Members of the Ludhiana Bicycle Club, who were entrusted with the task to collect soil from the ancestral houses of martyrs, on Thursday recounted their emotional and humbling experience while visiting their houses.
The soil will be used to plant five trees in the memory of the martyrs in Punjab Agricultural University here.
The club members were honoured during the anti-drug cycle rally organised by the Punjab Police.
Vinay Dhand, a resident of Pakhowal Road and a member of the Ludhiana Bicycle Club, collected the soil from the house of Shaheed Sukhdev Thapar at Naughara Mohalla. Other members of the club gathered soil from Khatkhat Kalan, while Dhand also collected soil from the ancestral house of Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha in the nearby village.
Expressing his pride, Dhand shared that paying homage at the ancestral homes of these brave martyrs, who made the ultimate sacrifice for the nation, was a humbling and historic moment for him and his club members.
“We got goosebumps as we touched the soil. We collected the soil in a bag and touched it over foreheads seeking blessings from the martyrs,” Dhand said.
{{/usCountry}}“We got goosebumps as we touched the soil. We collected the soil in a bag and touched it over foreheads seeking blessings from the martyrs,” Dhand said.
{{/usCountry}}He stressed the importance of raising awareness about the detrimental effects of drug abuse at the grassroots level, emphasising that organising such activities was crucial to sensitising and educating people about the dangers of drug abuse.
Appreciating the initiative, Mohan Singh Hussainiwala, who had travelled especially to attend the rally, brought soil from Hussainiwala. He noted that even in the border areas, people were now actively supporting efforts to combat the drug issue, aiming to eradicate drug abuse from its roots.
Ashwani Bassi Sunam, another participant in the rally, mentioned a similar cycle rally organised by the Punjab Police in Sangrur a year ago. Bassi, who came from Sunam, brought soil from the house of Shaheed Udham Singh.
Supporting the cause, Anmol Singh, a student, said that he had witnessed many children falling victim to drug addiction at a young age. However, he expressed hope that the times were changing rapidly, with more young people actively engaging in sports.