NAPA sought Martyr Status to Bhagat Singh, Raj guru and Sukhdev

London August 30,2023- US Based North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) in a letter written to Home Minister of India Sh. Amit Shah sought a Martyr Status to Bhagat Singh and his revolutionary comrades Rajguru and Sukhdev were hanged by the British on March 23, 1931, in the Lahore Conspiracy case. In this letter Chahal said that this was very unfortunate that Government of India facilitates freedom fighters and gives pension but revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh are not even given the status of a martyr leave aside any financial support to their families.

Talking about the seriousness of some Organizations Chahal said a demand to declare Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev as martyrs is made every year during their birth and death anniversaries. This is also more than unfortunate that Punjab government had declared Sarabjit Singh as a ‘national martyr’, who died in Kott Lakhpat Jail, but Bhagat Singh and others were ignored. added Chahal.

He disclosed that some newspapers had reported in the past that the Punjab and Haryana High Court held that status of martyr could not be conferred on these three martyrs because there was no statutory basis.

On one hand Punjab government is claiming that no official recognition could be given to anybody as a “martyr” as Article 18 of the Constitution does not permit conferring of any title by the state but on the other hand top-level political personalities are generally given Bharat Ratna, martyrs of war and heroic personalities in the army get Vir Chakra awards, meritorious persons from different civilian services get recognized with Padma awards.

If Article 18 of the Constitution of India could not prevent Bharat Ratna and Padma awards, recognizing meritorious personalities, pleading it as a ground to avoid official martyr status to Bhagat Singh is not logical added Chahal. He said surprisingly great heroes like Bhagat Singh, members of Indian National Army under the leadership of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and other revolutionaries were totally ignored by both Congress and non-Congress governments.