Punjab BJP ex-president, daughter pay musical tributes to victims

Jalandhar: In a musical tribute to the victims of Jallianwala Bagh massacre on its centenary, former Punjab BJP president Kamal Sharma and his daughter have sung a Punjabi song – Jallianwale Bagh da saaka, sun ke dil ghabraae ne, naal gloian uddan bedoshe, kaee maavaan de jaae ne.

“It is a popular song and name of its writer is not known. It almost became part of the folklore as the massacre was etched in the collective memory of the Punjabis,” said Sharma. “I thought of paying a tribute to the martyrs and then urged my daughter Shubhra to join me in singing it,” he said. The video of the song has been shot at Jallainwala Bagh.

Notably, quite a few poems/songs were penned by the prominent Punjabi poets and these were banned by the British government. Legendary Punjabi poet Ferozedin Sharf’s ‘Dukhan de Keerne’ (Wails of Sorrow) was not only banned but he was also sentenced to one year imprisonment. He depicted the gory scenes, unprecedented butchery in “Guru’s town” near Akal Takht by the then rulers. He also mentioned unity of Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims and assault on the honour of entire Punjab at Jallianwala Bagh.

Noted Punjabi novelist Nanak Singh’s poem ‘Khooni Vaisakhi’, which was banned, has also been published. It has been translated by his grandson and Indian diplomat Navdeep Suri.

According to noted researcher on freedom movement in Punjab, Dr Gurdev Singh Sidhu’s over a dozen Punjabi poets had penned poems expressing collective pain and anguish of Punjabis on the massacre.