Chandigarh, December 9: Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal today announced that the state government would set up a special corpus to making the Military Literature Festival a permanent annual feature, regardless of party in power.
Speaking at the conclusion of the festival, he underlined the need for an amendment to the Constitution for nominating representatives from the ex-servicemen fraternity to the Rajya Sabha, besides ensuring their due representation in block samitis, zila parishads, panchayats and other democratically constituted bodies.
Badal said after having deliberations with the ex-servicemen and serving defence personnel by visiting various parts of the country, he was convinced that they preferred “izzat” (self-esteem) to pecuniary benefits. He underscored the need for giving due respect and recognition to these “great sons of the nation”, to whom the society owed a debt.
Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh could not attend the concluding session due to health reasons. The festival was organised in collaboration with the Army’s Western Command.
Chief Minister’s senior adviser Lt Gen (retd) Tejinder Singh Shergill said the event would go a long way in motivating youth to join defence forces in the larger interest of the nation’s security, integrity and sovereignty.
A remembrance ceremony was held where lineal descendants of World War I martyrs and Victoria Cross recipients were honoured. These included Lt John Smyth, 2nd Battalion, Sikh Regiment; Subedar Darwan Singh Negi, 6 Mechanised Infantry Battalion; Rifleman Gabbar Singh Negi, 2nd Garhwal Rifles; Lance Dafadar Gobind Singh, 2nd Lancers; Major George Godfrey Wheeler, 18 Cavalry; Subedar Lala, 3 Dogra; Rasaldar Badlu Singh, Deccan Horse; Lt Frank Alexander Depass, Poona Horse; Major George Wheeler, 2/9 Gorkha Rifles; and Riflemen Karan Bahadur Rana, 2/3 Gorkha Rifles.
Manpreet Badal later released a book, ‘An Insight — The Iconic Battle of Saragarhi — Echoes of the Frontiers’, written by Brig Kanwaljit Singh (retd).
