Chandigarh - Shiromani Akali Dal president Sardar Sukhbir Singh Badal today “strongly urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bestow Bharat Ratna honour on the iconic stalwart Master Tara Singh ji “
“It is an honour already long overdue and time has come to undo this wrong and acknowledge Masterji's debt by bestowing the highest honour of the country on him, ” said Mr Badal in a letter to the Prime Minister this afternoon
Mr Badal described Master Tara Singh ji ‘s “contribution to the cause of our freedom and to keeping the West Punjab including the present day Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh in India as”unparalleled and decisive. Without this geographical bridge, even Kashmir might have fallen a prey to the greed of our Western neighbors, ” he said.
“If there is one Indian who truly deserves to be called Bharat Ratna, it is Master Tara Singh ji “ Mr Badal added.
The SAD president recalled how Master Tara Singh ji “single handedly fought during the days just prior to Partition to keep areas from the Western edge of the erstwhile United Punjab to Delhi as parts of India. This area was being eyed greedily by Mr Jinnah who wanted the entire Punjab to go to Pakistan. “Without Masterji’s fearless and successful struggle, even Kashmir would never have formed a part of India as its only land link with the country would have snapped. Punjab serves as geographical bridge between the main land and our northern state. “
Mr Badal lashed out against the then Congress leaders saying , “ if the Congress leaders of those days had heeded Masterji’s call, our Punjab and India would have extended beyond Lahore, Capital of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and we would not have been parted from sacred shrines including Gurdwara Panja Sahib, Nanakana Sahib Kartarpur Sahib.”
The former Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab said that Masterji was “the tallest Sikh leader of his era and one of the greatest of all times. India owes a huge debt of gratitude to Masterji. It is an honour already long overdue and time has come to undo this wrong and to acknowledge Masterji’s debt by bestowing the highest honour on him. “