Abstract:

"IN MEMORY OF FRIENDS documents the violence and terror in Punjab, India -- a land torn apart by religious fundamentalists and a repressive government. After examining the political turmoil of the late 1970s and rise of Sikh fundamentalism, the film concentrates on the legacy of Bhagat Singh, a young socialist hanged by the British in 1931. Singh has since become an almost legendary figure. Today, both sides claim him as a symbol of their cause: the socialist state eulogizes him as a patriot, while Khalistani separatists portray him as a Sikh militant. In fact, Singh was neither. Just prior to his death he wrote a book which he entitled Why I Am An Atheist. Focusing on Singh's unlikely martyrdom, IN MEMORY OF FRIENDS is an incisive look at the strife in India today."