DW BUREAU / Sangrur

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Wednesday that the Punjab government is following in the footsteps of martyrs like Udham Singh to restore the pristine glory of the state by making the youth active partners in the socio-economic progress of the country.

Addressing the gathering at a state-level function to mark the 85th martyrdom day of Udham Singh at Sunam in Sangrur district, the Chief Minister recalled how he used to accompany his father as a child to attend an annual event here to pay tributes to Udham Singh.

He said that the countrymen are enjoying the fruits of freedom due to the enormous sacrifices made by legendary heroes like Shaheed Udhama Singh. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that Shaheed Udham Singh was a true son of soil, who had in a heroic act exhibited exemplary courage by killing Michael O' Dwyer, the prime perpetrator of Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

The Chief Minister said that he had been regularly paying visits to the Caxton Hall where Shaheed Udham Singh had taken revenge on millions of Indians. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the unprecedented sacrifice made by this iconic martyr at the altar of national freedom struggle helped the country to overthrow the yoke of British Imperialism. He further said that Shaheed Udham Singh waited for 21 years to avenge the massacre at Jallianwala Bagh and thus laid the foundation of the freedom of the nation.

The Chief Minister asserted that Punjabis have a prominent place in the national freedom struggle and we are proud of their brave and unique contributions. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that he bows his head in reverence to such great martyrs and patriots of India's freedom struggle, who displayed heroism and valour thereby making supreme sacrifices to for attaining freedom for the country. He said that the rich legacy of unprecedented sacrifices made by martyrs would act as a lighthouse to guide the destiny of our future generations.

The Chief Minister said that the great Sikh Gurus have inspired the people to fight against tyranny, injustice and oppression due to which Punjabis have always led the country in fight against maladies. Bhagwant Singh Mann also recalled that during his stint as Lok Sabha Member, the house had paid tributes to chotta sahibzadas of Guru Gobind Singh on their martyrdom day after he had pursued the matter with then Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. He said thatthe sahibzadas had inherited the traits of valor and selfless service from Dashmesh Pitaah, who fought relentlessly for the sake of humanity.

The Chief Minister said that the state government has taken exemplary initiatives for the well being of the state and its people. He said that for the first time in the post-independence era his government has started the work for construction of Malwa canal in the state adding that it is on record that none of the previous governments of the state had paid heed towards this necessity of the state. Bhagwant Singh Mann further said that this around 150 kilometre long new canal will usher a new era of unprecedented progress and prosperity in the state especially in Malwa region adding that the state government will spend around Rs 2300 crore on this prestigious project that will cater to irrigational needs of nearly two lakh acres of fertile land of the state.

Taking a jibe over the previous rulers, the Chief Minister said that those who had always sought votes on the name of farmers had never bothered to take such steps. He said that the Akali leaders were more interested in supplying water to their farms rather than executing such projects that could have transformed the destiny of the common man. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that due to such anti-people stances these leaders were outrightly rejected by the voters and a whopping mandate was given to the incumbent government.

The Chief Minister quipped that these leaders had never bothered about the environmental pollution as trees, rivers and canals do not have votes. He said that had voting rights been conferred to trees, canals and rivers so these leaders had never worried about them. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that in a paradigm shift the state government is paying special attention towards the preservation of these resources.

Quoting verse 'Pawan Guru, Paani Pitaah, Mata Dharat Mahat' from Gurbani, the Chief Minister said that the great Gurus have equated air (pawan) with teacher, water (paani) with father and land (dharat) with mother. However, he said that unfortunately the previous governments have deceived our great Gurus by polluting all these three. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that now the time has come when we must imbibe the teachings of Gurbani in our lives for restoring the pristine glory of state. The Chief Minister also announced that the state government will construct an ultra modern stadium and bus stand on this historic land to channelize the unbounded energy of youth in a positive direction.
(editor@dailyworld.in)