Punjab government to honour 550 achievers on Nov 10

Prominent Punjabi industrialists, businessmen, legal luminaries, philanthropists, artists, writers and politicians figure on the Punjab government honours’ list. They will be feted on November 10 by chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh at Punjab Technical University, Kapurthala, as part of the ongoing celebrations to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.

First on the list is former prime minister Manmohan Singh followed by five-times Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal. The list also includes names of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Gobind Singh Longowal and Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri.

Other prominent personalities on the list are senior Akali leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, former chief election commissioner and Congress leader MS Gill, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal, economist Montek Singh Ahluwalia, economist and journalist Arun Shourie and senior lawyer KTS Tulsi.

UK-based businessmen Raj Loomba, Raminder Ranger, industrialist and philanthropist Swraj Paul will also be honoured.

Among the legal luminaries, Supreme Court judge justice SS Nijjar, former chief justice of India Jagdish Singh Khehar, former chief justices of Punjab and Haryana High court justice SS Sodhi and justice NK Sodhi, former lawyers in the Supreme Court justice HS Bedi and justice Kuldip Singh will be honoured. Former judge of the Punjab and Haryana high court Justice SS Saron and Malaysia-based Judge Harminder Singh Dhaliwal also figure on the list.

Other on the list include environmentalists Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal, Baba Sewa Singh and head of Pingalwara Inderjeet Kaur.

Bureaucrats to be honoured on the occasion include former IAS officers GS Cheema, Tejinder Khanna, former IPS officer Kiran Bedi, who is currently Lt governor of Puducherry and former governor of Jammu and Kashmir NN Vohra.

The state government will also honour acting jathedar of Akal Takht Giani Harpreet Singh, Takht Kesgarh Sahib jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh, head granthi of Darbar Sahib Giani Jagtar Singh, head granthi Damdama Sahib Bhai Balwant Singh and head granthi Keshgarh Sahib Giani Phoola Singh.

Cricketers Yuvraj Singh, Mohinder Amarnath, Madan Lal, Bishen Singh Bedi, Harbhajan Singh and Kapil Dev are also on the honours list.

Industrialists on the list include Rajinder Gupta, SP Oswal, Sunil Mittal, Jawahar Oswal, KBS Anand, Onkar Singh Pahwa, Pawan Munjal, Gautam Thapar, Analjit Singh, Anand Mahindra, Aroon Purie and Kuldip Dhingra, Binny Bansal, Kartar Singh Lalvani, Kartar Singh Thakral, Bob Singh Dhillon, Ajaypal Singh Banga, Darshan Singh Bagga and Bhav Dhillon.

The state government will also honour legendary athlete Milkha Singh, shooters Abhinav Bindra, Randhir Singh, hockey Olympian Balbir Singh Senior, Sardar Singh, Jeev Milkha Singh, Ajit Pal Singh, Bahadur Singh, Balbir Singh Kular, Kartar Singh, Kaur Singh and Mohinder Singh Dhillon.

From the defence forces, naval staff chief Admiral Karambir Singh, retired army chiefs Gen Nirmal Chander Vij, Gen JJ Singh and Gen Bikram Singh, retired air chief marshal BS Dhanoa, serving vice-chief of air force Air Marshal Harjit Singh Arora and retired air marshal Jagjeet Singh. Param Vir Chakra recipient Subedar Major and Honorary Captain Bana Singh will also get the honour.

Others on the honours’ list are: Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, filmmaker Naresh Bedi, art historian BN Goswami, novelist Dalip Kaur Tiwana, actor Raj Babbar, graphic artist Arpana Caur, historian Romila Thapar, motivator Shiv Khera, doctors TS Kaler and Neelam Kaler, journalist Karan Thapar, agronomist Gurdev Khush, US-based physicist Narinder Singh Kapany, ex-chairman, IFFCO, Balwinder Singh Nakai, progressive farmers Jagjit Singh Hara and Rajpal Singh Gandhi, artist and director Neelam Mansingh Chowdhry, singers Puranchand Wadali and Hans Raj Hans, photographer Raghu Rai, poet Surjit Patar, painters Krishen Khanna, Gurcharan Singh and Arpita.