Vikram singh
SPNer
- Feb 24, 2005
- 454
- 412
[SIZE=-1]London: July 2007- History repeats it self, this is what happened recently at the House of Commons, UK Parliament on 3rd July when a film on the life of Maharaja Duleep Singh was Screened. It was 1880s when the deposed Sikh Maharaja was spending his miserable days in exile in UK and a debate in his support took place in the British Parliament, but sadly of no avail at that time. What happened to him and his family is now a sad chapter of Sikh-British history. Later he died in Paris in 1893 and was buried in England.
The occasion was a special screening of the film titled ‘A Monument of Injustice’ on the life of Maharaja Duleep Singh, produced by Chandigarh based film maker Amarjeet Singh. Last year this documentary film was released in USA and UK. Depicting the true story of the up rooting of the Sikh Empire ‘Sarkar-e-Khalsa’ by the British regime, it tells the factual history and un folds many facts that were created by the historians of the past to defame the glory of the Sikh Empire and its rulers. Amarjeet Singh has been making and promoting films and laser shows on the Sikh and Punjab history. He was invited by Mr. John Mcdonnell, MP and the Chairperson All Party Parliamentary Group, comprising 70 MPs, who work for the benefits of Asian community in Britain.
During the two hour special programme, producer Amarjeet Singh was also present; he especially flew from India to UK for this historic presentation. He also presented a brief note on the subject and very firmly raised the voice against the Injustice done to the Sikh Nation after the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh from 1839 to 1849, by the British. He said that till date the Sikhs are being targeted by different forces and agencies not only in India but all over the World, especially after the partition of India they have become victim of Injustice for their innocence.
After the film screening a debate took place in which the audience and MPs shared their views very openly on the happenings of the up rooting of the Sikh empire and it’s after affects. Amarjeet Singh interacting with the audience, clearly said that the facts regarding the Kooh-i-noor and adopting Christianity by Duleep Singh are muddled and are not true, he said in fact Kooh-i-noor was not Presented to her Highness Queen Victoria by Duleep Singh, rather it was sent to her by Lord Dalhousie, similarly the young Sikh Maharaja was put under such complex circumstances by his guardian Dr. John Login and others, that he was made to accept Christianity under the influence of the British and not by his own will or desire. It is a hard fact that he became a Baptized Sikh well before his death. Amarjeet also raised the issue of bringing the ashes of Duleep Singh in Punjab to fulfill his last desire. He appealed to the Sikh community and British authorities to do the needful at the earliest. The film was appreciated by the viewers and got tremendous remarks from the Asian and British audience. The presentation was a curtain raiser on many such facts.
In the end Mr. John Mcdonnell, MP praised the pioneer effort of Amarjeet Singh to make such a convincing film without raising any controversy on the subject. He said that now the time has come to regret for what happened to Maharaja Duleep Singh and to the Sikh nation on the whole at that time. Amarjeet Singh is also making the Punjabi version of this film and would visit Canada and USA in October with the DVD of this film. [/SIZE]