Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Sunday appealed to the political parties to work collectively for cherishing the aspirations of freedom fighters.
Badal, while addressing a gathering during the foundation laying ceremony of the state-of-the art Jang-e-Azadi memorial over an area of 25 acre, also made a fervent appeal to the leaders of all political parties to work in unison cutting across the party affiliations to ensure the overall development and prosperity of the State.
He also called upon the people to take a solemn pledge to emerge both the Punjab and country as frontrunner globally, thereby cherishing the aspirations of countless martyrs and patriots who laid down their lives to free our motherland from the yoke of British imperialism.
Describing the memorial as ‘a humble tribute’ to numerous unsung heroes of the national freedom struggle especially from the State, Badal avowed to make Punjab a vibrant and progressive state in the country, free from maladies of unemployment, poverty and illiteracy as dreamt by our great freedom fighters.
Recalling unparalleled and unique sacrifices made by Punjabis in Indian freedom struggle, he mentioned that 80 per cent sacrifices had been made by Punjabis alone in the national freedom movement despite the fact they merely constituted two percent of country’s population.
Chief Minister said that it was also a matter of sheer pride and honour for us that all watershed movements associated with the country’s freedom struggle like ‘Kuka’, ‘Ghadar’, ‘Kamagata’ ‘Maru’, ‘Agrarian, Gurdwara Reforms’, and Babbar Akali were spear headed by the brave Punjabis from this sacred land.
Badal said that he bows his head in reverence to the martyrs of the Doaba region for their supreme contribution in the freedom struggle. “This Jang-e-Azadi memorial is a real tribute in recognition to their unprecedented sacrifices, which would ever act as a beacon to guide the destiny of our future generations,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Chief Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal said that Punjabis always followed the teachings of great gurus who taught them to fight for their rights.
Sukhbir said that during last seven years, SAD-BJP Government under Badal’s leadership put the construction of these memorials on priority list. Expressing proud to be president of a party which did great sacrifices for independence and to protect the rights of Punjab, Sukhbir shared his memories of visit to jail where Nelson Mandela has been kept for 16 years.
“At that time the South African ambassador told me that his country worships Mandela for his sacrifices for the nation. I told him that I belong to Shiromani Akali Dal, a party which has uncountable Nelson Mandelas”, he added.He said that whenever India faced any crisis, Punjabi always lead the battle. “Punjabis always took it as challenge either it was battles with Pakistan to secure the borders of nation or to curb the food crisis,” he said.
Addressing the gathering, the leader of Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha Sunil Jakhar said that the spirit of bravery and sacrifice was not only imbibed in the blood of Punjabis but was included in their DNA. “Such initiatives which propagated a spirit of patriotism and self-sacrifice amongst the people especially the younger generations must be appreciated by one and all cutting across the party lines,” he said.