The Hindu : New Delhi News : Nation remembers its martyrs

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Saturday, Sep 29, 2007
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New Delhi

New Delhi

Nation remembers its martyrs

Special Correspondent

People pay glowing tributes to Bhagat Singh on his birth centenary

Photo: Akhilesh Kumar

A day to remember: Women wearing turbans shouting patriotic slogans to mark the birth centenary of Bhagat Singh in Chandigarh on Friday.

CHANDIGARH: Absence of the President and the Prime Minister notwithstanding, people from all walks of life in their own ways celebrated the birth centenary of Bhagat Singh, fondly remembered as Shaheed-e-Azam or the king of martyrs, on Friday.

A large number of people thronged his ancestral house in Khatkar Kalan and his samadhi at Hussainiwala on the India-Pakistan border in Ferozepur district while a national level function in which top leaders of all parties participated was organised in Amritsar.

While Khatkar Kalan was completely illuminated, some buildings in Amritsar were also lit up to mark the event.

Many social and political outfits organised functions to pay homage to Sukhdev and Rajguru, who were sent to the gallows along with Bhagat Singh.

All government offices and educational institutions in Punjab were closed to facilitate maximum participation in the commemorative functions.

At the official function in Amritsar, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Union Tourism Minister Ambika Soni, Haryana and Uttarakhand Chief Ministers Bhupinder Singh Hooda and B.C. Khanduri shared the stage with Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to pay their tributes.

Kin honoured

Two of Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s nephews, Abhey Sandhu and Kiranjit Sandhu, took part in the official function where they were honoured by Mr. Badal, while Mr. Patil released a book, “Jail Dairy of Shaheed Bhagat”, published by Punjab’s Information and Public Relations Department.

Meanwhile, another nephew, Jagmohan Singh, was highly critical that the Union and Punjab governments had indulged in wasteful expenditure on the event, while the martyr’s museum and ideology lay ignored.

Various farmers’ organisations organised a rally in Barnala to highlight the plight of the peasants and agricultural labour in the State.

Even the two-day official event was marred by an incident right in front of the Jallianwala Bagh, where the police resorted to a cane charge on farmers who have been protesting against “unjust” acquisition of their land to allow a private business house to expand its capacity.

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