Sarbjit Dhaliwal: Nothing can be more shocking than the report that Punjab Akali MP Prem Singh Chandumajra and the Aam Aadmi Party MP Bhagwant Mann were not given time to speak in the Lok Sabha to high light the role of the Punjabis in the freedom struggle of the country.

Sarbjit Dhaliwal: Nothing can be more shocking than the report that Punjab Akali MP Prem Singh Chandumajra and the Aam Aadmi Party MP Bhagwant Mann were not given time to speak in the Lok Sabha to high light the role of the Punjabis in the freedom struggle of the country.

A special discussion, lasting two hours, was held in the Lok Sabha on the Quit India Movement, the 75thanniversary of which is being celebrated across the country.

Both Chandumajra and Mann asked the Speaker to give time but they were told that the parties having 6 or more MPs in the Lok Sabha have been allocated time to speak in the House. So, both the AAP and the SAD did not fit in the criteria fixed for taking part in the discussion and hence denied opportunity to get their views recorded in on the freedom struggle.

Can one talk about the Quit India Movement and freedom movement without mentioning Punjab and Punjabis? No, never. Story of India’s freedom struggle can never be written, stated or told without making the mention of Punjab and Punjabis, who played a pivotal role to liberate the country from the British rule.

In fact, two states- Punjabis and West Bengal- played the major role in freeing the country whereas there are regions which made no contribution at all in the Independence of the country. In fact, there are states which do not have even a single national hero related to the freedom of the country whereas it is difficult to the keep the count of such heroes belonging to Punjab and West Bengal. And most painful fact is that both these suffered most at the time of Independence in 1947.

 Both got partitioned thus leading to migration of people in lakhs besides large scale violence that claimed lives of thousands of people.  Even in post Independence period, both these states suffered most because these became border state. While Punjab shares its border with Pakistan and West Bengal shares it with Bangladesh.

Coming back to the Quit India Movement and freedom struggle, it was because of the contribution made by people like Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Kartar Singh Saraba, Pandit Kanshi Ram, Shaheed Udham Singh, Madan Lal Dhingra, Baba Sohan Singh Bakna, Baba Bhagat Singh Bilga, Baba Gurdit Singh, Master Tara Singh and several members of the Ghadhar Party, India got freedom. Though commander of the Azad Hind Fauj was Netaji Subash Chander Bose but it was mainly army of Punjabis set up for freeing the country from the British.

A large number Punjabis attained martyrdom as freedom fighters. They were hanged to death by the British rulers. Hundreds remained in jails and many were sent to Kale-pani (Port Blaire) in Andaman and Nicobar.  Hundreds were killed in Jallianwala Bagh on April 13, 1919 when they were holding meeting. In fact, 80 per cent people who went to jails in connection with freedom struggle were Punjabis.

Though criteria was fixed in Parliament to speak on this issue but for the Independence movement there was no criteria to determine that how many people from particular state or community should take part in the struggle to free the country. The discussion in the Parliament on the quit India movement would remain incomplete until the role of Punjab and Punjabis mentioned at length in it.