SARAGARHI MARTYRS’ VALOUR CONTINUES TO INSPIRE GENERATIONS: KHUDDIAN

Vikram Ditya Sharma/Ferozepur

The valour and supreme sacrifice of the 21 Sikh soldiers who defended the Saragarhi Fort against nearly 10,000 Afghan tribesmen continues to inspire generations, Cabinet Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian said here today.

Khuddian paid homage to the martyrs at Gurdwara Saragarhi Sahib during a state-level function organised by the Punjab Government to mark the 129th anniversary of the historic battle. He said the soldiers of the 36th Sikh Regiment had created an unparalleled chapter of courage, sacrifice, discipline and devotion to duty.

Addressing the gathering after attending the bhog of the Akhand Path Sahib, Khuddian said the state government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, was making efforts to connect people, particularly the youth, with Punjab’s rich historical and cultural heritage.

He said the Saragarhi War Memorial in Ferozepur, built to honour the martyrs, was the first war memorial of its kind in the world. Most of the soldiers who attained martyrdom in the battle belonged to Ferozepur. He said the soldiers continued fighting despite running out of ammunition while defending the fort in present-day Afghanistan.

Khuddian said the battle was among the eight most important wars in the world, as per UNESCO, and the soldiers were honoured with the Indian Order of Merit, then the highest military decoration.

He urged the youth to draw inspiration from the martyrs and imbibe the values of courage, discipline, dedication to the country and loyalty towards duty.

The minister also honoured the family members of the Saragarhi martyrs with mementoes. Ferozepur (Urban) MLA Ranbir Singh Bhullar, Ferozepur (Rural) MLA Rajnish Dahiya, Guru Har Sahai MLA Fauja Singh Sarari and Zira MLA Naresh Kataria also paid tributes.

Deputy Commissioner Deepshikha Sharma, SSP Bhupinder Singh Sidhu, ADC (G) Dr Amandeep Kaur, SDM Ferozepur Abhishek Sharma, GOC Golden Arrow Division Major General Ranjit Singh Manral, Deputy GOC Brigadier YS Sajwan and other officials and dignitaries were present.