Latest news with #79thIndependence-Day
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana: Freedom fighters' families walk out from I-day event over ‘humiliation'
What was meant to be an occasion of honour turned into a moment of humiliation as families of freedom fighters and martyrs walked out of the district level Independence Day function at Punjab Agricultural University on Thursday before the event commenced. In an unprecedented show of anger, they discarded the mementos and gifts given by the government, leaving them at the venue to mark their protest. Cabinet minister Aman Arora trying to pacify the kin of freedom fighters who staged a protest at the PAU in Ludhiana on Friday. (Manish/HT) Chanting slogans against the government and the district administration, the aggrieved families accused the authorities of dishonouring their sacrifices by failing to provide even the most basic arrangements. 'There were not enough chairs, the tent could not shield people from the scorching sun, and those sitting since morning were not even given water,' said Chetandeep Singh, district president of the Freedom Fighters' Dependents Association. Sensing the situation, deputy commissioner (DC) Himanshu Jain and commissioner of police Swapan Sharma reached out the protestors with folded hands, but the kin of freedom fighters and martyrs did not buy their assurance and continued their protests. The protest came just a day after DC Jain had met the families of freedom fighters and assured them that all their issues would be resolved and proper arrangements would be made for the Independence Day programme. On the ground, however, families alleged that even mementos and gifts fell short despite the administration having the complete list of invitees. Cabinet minister Aman Arora, who was the chief guest at the event, faced the ire of the families. Despite repeatedly folding his hands and apologising, the angry kin walked out, tossing aside the honours. 'The government promised respect but delivered humiliation,' said Mandeep Singh, press secretary of the association, adding that not a single demand of the families had been fulfilled in the last three and a half years. Mandeep Singh also alleged the family members of freedom fighters were stopped at the entrance by the police personnel on duty and kept them waiting for at least 15 minutes before letting them enter. He also added that they felt disrespected at the function to mark the independence for which their family members had even sacrificed their lives. Acknowledging the fiasco, minister Aman Arora admitted administrative lapses and assured action against those responsible. 'We failed to ensure smooth arrangements. I apologise with folded hands, and strict action will be taken,' he said. 'Tarang' helpline launched to combat drug-addiction On the occasion of 79th Independence-Day, cabinet minister Aman Arora on Friday inaugurated 'Tarang Helpline' (9779175050) a dedicated initiative of the Ludhiana administration to provide psychological support, counselling, and livelihood assistance for drug-affected individuals. Arora on Friday hoisted the national flag at the PAU grounds. Arora stated that the helpline will serve as a lifeline for individuals and families affected by drug addiction, providing immediate access to counselling, treatment guidance, and livelihood opportunities. The Tarang Helpline will act as a single point of contact for individuals seeking help, their families, and informants reporting drug-related concerns. It will guide callers to the nearest outpatient opioid assisted treatment (OOAT) clinic, de-addiction centre, or rehabilitation centre based on their needs. Follow-up calls after seven days will ensure continuous monitoring of treatment progress, with daily reports submitted to a nodal officer from the health department for seamless coordination. The initiative also includes one-on-one and group counselling sessions, with dedicated group counselling every Saturday in Red Cross Bhawan, overseen by health department officials and supported by security and PCR teams to ensure a safe environment. Further to support long-term rehabilitation, the helpline will coordinate with the District Bureau of Employment and Enterprises (DBEE) and Punjab Skill Development Mission (PSDM) to provide skill training, job opportunities, and access to self-employment schemes tailored to individuals' interests and skills. He added that dedicated officers from the health and police departments will ensure streamlined action on medical and drug-related complaints, with Dream Ahead submitting daily reports to nodal officers and weekly feedback to his office. Strict confidentiality of callers' identities will be maintained to encourage open communication. The Minister also lauded the initiative by the administration and expressed hope that it will support those in overcoming addiction and rebuilding their lives with dignity. During the event, Arora outlined the transformative achievements of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government over the past three years, emphasising its commitment to building a vibrant and prosperous Punjab. After hoisting the tricolour, Arora inspected the parade and paid tribute to freedom fighters - including Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev, Kartar Singh Sarabha, Madan Lal Dhingra, Lala Lajpat Rai, Udham Singh, Karnail Singh Issru, for their sacrifices in India's independence struggle. The Minister noted that Punjab is the first state in India to deploy anti-drone technology along the international border to curb drug and arms smuggling, a significant step in the Yudh Nashian Virudh (War Against Drugs) campaign. He urged Punjabis to unite in the fight against the drug menace. Other notable initiatives include the Sadak Surakhya Force, which has saved thousands of lives in road accidents, and the Sarkar Aapke Dwar programme.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Citizens must inculcate symbolic qualities represented by Indian flag: Union law minister
New Delhi, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said on Friday that citizens must inculcate the symbolic qualities, including equality, compassion and brotherhood, represented by the tricolour. Citizens must inculcate symbolic qualities represented by Indian flag: Union law minister Meghwal delivered a speech in Hindi during the 79th Independence-Day celebrations organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association on the lawns of the apex court here. He said the constituent assembly had formed an ad-hoc committee to select a flag for the country, for which the colours and other features had to be decided. "The three colours and other things were generally selected. But there was a charkha in the midst to which B R Ambedkar, a member, objected, saying it would appear to be the flag of a political party. So there was a controversy. "When Ambedkar argued, it was explained to him that the spinning wheel meant progress by working round-the-clock, to which he said the Ashok Chakra or Dhamma Chakra had a similar meaning, where all its 24 spokes implied constant movement, work and progress," Meghwal said. He said Ambedkar also explained to the committee that each of the 24 spokes represented different virtues and principles. "I have also written an article about it one spoke represents compassion, the others mercy, brotherhood, equality and justice to all. One of the spokes also represents facing adverse situations with fortitude just like all of us are celebrating this Independence-Day event despite heavy rain and storms," he said to a rousing applause from the gathering. Meghwal said citizens must inculcate the virtues and qualities symbolised by the Indian flag. "We must inculcate equality, mercy, compassion, brotherhood. We must learn from the flag," he said. The Union law minister also said that Ambedkar championed the drafting of the Constitution with a strong emphasis on equality, while underscoring that equality in the society would secure freedom. Addressing the gathering, SCBA president Vikas Singh said the apex court is the protector of the freedom available to citizens, including the freedom of expression, security, culture, religion and diversity. "The freedom from British rule should culminate in independence or freedom for the people of this country. And when I say freedom of the people of this country, I mean the freedom which involves equality, security, freedom of thought and expression. "And when you analyse the freedoms that come with independence, whatever it be, whether it be freedom of expression, thought or of security or quality or choices or your preferences, your culture, your religion, your diversity then the only protector of all those freedoms is this great institution, which is the Supreme Court," Singh said. He said one of the features of independence included the appointment of judges to the higher judiciary. "If we do not have the right people managing the judiciary, we cannot expect the right decisions for the people of this country, and we then ultimately will not get the true freedom which we strive for," Singh said. He said the National Judicial Appointments Commission had two parts one, regarding finding out the eligibility of people who should be considered for elevation to the high courts and the Supreme Court, which had a system of creating a database for people who should be considered for elevation, and two, about who will appoint these people from that database. "The NJAC was struck down on the second point that the government cannot be given primacy in the appointment of judges to the higher judiciary. And I totally agree with that part of the judgment that it has to be with the collegium. "But the first part of the NJAC of collecting data and of preparing a database of lawyers who are eligible to be appointed was not even commented on in that judgment and accordingly, I had drafted a law and given it to the predecessor of Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal for bringing out a bill to regulate the collegium system," the SCBA president said. He said the purpose of the first part of the NJAC was to provide judges with a "secretariat where they should be able to collate the names of all the eligible people and ensure that the best people from the system are considered for elevation to the higher judiciary". Singh said Rijiju mentioned his suggestion in Parliament, but there was no outcome. "In the NJAC judgment, there is a mention of the memorandum of procedure . Unfortunately, that MOP has not been deliberated upon for a large number of years. "And I am quite hopeful that in the present dispensation, we can have a meaningful dialogue on the memorandum, which can bring in this transparency in the matter of appointment of judges, which can bring in this system of creating the database of people who should be considered eligible for appointment to the higher judiciary, which can be a base," he said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
