New Delhi: Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), Satnam Singh Sandhu has urged the Union Government to posthumously confer India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, on three legendary martyrs of the freedom struggle from Punjab – Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Shaheed Udham Singh and Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra.
Raising the demand on the first day of Monsoon session in Parliament, MP Rajya Sabha Satnam Sandhu said, “Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Shaheed Udham Singh and Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra were the legendary martyrs who laid down their lives during the Bharat’s freedom struggle against the oppressive British rule.
“It is ironic and deeply painful that even after 77 years of independence, these legendry martyrs have not been awarded the Bharat Ratna which without a doubt, the gravest injustice to their unparalleled sacrifices. Their ideology, vision and their martyrdom continued to inspire generations of Indians especially the youth. Despite that they did not get the due recognition even after close to 8 decades have elapsed since India gain independence
Describing the demand as a reflection of not just “The public sentiments of Punjab and its people but the entire nation’s conscience,” Sandhu emphasized that “these revolutionaries were not just regional heroes, but symbols of India’s unrelenting spirit, resilience and resistance against colonial oppression,” added the MP.
Exhorting the Union Government to ‘correct the historical wrong and awaken the national consciousness’ Sandhu said, “Unlike in the past, when politics of appeasement used to rule the roost while conferring upon the awards and recognition on achievers in the country, under Modi government things have changed completely and irrespective of their caste, creed, religion or socio-economic status, real national heroes are getting honoured for their remarkable achievements in all fields. I urge the union government to continue to keep this spirit ignited by honouring the legendry trio Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Shaheed Udham Singh and Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra with Bharat Ratna.”
Sandhu further said, “Shaheed Bhagat Singh was just 23-year-old when he embraced martyrdom, he is still remembered for his fearless defiance of British rule and his revolutionary ideology that continued to ignite patriotic spirit among India’s youth. Shaheed Udham Singh avenged the Jallianwala Bagh massacre by assassinating General Dyer in London, bringing a sense of justice to countless victims. Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra, meanwhile, stunned the British Empire by killing Curzon Wylie in 1909, becoming one of the earliest symbols of armed resistance against British oppression.”