Bradlaugh Hall is a historic hall located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. [1] It was founded in the memory of a British member of the parliament, Charles Bradlaugh. [2] [3] It hosted the meetings of the Congress during the Indian independence movement.
Bradlaugh Hall was constructed in the late 19th century. [4] The Indian National Congress, after five years of planning and fundraising, utilized this structure for its annual session in Lahore in 1893. [4] This initiative was significantly assisted by Sardar Dyal Singh, a noted newspaper publisher who secured Lahore as the session venue in 1888. [4] Surplus funds of Rs 10,000 from the session were allocated for the construction of Bradlaugh Hall. [4]
The building was named in honor of Charles Bradlaugh, a British MP during the late Victorian era, recognized for his advocacy for social justice and affinity towards India. [4] Bradlaugh attended the Indian National Congress's 5th annual session in India in 1889. [4] In recognition of his contributions, a dedication plaque was installed at the hall by Surendra Nath Banerji, a senior leader of the Indian National Congress, on October 30, 1900. [2]
Over the ensuing decades, the hall served as a venue for several advocates for the Indian subcontinent, particularly during the 1920s and 1930s. [4] However, with the rise of the Muslim League in 1946, the Indian National Congress discontinued using the hall. [4] Subsequently, the hall was repurposed as a grain storage facility, a residence for migrants from Amritsar, and a storage facility for ironworkers. [4]
After a flood in 1956 rendered the hall unsuitable for habitation or storage, it was transferred to the National Technical Institute. [4] Following the institute's closure in the late 1990s, the building was rented out to teachers of nearby government schools and other short-term tenants. [4]
Lahore is the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th largest in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is situated in the north-east of the country with River Ravi flowing north-west of the city. It is the capital of the province of Punjab, where it is the largest city. Lahore is one of Pakistan's major industrial and economic hubs, with an estimated GDP (PPP) of $84 billion as of 2019. It has been the historic capital and cultural centre of the wider Punjab region, and is one of Pakistan's most socially liberal, progressive, and cosmopolitan cities.
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That geographically contiguous units are demarcated regions which should be constituted, with such territorial readjustments as may be necessary that the areas in which the Muslims are numerically in a majority as in the North Western and Eastern Zones of (British) India should be grouped to constitute ‘independent states’ in which the constituent units should be autonomous and sovereign.
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