JAMMU, Sep 21: Shaheed Kissan Baba Jitto Sangharsh Samiti today made serious allegations, stating that both the present government and the opposition are attempting to conceal and ignore the glorious history of Baba Jitto. This was stated by Partap Singh Jamwal, President of Shaheed Kissan Baba Jitto Sangharsh Samiti, while addressing the media at Press Club Jammu.
Partap Singh Jamwal said that Baba Jitto was a great farmer saint who sacrificed his life for the rights of farmers, but the government is not giving him the respect and recognition he deserves. He said that the Shaheed Kissan Baba Jitto Sangharsh Samiti has been continuously fighting for the honour of Baba Jitto and the preservation of his glorious history.
He said it is extremely unfortunate that the government is deliberately ignoring Baba Jitto’s history. Following the struggle by the Samiti, an indoor stadium was sanctioned at Jhiri, and a demand was raised to name the stadium after Baba Jitto. Despite the LG Administration changing the name of the stadium to Baba Jitto’s name in official government documents, the local administration is still avoiding installing a board bearing Baba Jitto’s name, allegedly under pressure from the NC government.
Partap Singh Jamwal said that the Samiti’s main demand is that SKUAST Jammu should be renamed after Baba Jitto. Protests have also been held by the Samiti in support of this demand. The Samiti submitted a memorandum to the Leader of Opposition, Sunil Sharma, while the local MLA also assured that the demand would be raised during the Assembly session.
He said that as the Assembly session is currently underway in Srinagar, the 29 BJP MLAs have a responsibility to fulfil the commitment made in their election manifesto and raise the issue of honouring Baba Jitto in the Assembly. The demand to include Baba Jitto’s history and his sacrifice in the school curriculum should also be raised so that children can learn about his contribution and legacy.
The Samiti today announced that it will now bring before the public the record of those MLAs whom it alleges have used emotions and public sentiments in the name of Baba Jitto for political purposes. The Samiti made it clear that the struggle for the honour and recognition of Baba Jitto will now be taken forward with greater strength.
On the occasion, the Samiti also launched a Sankalp Patra (Resolution Charter), which will be taken to the people in the constituencies of BJP, Congress and NC MLAs, including their respective constituencies. The Samiti said that the demand for honouring Baba Jitto, preserving his history and making future generations aware of his sacrifice will now be taken to the people at the grassroots level.
Arun Seekay, S Sukhvinder Singh, Deepan, Kapil Mehra, Devinder Singh Bhau, Bhanu Partap Goria, S Gurjet Singh, Th. Dev Karan Singh, Garu Sharma, Mintu Rakwal, Rahul Kumar, Nikhil Sharma and others.