“Can we go back to ethos of the movement?” said Shri Kuldeep Nayar, Eminent Journalist, while releasing the book Ghadar Movement: A Short History at a book release function held at India International Centre. He said that the book introduces to us freedom struggle and introduces to us “tomorrow what it can be”. He added that the movement will be completing 100 years next year. We shall disseminate the ideology of the Ghadarits as they are our heroes, they inspire us and we should see our children start thinking about India.
He said that Ghadarits had no resources and no long term planning to start the revolution. Their thinking was their identity. Even before India became free they said that after freedom there will be job, roof and food for each Indian.
Dr Mohinder Singh, Member, National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions; Dr Rakesh Bhattabyal, Dy. Director, Academic Staff, Jawaharlal Nehru University; and Shri Sunit Singh, Visiting Fulbright Fellow, National Institute of Panjab Studies, New Delhi also spoke on the occasion.
All the speakers were of the view that Ghadarits were product of History, Revolution of 1857 and famine. They had advanced consciousness, they were secular and believed in social justices and democratic system. The revolution inspired other revolutions for freedom struggle in India.
The book has recently been published by the National Book Trust, India, under its Popular Social Science series.The book has been authored by Prof. Harish K. Puri. The author of the book, Prof. Harish K. Puri, is the former Professor of Political Science and Head, B.R. Ambedkar Chair at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. He has researched and published extensively on political movements, federalism, dalits, politics of ethnicity, caste and religion and terrorism. His books include Ghadar Movement: Ideology, Organisation and Strategy; Terrorism in Punjab: Understanding Grassroots Reality (co-author) etc.