Punjab Chief Minister Mr Parkash Singh Badal today announced that the work for constructing a state of art memorial for depicting the role played by Punjabis in the freedom struggle of country would be soon started in the Doaba region of the state.
Addressing a mammoth gathering in a state level function organised here today to mark the martyrdom day of Shaheed-e-Aazam Sardar Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, the Chief Minister said that the memorial to be constructed on the pattern of Virasat-e-Khalsa heritage centre constructed at Sri Anandpur Sahib would showcase the rich contribution of Punjabis in India's freedom movement in a new light. He said that the sole motive of erecting this memorial which is to be constructed on about 25 acres of land was to remind the people about the rich legacy of the sacrifices made by the state in the freedom struggle of country. Mr Badal said that he had already passed on the necessary directions to the Deputy Commissioners (DC) for selecting an appropriate site of land on which this memorial is to be constructed.
Lauding the contribution of state in Indian Independence movement the Chief Minister said that it was a matter of fact that Punjab was having a rich treasure in form of martyrs who had made selfless contribution for attaining the independence for the country. He said that we should feel proud on the fact that despite of having a population of only 2.5% in the country Punjab constitutes 80% of the total number of the martyrs of the freedom struggle. However Mr Badal said that the need of hour is that the message and contribution of martyrs of state must be disseminated to the people so that they could be made aware about the rich tradition of sacrifices set by their ancestors. "The memorial to be constructed in the Doaba region would fulfil this motive of awakening the people" he added.
Making a scathing attack on the Congress party the Chief Minister said that due to the wrong policies of this party, which had mostly remained in power ever since country attained independence, the dreams of martyrs remained unfulfilled. Mr Badal said that though the martyrs had laid down their life for ensuring the betterment of people, during their own rule the situation is totally opposite as the countrymen are facing a large number of problems. He said that it is the irony of the fate that despite of having a bounty of natural resources the country remained poor due to the wrong policies of successive centre governments formed by the Congress party, thus resulting in a large number of social and economic maladies like unemployment, poverty, inflation, illiteracy and corruption in the country. The Chief Minister said that despite of the fact that Punjabis have made immense contribution in the freedom struggle and were uprooted due to the partition of country, the Congress governments have meted out a discriminatory treatment with the state by unnecessarily interfering in the social, economic, political and even the religious matters of the state.
Expressing gratitude of the people of the state for giving a historic mandate to the SAD-BJP alliance in recently concluded state assembly polls the Chief Minister said that he has no words to thank the people of state. Mr Badal said that the mandate was a clear message that the people of state have accepted the agenda of peace, communal harmony and all round development of the state as propagated by the alliance by rejecting the agenda of violence and hatred as propagated by the Congress leadership. He vowed that their government would leave no stone unturned towards ensuring that all the promises made by them in the election manifesto are fulfilled at the earliest.
Earlier the Chief Minster paid homage to the martyrs by laying down wreaths at the memorial constructed here.
Prominent amongst those present on the occasion included Bhagat Chuni Lal and Mr Sarwan Singh Phillaur (both Cabinet Ministers), former Union Minister Mr Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, Dr. Daljeet singh Cheema, Chaudhary Nand Lal, Mr Surinder Singh Bhullewal Rathan, Mr Gurpartap Singh Wadala (all MLAs), Mr Vinod Thapar (Nephew of Shaheed Sukhdev), Bibi Satinder Kaur Kareeha and Mr Mohan Singh Banga (former MLA).