Chief Minister recalls Punjabi valour at opening of Jang-e-Azadi memorial

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Kartarpur, November 6

Recalling the supreme sacrifices made by the people of Punjab in the national freedom struggle, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said that Punjabis were ever ready to make any sacrifice to safeguard the unity, integrity and sovereignty of the country.

Addressing the mammoth public gathering after dedicating to public the first phase of the prestigious Jang-e-Azadi Memorial here today, the Chief Minister said despite the fact that Punjabis merely constituted 2.5 per cent of the country’s total population, over 80 per cent of the sacrifices in terms of execution, incarceration or deportation to the islands of Andaman and Nicobar were made by them during the independence movement. He said it was shocking that while Punjabis had been known for creating history, they never bothered to preserve their rich legacy of supreme sacrifices. He said the state government had made an effort to set up the Jang-e-Azadi Memorial to perpetuate the supreme sacrifices made by our great freedom fighters and patriots during the national freedom struggle, portraying a long period of over 100 years.

Eulogising the valiant deeds of defence services, Badal said, “Our brave soldiers inherited the martial spirit from the great Sikh Gurus for which Punjab has earned the recognition of being the nation’s sword arm. Badal also recalled the gallantry deeds of great Punjabi soldiers like Naik Karam Singh, Major Somnath Sharma, Air Commodore Baba Mehar Singh, Joginder Singh, General Harbaksh Singh, Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh, Lt Gen JS Arora, Captain Bana Singh and several others who brought laurels and glory for the country through their heroic deeds. He said it was also a matter of sheer pride and honour that the watershed movements associated with the country’s freedom struggle like Kuka, Ghadar, Kamagata Maru, Agrarian, Gurdwara Reforms and Babbar Akali were spear headed by the brave people of Punjab from this sacred land.

The Chief Minister commended the efforts of the executive committee of the Jang-e-Azaadi foundation for constructing the memorial to showcase the contribution of Punjabis in the national independence movement. He said that the memorial would play a vital role and act as a beacon to acquaint the younger generations about the saga of great sacrifices made by the martyrs, especially from Punjab, to free their motherland from the yoke of British imperialism. Badal said that his government had already constructed the state-of-the-art Virasat-e-Khalsa memorial at Sri Anandpur Sahib, memorials to the Big Holocaust and Small Holocaust in Kup Rahira and Kahnuwan, respectively, and Baba Banda Singh Bahadur War memorial at Chappar Chiri. He said the War Heroes’ Memorial-cum-Museum had already being dedicated to the nation and that the upcoming Temple-cum-Panorama Complex at Bhagwan Valmiki Ji Tirath Sthal would be dedicated to the people on December 10. The Chief Minister added that Baba Moti Ram Mehra Memorial at Fatehgarh Sahib, Bhai Jaita Ji Memorial at Sri Anandpur Sahib and Guru Ravidass memorial at Hoshiarpur would also be opened shortly.

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal said the Punjabi community made heroic sacrifices for the country’s freedom. He also gave some figures, “Out of the total 2,646 exiled in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, 2,147 were Punjabis. Likewise, out of the total 20,000 soldiers of the Indian National Army formed by Netaji Subash Chander Bose, 12,000 were Punjabis. During the Namdhari Movement, 86 heroes were martyred and 21 were sent to Andaman and Nicobar or were imprisoned for life. During the Ghadar movement, 202 patriots attained martyrdom while 315 got life imprisonment or were sent to Andaman and Nicobar islands.”

Union Minister for State and Punjab BJP Chief Vijay Sampla thanked the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister for the prestigious project in Doaba.

Prominent amongst other present on the occasion included Punjab Assembly Speaker Charanjeet Singh Atwal, Cabinet ministers Bikram Singh Majithia, Daljeet Singh Cheema, Ajit Singh Kohar and Sohan Singh Thandal, Lok Sabha MP Ranjeet Singh Brahmpura, Rajya Sabha MPs Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Balwinder Singh Bhunder, MLAs KD Bhandari, Jagir Kaur, Mohinder Kaur Josh, Avinash Chander, Sarwan Singh Phillaur, Pawan Kumar Teenu, Chaudhary Nand Lal, Som Parkash and Gurpratap Singh Wadala, former MP Tarlochan Singh, former state BJP chief Kamal Sharma, former minister Upinderjit Kaur, former MLA Sarabjit Singh Makkar, Markfed chairman Jarnail Singh Wahid, senior Akali leader Darbara Singh Guru, Seth Satpal Mal, President of Youth Akali Dal (Doaba zone) Sarbjot Singh Saabi, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister SK Sandhu, Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister KJS Cheema, Cultural Affairs Secretary Hussan Lal, Punjabi University Vice Chancellor Jaspal Singh and Deputy Inspector General of Police Rajinder Singh and SSP Rajinder Singh.