CM encourages girls to pursue politics at government college annual convocation

The annual convocation of Government College for Girls was held here today, during which Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann asked degree-holders to take interest in politics and not consider it something “bad.” Don’t think of politics as a dirty game or that it only belongs to musclemen, he said, urging girls to take interest in politics too.

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“It is not that politicians are bad or only bad people join politics. The fact is that a lesser number of good people go for politics. Until I was a good comedian, I was considered one of the best artists by all sections of society, but the moment I joined politics, I became a threat and a bad person. Do not bother about what people say about you; just continue on your journey. Secondly, choose your career and politicians yourself, instead of complaining afterwards. Create a niche for yourself; work hard for it. Be a person whose absence pinches people,” said Mann in his address.

Applauding students for their stupendous efforts in every field, Mann said when a tree grows from a sapling and starts giving fruit or shade to several others, it is not the people who reap its benefits who enjoy the most, but the gardener. “I can see the same happiness in the eyes of the principal and teachers who have taught you all,” he said.

Encouraging the girl students, he said it was possible that one of them would serve as the Deputy Commissioner of Ludhiana in times to come. The CM said the state government had made concerted efforts for empowering women in the state. He told the students that eight districts of Punjab had female DCs, and six SSPs and 18 ADCs were female officers. He said for the first time females were given such prestigious posts in the state, and all of them were well-deserving.

The CM said girls always created a niche for themselves, scaling ahead of boys. Earlier, girls were not given much freedom, even if they passed masters exams, as the ultimate aim was to get married. But now times had changed and the sky was the limit, said. “You are not going to look towards your husband to get your daily expenses; go and get it for yourself,” he added. He appreciated the efforts made by the Principal, Dr Suman Lata, in shaping the future of students.

The CM said it was for the first time that a government had given a record number —more than 52,000—of jobs to the youth in 36 months of coming into power. He said that it was a matter of immense pride and satisfaction for him that all the jobs had been given completely on the basis of merit, sans any corruption or nepotism.

Bhagwant Singh Mann expressed hope that these youth would become active partners in the socio-economic development of the state by joining their respective departments. The CM said the world was replete with examples where people from humble backgrounds had conquered the world through their hard work and dedication. He said that girls must take inspiration from such examples to prove their mettle across the globe, adding that the state government would facilitate them in the noble cause.

The Chief Minister said that besides being the nation’s food bowl, Punjab also had the distinction of being the sword arm of the country, and its people were well known for their courage, resilience and spirit of enterprise. He said every inch of this sacred land had the footprints of great gurus, saints, seers and martyrs, who had shown a way to oppose tyranny, injustice and oppression. Mann said Punjab inherited a rich cultural legacy and was known the world over for its warm hospitality.

He said traditional parties were envious of him because he hailed from a common family and was working tirelessly to ensure the welfare of people. Mann said these leaders had always believed that they had the divine right to rule the state, due to which they were unable to digest that a common man was running the state efficiently. He said these leaders had befooled the people of the state for a long time, but now that was not possible. Ending his address with poetry, he said, “Logo ko aksar kehte suna hai, zinda rahe toh phir milenge lekin iss dil ne kaha hai milte rahe toh zinda rahenge.”