Return of honours, in protest against the central farm laws and in support of the agitating farmers, continues in Punjab.
A day after Punjab’s five-time former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal returned the Padma Vibhushan, chief boxing coach in five Olympics Gurbax Sandhu, 1982 Asian Games Gold Medalist Kaur Singh, and 1986 Asian Games Medalist Jaipal Singh, besides Sikh religious leader and Environmentalist Baba Sewa Singh Khadoor Sahib on Friday announced to return their honours, awarded by the Indian Government.
Punjabi poet and lyricist Harmanjeet Singh, who won the Yuva Puraskar for his book Rani Tatt, has also announced to return his Yuva Sahitya Akademi Award (Punjabi) in support of farmers protesting against farm bills.
Showing their solidarity with the protesting farmers, Punjab’s three Boxing legends — Kaur Singh, Gurbaksh Singh Sandhu, and Jaipal Singh — have decided to return their Padam Shri, Dronacharya Award, and Arjuna Award respectively.
Former national boxing coach Sandhu, who was the national coach when Vijender Singh became the first Indian boxer to fetch an Olympic medal back in 2008, said that he would return his Dronacharya Award if demands of the farmers protesting against new agriculture laws are not addressed.
Sandhu, who served as India’s national men’s coach for over two decades before guiding women boxers for a couple of years and won the country’s top sports coaching honour in 1998, said that it was his way of showing support to the farmers, who are protesting in “bitter cold without any consideration for their own well-being”.
“By doing this, I feel a huge morale pressure is off me. I come from a family of farmers, their fears need to be addressed. If the ongoing talks do not yield a result satisfactory to the farmers, I will return the award,” said Sandhu.
Sandhu said that the Dronacharya Award “means a lot to me but the plight of my fellow farmers means even more.
It is painful for me to see them sitting on roads in this cold. All that the government needs to do is talk to them, clear their doubts and assure them”.
Sandhu joined several former sportspersons in extending their support to the agitating farmers. Among them are Padma Shri and Arjuna awardee wrestler Kartar Singh, Arjuna awardee basketball player Sajjan Singh Cheema and Arjuna awardee hockey player Rajbir Kaur.
In fact, Olympian, Padma Shri and Arjuna awardee Pargat Singh had also announced to return his honours.
Besides, Rajya Sabha MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa had also announced to return the Padma Bhushan Award, bestowed on him in 2019, “to express solidarity with my people and to protest against the treatment being meted out to them”.
In his letter to the President Ram Nath Kovind, dated December 3 but released on Friday, Dhindsa asserted, “What our people are facing has been haunting me. Whatever I have achieved in my life is blessing of people my state and when thousands of them are suffering and have to stay on roads to impress upon the Government of India to meet their very just demands, millions of others are passing through mental agony, I think the least I can do is to return the Padma Bhushan Award…”
Punjabi young poet Harmanjeet, announcing to return his award, stated, “Those who speak ill of our mothers, those who are bent upon breaking the spine of our fathers, grand-fathers and our generation, those who conspire to uproot the foundation of Punjab, we do not need their accolades to prove ourselves. I, too, am returning the Yuva Sahit Akademi, Delhi Award, that was given to my book ‘Rani-tatt’ in the year 2017,” he said.
Popularly known as “Green Baba”, Punjab’s environmentalist, social worker and religious leader Baba Sewa Singh also returned the Padma Shri awarded to him in 2010 for his contribution to environment conservation.
Baba Sewa Singh, in a letter to the President on Friday, wrote, “I am returning the Padma Shri to express my anguish over farmers being forced to launch a struggle. When farmers of the country are fighting a battle for survival, the government’s attitude is worrisome.”
Heading the Kar Sewa organization headquartered at Khadoor Sahib in Tarn Taran, he said: “This is the battle of common citizens of India and only common citizens are India.
So, I give back this award in protest and hope you will take necessary steps for the security of farmers.”