It has been rather a pleasant surprise to meet again many of my old friends in Wardha university campus who make a very nice faculty.
I Met Shaila Hashmi for the first time and the Aaapa is as much as intimate as SAFDAR has been for us.
We all met on the occasion of Safdar Hasmi Shahadat Diwas organised by KAFILA, a students' cultural organisation in the university.
The topic we discussed, LOKTANTRA AUR Janapratirodh.
Our oldest friend Suresh Sharma is the HOD of the dept. of cinema and he presented some memoirs of the day of the killing where he was present as a reporter assigned by Jansatta editor Prabhash Joshi. Shail Aapa shares her childhood and the story of becoming SAFDAR which had been very-very inspiring.
Neeran ji also remembered Gorakh Pandey our dearest poet and friend on whose name a hostel is named.
We are staying in Baba Nagarjun Sarai.
The University has got hostels named on Birsa Munda, Shaheed-e-Ajam Bhagat Singh, and Raj guru and so on.
It has got buildings on the names of Nirala and Muktibodh.
Main Avenue is named on Premchand. There is a Nazir hat also.
Thanks to Mr BN Roy, the ex. VC whom, we knew as an excellent IPS Officer who exposed the truth of Maliayana and Hashimpura genocide getting out all the dead bodies thrown into Gangnahar after they were shot dead by either PAC or Army. He was the SSP in Ghaziabad then. I was a working journalist based in Meerut. The Day on which Safdar was killed Meerut was riot torn and we staged a nukkad in Purana Meerut, the most affected area.
Mahashweta Devi and Nabarunda published the Bengali translation of Shahar Mein Curfew as well as Lekin Darwaja while we were in the editorial of Bhasha Bandhan.
Having seen the geography and environment of Wardha Hindi University Campus, I rather regret for the criticism he had to face for some casual remarks against his personality as we knew him, It surprised me then. Now, it surprises me to feel how easily we do forget the good works of committed person like BN Roy just because of media hype. We all contribute to the events of character assassination.
We have got a very bad experience to have witnessed our poet Gorakh committing suicide for some irresponsible writing by a reputed Hindi writer who also happens to be our friend.
I swear that I would not forgive the friend, one of the best writers in Hindi even if he washes his hands with all the seven seas.
What we never dream to discuss in universities like JNU or Jadavpur, we discussed that in Wardha.
I do not care because I have no stake to lose and hence, I publicly want to say thanks to BN Roy, the IPS, and Ex VC. and the writer for this excellent environment.
Our friend Suraj Paliwal is a professor so is Rakesh. Neeranji is the editor of an online magazine.
I have got a laptop with a mouse thanks to Bhagawat, Gaurav, Majdoor, Gias and kafila team to work in the campus and I am able to share the experience live.
I had a rare opportunity to interact with the students as well as the teachers. Boys as well as the girls.
It is rather a rare occasion for me.
Tomorrow we have to concentrate on medium and genres. Plan to interact more and more. If possible with everyone and would perhaps visit Sewagram.
I would be perhaps able to write a report tomorrow and it would be a belated report as I am not habitual to work with laptop.
This visit has become so much so emotional and personal that I may sound subjective also, I am afraid.
O- Palash Biswas
