Strengthen democracy, speaker exhorts youth
Punjab Vidhan Sabha speaker Rana KP Singh was speaking during a function to mark 92nd birthday of late Punjab minister Khushal Bahl in Gurdaspur
GURDASPUR: Punjab Vidhan Sabha speaker Rana KP Singh on Sunday exhorted the youth to strengthen democracy by electing their leaders wisely.
Speaking during a function to mark 92nd birthday of late Punjab minister Khushal Bahl here, chief guest KP Singh said: “We gained independence after great sacrifices by freedom fighters. However, after independence, Punjab faced problems related to poverty, hunger and resettlement of refugees. Our leaders rose to the occasion and reconstructed a new Punjab by building dams and opening an agricultural university.”
The event — aimed at discussing how to control deterioration in society — was organised by the Gurdaspur Education Society.
Rana KP asserted that leaders like Khushal Bahl, who was a four-time MLA and remained minister in the Beant Singh, Harcharan Singh Brar and Capt Amarinder Singh governments, are remembered even after their death due to their tremendous contribution to the society. The speaker said communal harmony has been preserved in Punjab since ancient times. He, however, warned people of the state that some religious forces were trying to divide the people on communal lines.
Hindustan Times executive editor Ramesh Vinayak,who presided over the function recalled Bahl’s stellar contribution in strengthening the communal harmony, peace and spirit of Punjabiat during the dark days of terrorism and religious extremism in the ‘80s.
“The veteran Congress leader stood out by his moral courage and unflinching commitment to people-centric politics. He was always passionate about the development of the border areas including Gurdaspur,” Vinayak said, adding that Bahl’s valuesbased legacy is a role model for the youth and new generation of politicians. He complimented Raman Bahl for following in the footsteps of his father.
Inspector general of police Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, who was the guest of honour, said it was imperative for officials to do their duty with sincerity and honesty. Gurdaspur Education Society general secretary KK Sharma read out Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s message in which he commended the contribution of Khushal Bahl in state politics.
Qadian MLA Fateh Jang Singh Bajwa,Tarn Taran MLA Dharamvir Agnihotri, Amritsar MLA Sunil Datti and Raman Bahl also spoke during the occasion. Punjab Health System Corporation chairman Amardeep Singh Cheema, senior Congress leader MM Singh Cheema, former Gurdaspur Improvement Trust chairman Neeraj Salhotra among others were also present.