category Regional, bathinda, , tags Regional, bathinda, , DW BUREAU Bathinda The Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday said that with the strenuous efforts of the state government, the state will shine like the precious Kohinoor gem during the current year by witnessing a holistic development in every arena. Addressing the gathering here after unfurling the national tricolor during a function to mark Republic Day here at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Sports Stadium, the Chief Minister gave a clarion call to people to extend fulsome support and cooperation to the state government. He urged the Punjabis residing across the globe to help the state government in restoring the pristine glory of the state. Bhagwant Mann vowed to take Punjab to new heights adding that the state government is committed to carve out an egalitarian society which our great martyrs and national leaders had envisioned. The Chief Minister also said that as a colony of British Empire our country had suffered a lot but the brave and determined heroes of our freedom struggle made enormous sacrifices to remove the shackles of foreign imperialism. He said that is on record that more than 90 of the great patriots who laid down their lives or were subjected to British tyranny in one form or other were Punjabis. Bhagwant Mann said that a string of gems like Baba Ram Singh, Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, Shaheed Rajguru, Shaheed Sukhdev, Lala Lajpat Rai, Shaheed Udham Singh, Kartar Singh Sarabha, Diwan Singh Kalepani and many others, shed their blood to achieve an independent nation for us. The Chief Minister asserted that even today Punjabis are at forefront to safeguard the borders of the country. He said that Punjabis led the nation from the front whenever India faced any challenge from internal or external aggression. It is a known fact that the hard working and resilient farmers of the state have played a crucial role in making the country self-reliant in food production, Bhagwant Mann added. (editor dailyworld.in)