In an endeavour to commemorate the martyrdom anniversary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev and let the coming generations be aware of their sacrifice, a youth group in the district organised a six-day festival in this city near the border.
United under the banner of the "Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev Memorial Society”, the young organisers have found support from the local administration. The festival opened with Akhand Path at the historical Gurudwara Saragarhi. Virsa 2013 was the opening-night programme at Shaheed Bhagat Singh College of Engineering and Technology. It included folk and choreographed dances, skits, mimicry, solo and group dance, and singing competitons, besides a pageant to pick "Mr Punjabi" and "Miss Punjabi".
On Day Three, the hosts completed the Bhog of Akhand Path and organised a motorcycle and a seminar on the Hussainiwala memorial. Day four multiple games for young boys and girls while especially for Veteran too besides a great cultural show by various Folk Artists of the region enthralled the audience.On the fifth day, tehre were kabaddi events and on the final day, there was a blood donation camp at the martyrs' memorial in Hussianiwala on the martyrdom anniversary (March 23) of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev.
Jaswinder Singh Sandhu, president of the organising body, paid tributes to the martyrs. "The job done is commendable," said Kamal Sharma, state president the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who felicitated some athletes during the festival. A kilometre inside the Indian territory along the border with Pakistan at Hussianiwala in Ferozepur district, stands the memorials dedicated to Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev, where they were cremated after their execution in the Lahore jail (now in Pakistan) under the British imperial rule.
{{/usCountry}}Jaswinder Singh Sandhu, president of the organising body, paid tributes to the martyrs. "The job done is commendable," said Kamal Sharma, state president the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who felicitated some athletes during the festival. A kilometre inside the Indian territory along the border with Pakistan at Hussianiwala in Ferozepur district, stands the memorials dedicated to Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev, where they were cremated after their execution in the Lahore jail (now in Pakistan) under the British imperial rule.
{{/usCountry}}The area remained in Pakistani occupation until 1962 and was returned to India in exchange for 12 villages near Sulemanki (Fazilka) the same year. In the 1971 war, the Pakistan army took away the martyrs' statues that stood there and it has not returned the sculptures since.
Punjab ministers Bikram Singh Majithia, Surjit Kumar Jiyani, and KD Bhandari; chief parliamentary secretary Manjit Singh Narang, deputy commissioner Pritam Singh Johal; additional DC GS Pannu, and the subdivisional magistrate attended the festival and motivated the youth.