M A I N   N E W S

PM, Sonia greet Ranbir Singh on 92nd birthday
Prashant Sood
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 26
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today expressed concern at frequent disruptions in legislatures, saying that such moves wasted precious time which should be used for discussions.

Felicitating freedom fighter and former minister Chaudhary Ranbir Singh on his 92nd birthday at a function here, the Prime Minister said in his legislative innings the nonagenarian leader had always given stress on discussion in the House and not on causing disruptions. “Today, when a lot of time of legislatures is wasted in loud protests, there is need to follow the path shown by Ch Ranbir Singh,” the Prime Minister said.

Dr Singh’s remarks have come at a time when the Opposition has been stalling proceedings of Parliament over the Volcker report.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi released a book by Ch Ranbir Singh at the felicitation function which was attended by Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh, Chaudhary Ranbir Singh’s wife Har Devi, senior Congress leader Ram Nivas Mirdha, and several MPs, MLAs and ministers from Haryana.

The Prime Minister said he was proud to be part of the felicitation function of the veteran leader who is the only surviving member of the Constituent Assembly.

“He has been a freedom fighter and a good parliamentarian and administrator. Above all he is a man who has led value-based life,” Dr Singh said.

He said Ch Ranbir Singh had gone to jail during the freedom struggle and served the Constituent Assembly, Interim Parliament, Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and assemblies of Punjab Assembly and Haryana. Recalling Ch Ranbir Singh’s contribution to the welfare of farmers, Dr Singh said he had given a thrust to development in his terms as a minister in Punjab and Haryana.

The Prime Minister said it was a pleasant coincidence that Ch Ranbir Singh’s birthday falls on the day which is observed as Constitution Day. He said Chaudhary Ranbir Singh was the Irrigation and Power Minister in Punjab when Bhakra Nangal Dam was dedicated to the nation by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

Dr Singh said that Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who is son of Ch Ranbir Singh, was serving the people of the state by following in the footsteps of his father.

In her remarks, Ms Gandhi compared the situations faced by Ch Ranbir Singh in his life with the challenges faced by the youth today, saying that younger generation in politics should stay sway from groupism and politics of self-interest and think first of country and society.

She said two generations of Ch Ranbir Singh’s family had taken part in freedom struggle while four generations of his family were associated with the Congress.

Ch Ranbir Singh said he prayed to God to give him strength to serve the farmers, workers and the poor.

PCC chief Bhajan Lal was conspicuous by his absence at the function.