Amritsar, August 17, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Punjab Government on Monday organised a state-level function in Amritsar to commemorate the 117th martyrdom anniversary of revolutionary freedom fighter Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra, with Cabinet Minister Dr. Ravjot Singh announcing that the state would approach the British government through the Centre to bring back the martyr’s relics to his birthplace.
The programme was held at the Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra Yadgari Memorial in Gol Bagh. Dr. Ravjot Singh, Cabinet Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, NRI Affairs and Prisons, attended as the chief guest. Cabinet Minister for Public Works S. Harbhajan Singh ETO, Amritsar Central MLA Dr. Ajay Gupta, Amritsar South MLA Dr. Inderbir Singh Nijjar, Amritsar East MLA Jeevan Jyot Kaur and Baba Bakala Sahib MLA Dalbir Singh Tong were present as special guests.
The ministers and MLAs paid floral tributes at the statue of Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra. Mayor S. Jatinder Singh Moti Bhatia, Deputy Commissioner S. Dalwinderjit Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Pallavi Mishra, SDM Amritsar-II Alka Kalia, Deputy Mayor Priyanka Sharma, AAP district president S. Sarbjot Singh Dhanjal, Jarnail Singh Dhot, Satpal Singh Sokhi, Councillor Vicky Dutta, District Media In-charge Satnam Singh Matharu and other dignitaries attended the event.
Dr. Ravjot Singh conveyed Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s tributes to Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra and said the freedom enjoyed by the country today was secured through the supreme sacrifices of countless patriots and freedom fighters.
He said the martyrs and their families were an invaluable national heritage and called upon the younger generation to draw inspiration from their lives. He also stressed the need to safeguard the freedom secured through their sacrifices.
Dr. Ravjot Singh said the Punjab Government would approach the British government through the Central Government to facilitate the return of Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra’s relics to Amritsar. He added that the government would focus on the beautification and development of the memorial and work towards placing it on Amritsar’s tourism map to acquaint more people with the revolutionary’s life and sacrifice.
Harbhajan Singh ETO said the Bhagwant Singh Mann-led government was committed to fulfilling the dreams and aspirations for which the martyrs had sacrificed their lives. He recalled that Chief Minister Mann had taken the oath of office at Khatkar Kalan, the ancestral village of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, and said the government’s objective was to honour the vision of the freedom fighters.
Dr. Ajay Gupta said Amritsar was proud to be the birthplace of Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra and thanked the Chief Minister for organising the state-level programme. He said the sacrifices of freedom fighters imposed a responsibility on the present generation to preserve and strengthen the country’s freedom.
Gupta also announced that he would donate his two months’ salary to the Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra Yadgari Memorial.
Prof. Laxmi Kanta Chawla, patron of the memorial and former minister, said Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra had set an inspiring example through his supreme sacrifice for India’s freedom and that the people of the country would always remember his contribution.
She called for continued organisation of commemorative programmes at places associated with freedom fighters. Recalling the efforts made to establish the memorial, she thanked the government and district administration for their cooperation and demanded expansion of the museum at the memorial.
The Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra Yadgari Memorial, including its patron Prof. Laxmi Kanta Chawla, president Dr. Rakesh Sharma and Bibi Mala Chawla, extended special cooperation in organising the state-level function.
Schoolchildren presented patriotic songs and choreographies, while the Punjab Police Band performed patriotic tunes in memory of the martyr.
Earlier, the memorial had organised a programme at Town Hall, where Prof. Laxmi Kanta Chawla, Dr. Rakesh Sharma and district administration officials paid floral tributes to Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra. The Punjab Police Band also paid homage.
The District Administration and Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra Yadgari Memorial Committee honoured Dr. Ravjot Singh, Harbhajan Singh ETO, the MLAs and other guests with mementoes. School students were presented with portraits of Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra and booklets highlighting his life and contribution to India’s freedom struggle.
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