Returning awards just the beginning, says 1988 Mr Universe

Sanjiv Kumar Bakshi

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Hoshiarpur, December 7

Country’s first Mr Universe (1988) Prem Chand Degra, considered the father of bodybuilding in Punjab, returned his Padma Shri and Arjuna Award in support of farmers’ protest.

Degra, who has been a role model for the youth in Hoshiarpur for years, told The Tribune that two days ago, he went to Jalandhar to hand over his awards to the delegation that left for Delhi from Jalandhar for returning the awards to the Central Government.

He said: “No matter what we are doing today, we all have our roots and foundations in agriculture and are sons of farmers. Now that the government of the country is not listening to the voice of the annadatas (farmers), what will we do with such awards? So, I decided to return my awards.”

Neither the government took farmers into confidence while making the law nor it seems ready to accept the demands of farmers. One thing is very much clear that I am fully with the farmers in the struggle and returning awards is just the beginning. I will support farmers in this struggle against the anti-farmer laws. —Prem Chand Degra, Country’s first Mr Universe (1988)

Degra said: “It’s sad that the government of the country neither took the opinion of farmers before enacting the law nor is listening to their voice now. Rather, an attempt is being made to suppress it.”

He said had the government taken farmers into confidence in the law-making process, this issue would not have snowballed today. “But neither the government did it then nor it seems ready to accept the demands of farmers now. One thing is very much clear that I am fully with the farmers in the struggle and returning awards is just the beginning. I will support farmers in this struggle against the anti-farmer laws.” He said the government should listen to the demands of farmers and cancel the anti-farmer laws.