“We don’t have any faith in statue-worship but as a symbol the importance of a statue cannot be underestimated. We adore our homes with the pictures or statues of our heroes, mentors or beloved ones and these pictures or statues inspire and enthuse us. Had the statues been devoid of any importance then after the defeat of socialism and restoration of capitalism in Russia, the statues of Lenin would not have been brought down. The memories, the places and the symbols associated with the great personalities are valued highly. Today when the fascist forces are set to install a huge statue of Sardar Patel, posing him as a face of Hindutva, this statue of ShaheedBhagat Singh installed by the toiling masses is the symbol of Inquilab as opposed to fascism.”
These were words of the president of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Disha Trust and the occasion was the unveiling of the big bronze statue of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, on 28th of September 2015, just 100 meter away from Kurukshetra railway station. After about one and half years the above said words seem to be coming true. This 50 feet high bust of Shaheed Bhagat Singh generates the spirit of ‘Inquilab’ within the hearts of the viewers. When the passengers travelling in the train have a glance of the bust the slogan ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ comes out spontaneously from their mouths. The youth take their photos with the statue of Bhagat Singh and take information about the ideas of Bhagat Singh. This statue inspires the struggling toiling people to intensify their struggle.
The highest bust of the country and the biggest bust of Bhagat Singh in the world rests on a 32 feet high foundation. The height of the bust itself is 18 feet, width 14 feet and the thickness is 8 feet. The total weight of this bronze-bust is about two and a half ton. 38 steps have been constructed to reach the bust. Sh. Suresh Kumar, the cashier of the Trust told, “About rupees 40 lacs have been spent on the foundation and the bust and no contribution from the government is obtained rather the task has been completed by the co-operation of the toiling masses.” Rupees 22.5 lacs are expended for the bust and rupees 18 lacs spent on its foundation. The unveiling ceremony of the bust was performed by Sh. Phool Singh, a representative of struggling people and president of Jan SangharshManch Haryana.
On asking how the idea as to installing the statue developed. Comrade Shyam Sunder states, “When we started studying Bhagat Singh in depth then we came to the conclusion that it is Bhagat Singh, who in the real meanings is the first Marxist thinker on Indian soil. Despite of being a communist party in existence, the thoughts of Bhagat Singh alone presents a correct programme of Inquilab and the liberation of the exploited people is only possible on the basis of it. So, our organisation decided to create a centre for spreading the ideas of Bhagat Singh and to attract and inspire the people a big bronze statue of Shaheed Bhagat Singh be installed which can be visible to the whole world. For the same purpose we bought a plot of land adjacent to the railway junction Kurukshetra with the cooperation of the working people and installed the statue and currently a library has also been opened in Shaheed Bhagat Singh DishaSansthan.”
Besides India, Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, the internationalist minded thinker is also commemorated in Pakistan and this bust stands just by the side of Delhi-Amritsar railway line which goes straight to Lahore. Today when the governments of both the nations owing to their private ends are doing the politics of hatred, this bust is calling upon the toiling masses of both the countries, reminding them of their common interests, to struggle for the attainment of the red morning.
Shiv Inder Singh is a political activist. [email protected]