have been associated with journalism. I have found time to meet leaders, especially the activists. Darshan Dusanjh, a follower of Baba ji, I have met occasionally. He was an affectionate and absorbed person. Like Baba ji, he was also an epitome of sacrifice. Baba ji had a deep influence on him. He made me understand that persons associated with these movements were better than the leaders of traditional communist parties. They were rustic, simple and sincere. They had self respect. They were anti-establishment, and very courageous in discharging their duties. They sacrificed heavily for the country but were always a victim of vilification by the traditional communist leaders. The life history of Baba Bujha Singh is very interesting and a long long one. I started working on his biography in 2004 but I was not well settled in health. It has been very difficult for me to carry out my responsibility. As he had struggled whole of his life to change this world I could not leave my work mid stream, continuing despite hard times. Every great person has some zeniths in his life which differentiate him from others and make him or her, a great being. This revolutionary too has many zeniths. One was he being a Ghadarite. He went to Argentina to fight against poverty at home but he came in contact with freedom loving Ghadarites there. They sparked in him the fire of patriotism. Another height he attained was being a revolutionary. Coming in contact with socialist ideology and becoming its follower. These Ghadarites took him to Russia. He was infused with big dreams through education imparted by teachers at the Eastern University of Moscow. These dreams were not for the sake of himself or his family but were meant for the suffering humanity, freedom of the country, a bright future for the people, for revolution and lofty thoughts. To achieve this pinnacle he aimed at bringing a revolution. He was ready to sacrifice anything for it. This made him a person of revolution. He was not ready to accept anything short of revolution. Fighting for this dream he laid down even his life. Another peak was enduring the torture he faced. He went through the torture of the Royal Fort of Lahore, confronted the hell of torment at Deoli Camp, and ultimately, faced the police bullets bravely. Even comrades excelled in inflicting psychological agonies on him. But all this was unable to shake him from his convictions and ideals in any way. Another high of him was being a teacher of Marxism. He used to sow intellect. He would make others courageous and self-respecting. I have met his disciples who were steeled by him. I have not been a direct witness to their hard work. I have not seen their energy sprouting like a fountain, nor have I seen their faces glowing with brilliance but I have read them in the pages of history. I have heard about the change they have effected on Indian politics. Baba ji had learnt all his knowledge from the University of Life itself. Even the people studying in universities came to him for guidance. He was a roaming encyclopaedia of Marxist theory and revolutionary movements. Another height he accomplished was becoming a person of old age. During the first Ghadar, all the youths were killed, guillotined, or put behind rails for the rest of their life. After many years, when they came out of prisons they were no longer young, rather had become elderly. That is why they were called Ghadri Baabe, (the Elderly Rebels). Though Baba Bujha Singh did not stay behind bars for a long time during his life, yet he remained a revolutionary throughout. He is a political legacy of a combined and invaluable treasure of the Ghadar Movement, the Kirti Movement, the Tenant Struggle and the Naxalite Movement. This quintessence has raised him to the pinnacle of a Baba. The highest of this revolutionary is: sacrificing at the age of eighty two. Baba ji became a classic representative of the political heritage which was built on sacrifice, perseverance, conviction, simplicity, and struggle. One can have differences with his politics but cannot challenge his commitment, perseverance and, especially, the sacrifice he made. I have only tried to bring some scattered pages of this unparalleled conviction, determination and sacrificing legacy in the form of a book. 25 August, 2008 Ajmer Sidhu Contents Life in Brief Part One: Colours of Life 1. In the Monastery of Saints 2. Champion in Shearing Maize Corncobs 3. The Spark: The Ghadar Party 4. In the Country of Lenin 5. The Founding of Kirti Party 6. Torture in the Royal Fort of Lahore 7. In Ferozepur Jail 8. Banished to Village 9. The Battlefield 10. Attempts to Send Bose to Russia 11. Days in Deoli Camp 12. Unity of Kirtis and Communists 13. Fights within the Communist Party 14. Operation Scuttle 15. Championing the Cause of Tenants in PEPSU 16. Defending the Heritage 17. Founding of the Marxist Party 18. The Spring Thunder 19. Mother of Revolutionaries 20. Your Death Echoes—Sant Ram Udasi 21. After Martyrdom 22. The Warrior who Defied Death 23. Teacher of Marxist Ideology 24. An embodiment of Revolutionary Culture 25. Brother of Dalits 26. He valued of Women Power Part 2 : Arena of Activity 1. Ghadar movement 2. Kirti Movement 3. Communist Party of India 4. Tenant Movement in PEPSU 5. More Acivities of the Lal Party 8. Naxalbari Movement Part 3: Some other Details Appendices 1. File in the Intelligence Department 2. The work areas of the Kirty Party and the CPI in the eyes of the intelligence wing 3. Members of the Kirti Control Board 4. Letter written to the Chief Secretary of State & other news 5. Copy of the FIR Registered in the Nawan Shehar Police Station at the Time of Martyrdom 6. Mrs. Bujha Singh’s Demand from the Chief Minister 7. The Investigation Report by the Tarkunde Committee 8. Report of Punjab Vidhan Sabha 9. Sources The Guillotine—Shiv Kumar Batalvi Life in Brief Date of Birth: According to Shaheedi Yadgaar Committee, Jalandhar (Publisher: Jasbir Deep) the year of birth of Baba Bujha Singh is 1888. As per the book, Shaheedan Di Wangaar, his brother Yugeshar Singh says the year of his birth is 1899. According to File No. L/PJ/12/ 490, Activity in Argentina, and the Passport kept in India Office Records, British Library, London, his Date of Birth is 19 December, 1903. In the June-November, 2005 issue of “Hun”, a Punjabi magazine, Amarjit Chandan has quoted Bhagat Singh Bilga, saying that Baba Bujha Singh’s birth year was 1895. After ruminating over these dates the writer has come to the conclusion that the most appropriate year of birth of Baba Bujha Singh seems to be 1888. More Information: According to the records of British Library, London, his passport says that his nationality was British Indian, Profession: Day Labour; Height: 172 cm. Physical Composition: Middle Height; Colour: Wheatish; Hair: Black, and a Clean Shaven person. Place of Birth: Village: Chakk MaiDass, PS: Banga, Tehsil Nawan Shehar, District Jalandhar (now in district Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar). This village is situated on Jalandhar-Chandigarh Highway, mid-way between Banga and Phagwara, at a distance of one kilometre towards south. The distance of Chakk Mai Dass, from the west side, from Phagwara 13 kilometres, from Jalandhar 35 kilometres, however from the east side, from Behram 3 kilometres, from Banga 13 kilometres, from Nawan Shehar 27 kilometres, and from Chandigarh it is 117 kilometres. Its area is 125 hectares, population: 778, Post Office: Kultham (Pin Code: 144501), and it is three kilometres away from Kultham Railway Station. The Gotra in village Chakk Mai Dass is Mann for the jatts, for the adi dharmis it is Bangar and Chumbar, and for the lohars it is Bhogal. The Family Details Father: Dharam Singh Mother: Jai Kaur Uncles: Natha Singh, Bhagwan Singh, Dalip Singh Brothers and Sisters: Yugeshar Singh, Lachhman Singh, Amar Singh alias Gulzara Singh, and Gian Kaur.