Martyr suKhdev’s wrong date with history

The Punjab government, for the fifth consecutive year, celebrated the birth anniversary of revolutionary Sukhdev on 15 May, a date proved incorrect by historians. The issue was first raised in 2012 by the Martyr Sukhdev Memorial Committee, Ludhiana. The committee, which was instrumental in locating the martyr’s ancestral house and conducting research on his life, had submitted a representation to the then Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal.

The case was substantiated on the basis of historical records made available by Chandigarh-based historian Prof Malwinder Jit Singh Waraich. He had traced his correct birth date from the result gazette of the Panjab University, Lahore. As per the “matriculation and school-leaving certificate (examination 1922)” of Sanatan Dharam High School, Lyallpur, Sukhdev was born on 19 February 1907. The government then had referred the case to the Department of Information and Public Relations. The department asked the committee to get an undertaking from any surviving family member or a relative of the martyr confirming that they did not have any objection to change of the date from 15 May to 19 February. Ludhiana-based Bharat Bhushan Thapar, who claims to be the nephew of the martyr, sent a representation to the Public Relations Department, saying that “15 May was based on hearsay. Since a new certified document confirming the correct birth date is available, the date should be changed to 19 February.” “After a series of meetings, the department officials agreed to correct the birthday of the martyr in their records,” Prof Waraich told The Sunday Guardian. When contacted, Anindita Mitra, director of the Department of Information and Public Relations, said, “I am not aware of the issue. We will verify the records and take corrective measures.”