National level function on birth centenary of Bhagat Singh

Chandigarh, Sep 25 (UNI) The Punjab Government will organise a national level function as part of the birth centenary celebrations of Shaheed Bhagat Singh at his ancestral Khatkar Kalan village in Nawanshahr district on September 27.

Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister Hira Singh Gabria said the State Government had decided to observe the birth anniversary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh on September 27 as a national level function at Khatkar Kalan.

He said national and state leaders were expected to participate and pay their tributes to the great martyrs Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev at the function which is being organized by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Punjab, with assistance from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Ambika Soni and Union Minister of State for Home Sri Prakash Jaiswal alongwith other prominent leaders would grace the occasion and pay their tributes to the brave sons of the soil.

A commemorative coin would be released to mark the centenary celebrations by the Government of India during the function, said Mr Gabria.

The Minister said that a befitting cultural programme-''Rang De Basanti Chola'' featuring Bollywood and Punjabi singers such as Udit Narayan, Sadhna Sargam, Hans Raj Hans and Pammi Bai had been planned by the Cultural Affairs Department.

Veteran Bollywood star Manoj Kumar, who played the role of Shaheed Bhagat Singh in the epic Hindi film ''Shaheed'', would participate in the programme alongwith cine artistes Archana Puran Singh and Shekhar Suman.

A short play on the life of Bhagat Singh directed by Punjab's renowned theatre personality Kewal Dhaliwal would also be staged during the function. Doordarshan is expected to cover the event live, said the Minister.

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