‘
LUDHIANA, AUGUST 15:–
Sixty sixth Independence Day was celebrated at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) with great enthusiasm. PAU Vice Chancellor, Dr. Baldev Singh Dhillon unfurled the national tricolor and offered Independence Day greetings to the audience comprising officers, faculty, staff and students of PAU.
Paying great tributes to the national heros, Dr. Dhillon said we are enjoying the freedom becuase of the sacrifices made by our freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev and many more. Punjab payed a big role in the Independence movement, he said, adding that 120 person from Punjab were hanged and many more were imprisoned during the independence movement.
Recollecting that India made remarkable progress after independence, Dr. Dhillon said, hard working Punjabi farmers have made great contributions towards the food security of the country. "Since sixties, when the country was deficit in food, we have taken a giant leap forward to become a food surplus nation. We have made great strides but at the same time depleted our natural resources", he said. He called upon the university scientists and especially the extension people to find new ways to reach the farmers through innovative extension methods.
Dr. Dhillon further said that to maintain the freedom and peace, we must resolve to work hard and be good citizens. We cannot progress without being good citizens, he said. He showed a great concern for increasing drug abuse among youth and urged to eradicate this menace which is eating away our youth, he said. He was also critical of the increasing instances of defiance of traffic rules. "We must act as a responsible citizens", he said.
Earlier, Dr. D.S. Cheema, Director of Students Welfare, formally welcomed the Chief Guest and others, Dr. Dhillon took the salute and inspected the parade by NCC cadets. The celebrations concluded with distribution of sweets to all.
