Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
Punjabi University Bachao Morcha holds protest march toward Health Minister's residence
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, March 23, 2023: A protest march was held toward the health minister's residence to wake up the Punjab government.While the Punjab government was celebrating Sardar Bhagat Singh's Martyrdom Day in various ways today, a large number of teachers, students, employees, and pensioners of Punjabi University took out a large protest march towards the residence located on Passi Road in Patiala.
The coordination committee of 'Punjabi University Bachao Morcha' had announced this protest march two days ago.
March 23 is the martyrdom day of Shaheed Bhagat, due to which the slogans of 'Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev Amar Rahe' were also echoed in this protest march. These slogans also excited the common passers-by passing by on the road. Students and teaching staff from Punjabi University boarded buses and cars and started gathering at PUDA ground, near Tripari in Patiala.
A large number of police force was already deployed here. The police also tried to stop this ‘protest march’ there on the pretext of not Dr. Balveer Singh being present at his Patiala house, but the Morcha decided to take a protest march to the health minister's house.
It is worth mentioning that the Morcha started its struggle on March 13 regarding grant and loan waiver to Punjabi University and today on March 23 it has entered the eleventh day and day by day this Morcha is spreading out further but no representative of the government is ready to talk on genuine demands of this Morcha.
Addressing the gathering before the protest march, Varinder from the All India Students Federation said that the Punjab government has created a false pretense of following the footsteps of Sardar Bhagat Singh, which has become clear day by day from their policies.
Speaking, Dr. Balwinder Singh Tiwana said that Punjabi University has presented a budget of 285 crores deficit which demands the immediate attention of the Punjab government.
He said that the leaders of the Punjab government are betraying the Punjabi language, Punjabi University and Punjabiyat by reducing the grant and keeping silent on loan waivers.
Rashpinder Jimmy of the Punjab Radical Students' Union lashed out at the Punjab government and said that the Punjab government has forced them to protest outside the gate of the Punjabi university.
This protest march started from PUDA ground and passed through Gurudwara Dukh Niwaran Sahib towards Dr. Balveer Singh's residence on Passi Road. Protesters raised slogans against the government here. It is worth mentioning that in this convoy students and teachers were holding placards with different slogans and pictures of Shaheed Bhagat Singh.
A revolutionary song by Sandeep Kaur and the team from the Punjab Radical Students Union in the protest, 'Ae Bhagat Singh! Tu Jindan Hai HR Ek Lahu Ke Katre Mein' was also sung. Amandeep Khiowali, student leader of Punjab Student Union, while addressing said that the guarantee given by the Punjab government has expired in one year and the real face of this government's anti-higher education is in front of the people.
The leader of PUTA, Dr. Rajdeep Singh said that the common people who had given such a big mandate to the government with great desire, the same government is going to deprive the children of the common people from higher education, which is very unfortunate.
In the end, the protest march was ended by returning to the PUDA ground after giving the demand letter to the health minister's son and his OSD.
The activists of the front reiterated today that only by putting Bhagat Singh's photos of the Punjab government, Bhagat Singh's ideas will not be implemented, but the intention and policy also have to be changed, which is not at all reflected in the behavior of the Punjab government towards higher education.
The front said that as per the repeated promise of the Punjab government if the written document of the 30 crore monthly grant is not given and the loan of 150 crore rupees is not leaked, it will be an insult to the views of Sardar Bhagat Singh. Gurdeep and Kalamdeep Jalur from the Students Federation of India, Gurpreet and Ratan from Punjab Student Union (Lalkar), Varinder and Piratpal from All India Students Federation, Rashpinder Zimmin from Punjab Radical Students Union, Gagan from PSF, Punjab Students Federation ( Balwinder from Randhawa) and Kranti from Dr. Ambedkar Student Federation of India Dr. Gurnam Virak, Dr. Mohan Tyagi and Dr. Gurjant Singh , dr Jasdeep Singh Toor and Dr. Charanjit Nohra from among the students and teachers participated.