Bradlaugh Hall was built in Lahore in 1900 under the auspices of the Indian National Congress and played a central role in the independence movement of Indian Sub-continent. The hall was a hub of many cultural, political activities throughout the earlier decades of twentieth century. Most important of these was perhaps the revolutionary activities of Ghaddar Party which used the Hall as a base to help facilitate the labor and peasant’s movements. Bhagat Singh studied in this building when it was temporarily converted into a College to educate Indians as a part of Gandhi’s non-cooperation movement. Bhagat Singh joined other young anti colonial revolutionaries to form “Naujawan Bharat Sabha” here in 1926. Sabha helped spread the ideas of freedom, equality, and economic emancipation among the youth. These revolutionary ideas sparked the anti-colonial, freedom movement of the sub-continent resulting in the independence of the sub-continent in 1947. Despite such a central role played by the hall in the freedom movement, it has not been preserved, renovated after the partition and is in a dilapidated condition today.

We have been infused with an “anti-Hindu” history through our curriculums which justifies a violent treatment of Hindus in our country or the hatred against India. It is the places like Bradluagh Hall and the histories attached with them which need to be preserved in order to offer an alternative to the National history and curb the violent political, social realities this National history has given rise to.