LUCKNOW, May 2 -- "Balraj Sahni needs to be read, understood and championed once again" - this was the collective sentiment expressed by writers, activists and social thinkers during a programme organised at Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) office on Thursday, to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sahni, a film actor, stage artist and a writer Sahni. The programme began with actor Veda, reading excerpts from Balraj Sahni's autobiography 'Meri Filmi Atmakatha', which reflected on various aspects of his film career, personal life and more. She emphasised, "It is ironic that neither art connoisseurs nor litterateurs applauded the works of Sahni, to the extent it deserved, despite the immense effort he put in. He was someone who even satirised his own work-a rarity." IPTA's national working president, Rakesh, said that Sahni was always good mannered. "If a person lacks good manners and polite words, the words spoken by the person does not create an impact. It is high time people start to re-read, understand and advocate because his works - poems or stories, have not received the respect and position he deserved in the Hindi literature world," said Rakesh. Former professor at Lucknow University's anthropology department and social anthropologist, Prof Nadeem Hasnain said that the life of Sahni can be understood from various angles. "He has contributed in the progressive movement to communist activities and others. His life and various campaigns should be read and understood," said Hasnain. Cultural secretary IPTA, Deepak Kabir, in the beginning elaborated the history behind 'May Day or Labour Day'. "The flag of Labour unions was always white it was after a protest in Chicago against the 16-hour working day which labourers wanted to be reduced, in which they were killed by an open fire turning their clothes soaked in blood. The remaining labourers had taken the clothes of those who were killed in the protest to their home and unfurled them like a flag - thereby, giving colour to the flag," he said. Later, some songs were rendered by singers associated with IPTA....