NEW DELHI, AUGUST 10: Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah requesting that the nation’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, be posthumously conferred on renowned philanthropist and Pingalwara founder Bhagat Puran Singh.
The parliamentary appeal highlights the selfless legacy of the humanitarian who established the Pingalwara movement in 1947 to shelter the sick, elderly, widows, and abandoned individuals.
In his communication sent on Wednesday, the parliamentarian emphasized the deep societal impact of the institution, noting that the sanctuary offers shelter where neglected populations experience a genuine family setting during their most challenging periods.
Beyond his humanitarian initiatives, Bhagat Puran Singh actively advocated for environmental preservation through mass tree plantation drives and educational publications addressing ecological concerns.
The parliamentarian pointed out that while the humanitarian received the Padma Shri in 1981, he subsequently returned the honor following the military action at the Golden Temple.
Advocating for national recognition, Sahney stated, “Bhagat Puran Singh ji was a great environmentalist and philanthropist who had no permanent home and spent his entire lifetime caring for the poor, destitute and disabled.”
Reinforcing the request in his letter, Sahney maintained, “It would be most befitting to confer the Bharat Ratna posthumously on Bhagat Puran Singh.”
