By Pervez Bari
Bhopal, October 01: The Bhopal Regional office of the National Archives of India, (NAI), is organising an exhibition, christened as “Karenge Ya Marenge 75 Chalo Dilli”, from October 2 here at its office premises behind MLB Girls College neat Polytechnic.
Addressing a Press Conference Dr. M. A. Huque, Deputy Director NAI, New Delhi, informed here that two big events in Indian history — Quit India Movement (Bharat Chhodo Andolan) call by Mahatma Gandhi asking the British to leave India, and the formation of Azad Hind Fauj (also known as the Indian National Army) by Subhas Chandra Bose — have completed 75 years on August 9 and September 1 this year respectively.
Dr. Huque said that the exhibition will be inaugurated on October 2 at 4.00 pm by Ajatshatru Srivastava, Commissioner, Bhopal Division and it will continue till November 3rd, 2017.
He said the exhibition will have on display thousands of declassified files and documents related to the two events, including those related to slogans “Karenge Ya Marenge” (Do or Die) by Mahatma Gandhi, “Bharat Chhodo” by Yusuf Mehar Ali and others. Both the developments had taken shape in 1942. The culture ministry has decided to hold an exhibition of the declassified documents related to both these events, including that of Bose and INA, for physical scrutiny of people.
He said that people will get a chance to get a glimpse of documents such as a letter by the Mahatma written on August 8, 1942, in which he coined ‘Karenge ya Marenge’. Since the general public believes that the slogan Bharat Chhodo was given by the Mahatma, documents prove it was freedom fighter Yusuf Mehar Ali who had coined this slogan.
The files related to INA would also have as display the enrolment of Capt. Mohan Singh in the INA on September 1, 1942. Propaganda material like pamphlets, banners, posters and others used by INA will also be displayed.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Pranjana Sinha, Assistant Director of Archives, National Archives of India, Regional office, Bhopal, said the Quit India Movement was an important milestone in India’s Freedom Movement. This Exhibition was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Culture (I/C) Dr. Mahesh Sharma in the premises of the National Archives of India headquarters at New Delhi on August 9 last.
Regarding the Regional office of which she is the head Mrs. Sinha said that this Regional Office is the first offspring of the National Archives of India in the post independent era. The record holdings of this office can be largely grouped into 3 categories. First the records of the erstwhile Bhopal State which are mostly in Persian and Urdu Shikasta script and deal with various administrative machinery of the Bhopal State it cover the 19th & 20th Century and give vivid glimpses of the vibrant socio–cultural, economic and administrative aspects of those times.
Mrs. Sinha said so far very little of this precious primary source on Bhopal State & Central India has been explored; this amounts to one lakh 50,000 files and 20,000 volumes. Besides the Bhopal State records we have in our custody a huge number of volumes of Provincial Gazettes covering 50 provinces of British period and independent India which amount to approximately14000 volumes covering period – 1841-1971.
The third collections are the files of the Govt. of India Records which has 11 Departments to name a few Department of Home, Revenue & Agriculture, Railways, Finance, PWD, Legislative, Commerce & Communication etc. covering a period 1860-1938 which amounts to more than 2 lakh 50,000 files.
Talking about Dr. M. A. Haque she said he had graduated and completed his Masters and M. Phil from Aligarh Muslim University and then completed his Ph.D. when he was posted at Bhopal as Archivist (Oriental Records) and then Assistant Director (OR). On promotion as Deputy Director Dr. Haque joined the National Archives of India, New Delhi. He has been guiding the Regional office since he has a deep knowledge of the Persian, Urdu Shikesta script. Moreover he is also the In Charge of all the four Regional Centres at Jaipur, Puduchery, Bhubaneswar and this office at Bhopal.
At the outset Archivist in the Regional office Mirza Mumtaz Baig, who was also present on the occasion, introduced Dr. M. A. Huque and Mrs. Pranjana Sinha. (pervezbari@yahoo.co.in)