The Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Monday paid tributes to the farmers, who had committed suicide, Punjab soldiers who had died in Army operations, as well as those who lost their lives in the recent ludhiana factory collapse incident and Bathinda school bus accident. Besides, the political and other eminent personalities, who had passed away during the intervening period between the two sessions, were also remembered by the members of the House.
Rich tributes were also paid to Rajmata Mohinder Kaur, mother of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, who has been the member of both lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. She breathed her last on July 24.
Along with them, former MPs Kanwar Vishvjit Prithvijit Singh and Mohinder Singh Kalyan were also remembered by the House. The Speaker Rana Kanwar Pal Singh led the House in paying homage by citing a quote by famous artist leonardo da Vinci.
Apart from former parliamentarians, other eminent personalities to whom the House paid its respects were former MlAs Harmohinder Singh Pradhan, Balwant Singh, Raja Singh, Balbir Singh, Surjan Singh Joga, and Comrade Raj Kumar.
The members also paid tributes to freedom fighters including Arjun Singh, Wassan Singh, Jagat Singh, Bachan Singh, Ram Sarup, Bachan Kaur, Channan Singh, other than the Jathedar of Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib Giani Mal Singh. Punjab police Sub-Inspector Kamaljeet Singh, Naik Bakhtabar Singh, and Manjinder Singh, who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty, were also paid homage by the House.
Homage was also paid to those who were killed in the previous week’s tragic incident of a building collapse of a plastic factory in ludhiana after it caught fire.
After the Speaker read out references to all those included in the list, SAD’s MlA from Batala lakhbir Singh lodhinangal requested to add the name of martyr Mandeep Singh of Chahal Khurd village in Batala. Thirty-two years old Mandeep had died while fighting militants in Kupwara district of north Kashmir on November 22.
Also, the leader of Opposition and AAP MlA from Bholath Sukhpal Khaira also suggested to pay homage to the farmers who had committed suicide, as well as the teachers and students who were died in November 8 Bathinda road accident besides those who lost their lives in another mishap on November 7 on Ferozepur-Fazilka road.
Carrying a list said be having names of farmers who have committed suicide, Khaira demanded that the House should also pay tribute to over 200 such farmers. “As many as 289 farmers and farm laborers have committed suicide since the previous session,” he added.
Agreeing to the suggestions, the Speaker allowed to include the suggested obituary references to the list.
Speaker then passed a resolution for conveying the condolences of the House to their respective families, and observed a two-minute silence in the memory of departed souls as a mark of respect before being adjourned for the day. For the first time in the current House, former Chief Minister and Akali stalwart Parkash Singh Badal attended the session, while his son and Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal was absent. Former leader of Opposition and AAP MlA from Dakha HS Phoolka was also conspicuous by his absence.