Qaumi’s family wants park in his name

Tribune News Service

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Jalandhar, May 10

A day ahead of the 37th death anniversary of celebrated national poet and freedom fighter Ganga Singh Qaumi, his family here has decided to put in a request seeking the naming of any park in the city after him.

The freedom fighter’s grandson and an advocate AS Qaumi today said, “He had penned revolutionary poems during the pre-independence era and spent over seven years in jail. He should be honoured by setting up any commemorative structure in his name.”

While Qaumi originally hailed from Shahkot, his family is currently settled at Kewal Vihar in the city. The poet’s son Davinder Singh Qaumi said, “My father was among those who led the Swadeshi Movement. He burnt foreign made clothes and professed the use of khaddar. He was an associate of former Defence Minister Swaran Singh and former CM Partap Singh Kairon and used to discuss with them the policy decisions on new Punjab. Hailing from a farming background, he also contributed in discussions for setting up Punjab Agricultural University.”

The family of the legendary poet and Tamar Patar holder said that they had never taken any benefit from the government, including pension. “Ganga Singh did not accept the pension given by the government for he said that he did not want to be paid for the work he did for his nation. Even today the pension which is being forced upon us is going to the PM Relief Fund,” he said.

The family recalls a poem penned by him in the 1940s ‘Jatt Da Jeevan’ which got widely acknowledged. Son recites a few couplets written by his dad during partition, “Dul pende ne mere athroo jadon takda haan mein apne watan diyan aurtan mason bache kuchhri galian de andar phirdian, roti de tukde mangdiyan”. The family still runs a magazine ‘Salahkar’ started by their dad from Shahkot in 1953. The family said that they do not hold any religious programme to mark the day. “Tomorrow, we will be going to five schools adopted by a Trust we set up in his name. We also support the Mother Teresa Home near our house by making some contributions,” his son and grandson shared.