Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Wednesday unfurled the tricolour on the occasion of the 73rd Republic Day and recalled the countless sacrifices made by freedom fighters during the country's Independence movement.
Addressing the gathering here at Guru Gobind Singh Stadium, Channi called the Doaba region the "heartland of martyrs". "This region was the epicentre of the Ghadar and Babbar movements which spearheaded the freedom struggle against the British imperialism," he said.
The Chief Minister greeted the people of the state while recalling the names of several iconic revolutionaries such as Baba Maharaj Singh, Baba Ram Singh, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Lala Lajpat Rai, Shaheed Udham Singh, Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha, Madan Lal Dhingra, Diwan Singh Kalepani among others.
"These freedom fighters envisioned an India free from the maladies of illiteracy, unemployment, social, economic and legal inequality. Thus, I bow my head in reverence to these great stalwarts imbued with patriotism from the sacred land of Jalandhar", said Channi adding Punjabi people made the maximum sacrifices in the fight for throwing off the foreign yoke.
He also pointed out the yeoman's service rendered by the Punjabis especially the resilient farmers for the overall development of the country in the aftermath of Independence.
The Chief Minister further said that the State contributed more than 60 per cent towards the national food bowl to make the country self-reliant in food production.
Recalling the exceptional contribution made by Baba Saheb Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar in drafting the Constitution of the nation, the Chief Minister said, "It was a humongous task to frame the constitution for a country as diverse as ours but Baba Saheb made strenuous efforts and accomplished the gigantic work with aplomb."
He said that it took two years, 11 months and 18 days to draft the constitution which was handed over to the President of the Constituent Assembly Dr Rajendra Prasad on November 26, 1949, thus paving the way for the country becoming a Republic on January 26, 1950.
Exhorting the people to leave no stone unturned in ensuring the unhindered developmental journey of the country, the Chief Minister assured that the communal harmony and peace in the state would be maintained at all costs.
Earlier, the Chief Minister inspected the parade and took salute from the march past, led by the IPS Jasroop Kaur Baath, DSP Satbir Singh, comprising the contingents from the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Commissionerate Police (men and women), PRTC Jahan Khelan (three contingents), and Home Guard Wing of the Commissionerate Police.
The Chief Minister also honoured the 135 people from different walks of life rendering selfless services to the society with the Appreciation Certificates besides honouring the members of march past contingents with the momentos.
( With inputs from ANI )
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