Death of 69-year-old Labh Singh on a Permanent protests: Patiala News

Demand for implementation of school upgradation intensified  

Patiala News, 19th January 2022
After the death of 69-year-old Labh Singh, who had been attending a dharna led by 75-year-old Baljit Kaur demanding implementation of school up-gradation in local Sherpur on the pattern of farmers, where he was given martyr status. There Baljit Kaur sat by Labh Singh’s burning Siva and announced to continue the war till the last Shah.

Death Labh Singh Permanent protests Demands school up gradation

Baljit Kaur clarified that her daughter who was going to a distant school had gone to the brink of death as death had shaken her to the core and to prevent any other child from going to the brink of death. I had started a permanent dharna to implement the up-gradation of this school from 10th to 12th which has passed thirteen days.

He said that his son Labh Singh, who had encouraged me to win the war by regularly attending the dharna, had fallen ill due to recent rains and cold and had lost all hope of implementing the up-gradation of the school. 75-year-old Baljit Kaur called Labh Singh a warrior fighting for education and demanded from the government that he be honored with the status of a martyr and that the up-gradation of the school be implemented as soon as possible for the betterment of the children of the area, especially the girls.

He made it clear that this struggle would continue till his last breath. Bittu Sherpuria, Bansi Lal Prem, and Master Ramanand, who were present at the cremation ground at Jamalpur’s Samsanghan, said that the school was upgraded from 10th to 12th during the Akali Dal government and on November 9, 2016, the then Education Minister Daljit Singh Cheema. Former Minister and Chairman District Planning Hira Singh Gabria and Councilor Sukhdev Singh Gill laid the foundation stone which was well received by the people of the area.

He said that the present Congress government had betrayed the poor by rejecting the up-gradation of the school saying that there was a shortage of space for the school. He said that the farmers of the village had donated 6 and a half forts of their land for the school which was later sold by the Municipal Corporation and still the school is running on the remaining 1.5 forts of land which can be easily augmented.

He said that if private schools could be recognized in lesser places then why the government did not implement the up-gradation of this school. He also lamented that in the bitter cold and torrential rains, no official or leader of the ruling party had reached out to hold a permanent dharna in the open air or take our gist.

He also demanded that Labh Singh be given the status of a martyr, a family member be given a government job, financial assistance, and honors. Rakhwinder Singh Gabria, son of former Minister Hira Singh Gabria who was present on the occasion said that de-recognition of an upgraded school in the Akali Dal government was a bad mentality of the government.

He said that with the advent of the SAD-BSP government the school would be upgraded and by giving the status of martyr to late Labh Singh the family would be given financial support as well as due respect. Former employee leaders Mewa Singh, Jaspreet Mehra, Jawaharlal, Janardan Prasad, and others were present on the occasion.