Kin rejoice as two govt schools in dist renamed after martyr, freedom fighter
Schools in Sowaddi Kalan and Jhoraran have been renamed as Swatantarta Sangrami Giani Bir Singh Government Girls Senior Secondary School and Shaheed ASI Gurmukh Singh Government Primary School respectively
Two schools, out of the seven renamed by the state government after the freedom fighters and martyrs, are from Ludhiana district.
Schools in Sowaddi Kalan and Jhoraran have been renamed as Swatantarta Sangrami Giani Bir Singh Government Girls Senior Secondary School and Shaheed ASI Gurmukh Singh Government Primary School respectively.
The Punjab government has renamed the schools with an aim to make future generations aware about their contributions for the nation.
Santosh Bala, head teacher of Government Primary School in Jhoraran which has been renamed as Shaheed ASI Gurmukh Singh Government Primary School informed that Singh was a resident of Jhoraran village. “He completed his primary education from this school and we also have his bust installed in the school premises,” she said.
Darshan Singh, Gurmukh’s cousin brother, who also served in ITBP and spent most of his life with his brother, informed that Gurmukh attained martyrdom on August 20, 2021, while serving in Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh. “He was only 22 years old when he joined the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force, 45th Battalion. While he, along with other personnel, were patrolling in Narayanpur, around 250 naxalites opened fire. Although, he fought for around half an hour but could not survive post that.”
Gurmukh Singh is survived by a wife and two children. “His children and the entire family are elated to have a school named after him and this is encouraging enough,” added Darshan.
Another school, Government Girls Senior Secondary School in Sowaddi Kalan has been renamed as Swatantarta Sangrami Giani Bir Singh Government Girls Senior Secondary School. Rajdeep Singh, grandson of Giani Bir Singh informed that his grandfather was a freedom fighter and served a few terms in jail while fighting for the freedom of this nation.
Tamra Patra awardee Giani Bir Singh was born in 1897 in Sawaddi Kalan. Rajdeep Singh said, “He left his studies in the middle of Class 10 to join the freedom struggle, post which his parents made him join the armed forces to keep him away from the revolutionary activities. We are elated that through this school, his name would live forever and would be a source of encouragement and inspiration for the future generations.”
