Punjab Govt nod to renaming of schools to honour martyrs, freedom fighters

The Punjab government has approved the renaming of government schools to honour prominent freedom fighters and martyrs, aiming to commemorate their sacrifice for the country’s independence. A notification has been issued announcing that six government schools will now bear the names of freedom fighters and martyrs. The Government High School Khataraye Kalan, Amritsar, has been renamed Ujagar Singh Khataraye Kalan Government High School, Amritsar.

Punjab Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal thanked Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains for their support. The families of martyrs have also extended their thanks for this recognition. Dhaliwal emphasised that the freedom celebrated today is due to the sacrifices made by those who fought for it, urging everyone to remember and honour these heroes.

Ujagar Singh Khataraye Kalan was a farmer leader from Khatraye Kalan village, who actively participated in the struggle for freedom from British rule during his youth. He was training to be part of the British-Indian Army, when he decided to leave and join the nationalist movement. He engaged in various movements, including the 1942 Kisan Morcha in Lahore and others, which led to his imprisonment. For his contributions, he was honoured by the Indian government. On September 13, 2000, upon his passing, his family began organising an annual cultural fair in his memory, advocating for the school to be named after him. Dhaliwal announced a grant of Rs 1 lakh for the construction of the school’s main gate.

Dilbagh Singh, grandson of Ujagar Singh Khataraye Kalan, said that it was an immensely proud moment to remember the contribution of his grandfather in this way. “They were not affiliated to any political party but only to the nation. My grandmother used to share how my grandfather used to keep his one foot in jail and the other in home. He was actively involved in protecting the refugees, irrespective of their religion, during the mass migration when partition of India was announced,” shared Dilbagh Singh Khataraye Kalan, president of the Ujagar Singh Memorial Foundation and grandson of Ujagar Singh. He acknowledged the government’s recognition of the sacrifices made by freedom fighters.

He also credited former Punjab Agriculture University faculty and scholar Gurbhajan Singh Gill, for ensuring that his grandfather’s legacy is remembered.