114-year-old Fauja Singh, world's oldest marathoner cremated with state honours in Punjab
The Punjab Government has decided to rename the school in his village after him, besides installing his statues at the village stadium and the Sports College in Jalandhar.
Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and leaders from across political parties attended his cremation, along with scores of rural residents. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also sent words of praise for Singh.
Singh's son, Harvinder Singh, lit the funeral pyre, and the Punjab Police gave a gun salute. The 114-year-old was allegedly hit by an SUV driven by Canada-based Amritpal Singh Dhillon on July 14 while crossing the Jalandhar–Pathankot highway.
Earlier, Singh's body was kept in a glass casket at his residence in the village, with his photograph beside it, where people paid their tributes. Around noon, it was carried to the cremation ground located outside the village.
The family expressed pride in the achievements of their centenarian loved one, for whom they also received a condolence letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 'That he (Fauja Singh) took up long-distance running at a very advanced age speaks volumes of not only his physical fitness, but more importantly, his mental strength and resilience,' read the letter.
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News18
11 minutes ago
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Faridkot, Aug 15 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday announced a monetary reward for cops performing well in the 'war against drugs", as he asserted that under his government, narcotics supply network was on its last legs. Delivering his address after unfurling the national flag on the occasion of Independence Day on Friday, Mann gave a clarion call for people to come together to realise the vision of vibrant and prosperous 'Rangla Punjab by restoring the state's glory and making it one of the best states of the country. The Punjab chief minister offered prayers at Tilla Baba Sheikh Farid and urged people to follow the footsteps of the revered Sufi saint. In his speech, Mann recalled the contribution of freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Udham Singh, Sukhdev and Lala Lajpat Rai. He said the country's freedom struggle would ever remain a source of inspiration to inculcate the spirit of patriotism and nationalism amongst our younger generations. Mann, however, said that while the rest of the country was celebrating the country's independence, Punjabis also grieve the lakhs of lives lost due to the Partition, and many more who were rendered homeless. Mann said his government has taken 'historic and bold decisions" for the development and progress of Punjab. He said that the state government has fulfilled many guarantees during the last three and a half years. Reiterating that Punjab is fighting a full-fledged war against drugs, Mann thanked all Punjabis for supporting the state government in this noble cause. He alleged that previous governments patronised drug mafias, causing widespread addiction, adding that his government has launched a crackdown against drugs in the form of 'Yudh Nasheyan Virudh'. Mann said the drug supply network has almost been dismantled, drug dealers are being dealt with strictly and bulldozers have razed their properties, adding that leaders involved in drug trade have been sent to jail, defense committees have been formed in towns and villages and youth. The CM further said it is a matter of immense pride and satisfaction that this crackdown has transformed into a mass movement and villages are passing resolutions declaring themselves drug-free. An anti-drone system has been deployed along the 553-km in border areas to check smuggling of drugs and weapons from Pakistan, he added. Mann renewed his pledge to eradicate drug menace completely from Punjab, adding that an Anti-Gangster Task Force has been formed to eliminate gangsters. He further said as a part of anti-drug campaign, for the first time, Punjab Police cops will be rewarded and felicitated for performing well in war against drugs. 'If an inquiry officer recovers over 1 kg heroin, then he will be given a reward of Rs 1.20 lakh," he said. Mann said the recruitment and promotions in Punjab Police have been streamlined to enhance the manpower in force. To eliminate corruption in tehsils, the state government has introduced revenue reforms by launching e-registration and e-jamabandi services, he said. The CM further said since March 2022, the state government has received investment proposals worth Rs 1.14 lakh crore, potentially generating 4.50 lakh jobs. Mann said 24 sectoral committees have been set up for industrial policy-making adding that big industrialists like Tata Steels and others are making a beeline to invest in the state owing to an industrial friendly atmosphere. He said after the formation of the road safety force in the state, road accidents have dropped by 48 per cent. 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He further said Punjab has ranked first in the National Achievement Survey conducted by the government of India. He also said 848 government school students have qualified for the NEET exam, 265 students cleared JEE Mains, and 45 cleared JEE Advanced exam. Mann said the 'Mukh Mantri Sehat Bima Yojna', which will start from October 2, will provide a health insurance cover of Rs 10 lakh to each family in the state. All government hospitals and 552 private hospitals have been empanelled under this scheme, he said, adding that the Punjab government will bear the medical expenditure cost for this, he added. He further said his government so far opened 881 'aam aadmi clinics' where around 70,000 people come for treatment every day. He said the number of 'aam aadmi clinics' will be increased to 1,000 soon. PTI CHS SKY SKY (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: August 15, 2025, 21:15 IST News agency-feeds Cops to get reward for good work in war against drugs: Punjab CM Mann Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
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