Shaheed Bhagat Amarnath remembered on his 55th Balidan Diwas

JAMMU:  Bhagat Amar Nath and Jagan Nath Charitable Trust solemnly commemorated the 55th Balidan Diwas of Shaheed Bhagat Amarnath on Sunday at the Shaheed Bhagat Amarnath Samark Park in Jammu. The tribute ceremony was attended by several prominent dignitaries, including Surinder Bhagat, Chairman of the Shaheed Bhagat Amarnath Charitable Trust, along with MLAs Ch. Vikram Randhawa, Mohan Lal Bhagat, Krishan Lal Bhagat, Yudhvir Sethi, and Corporator Anil Masoom.

Speaking on the occasion, Surinder Bhagat highlighted Shaheed Bhagat Amarnath’s unwavering dedication to the upliftment of the downtrodden communities in Jammu and Kashmir.

He recalled how, during the 1970s, there was widespread resentment among the Dalit Samaj over the denial of reservation rights by the then state government. Despite the implementation of reservation for SCs, STs, ex-servicemen, and differently-abled persons across central services and other states, Jammu and Kashmir had failed to follow suit, even after the enactment of the Constitution of India on January 26, 1950, largely shaped by Baba Sahib Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

Shaheed Bhagat Amarnath took serious note of the state's discriminatory stance and launched a relentless agitation across the Jammu province. When his demands continued to be ignored, he made the ultimate sacrifice by going on a fast unto death at Amarnath Samark Park, in front of the civil secretariat, starting on May 21, 1970. He attained martyrdom on June 1, 1970, becoming a symbol of the struggle for reservation rights and social justice.

The Charitable Trust has continued to honor his legacy year after year. Trust members including Rashpal Digra, Advocate Rajan Bhagat, LD Gorkha, Bansilal Choudhary, Mohan Lal Pawar, Bachan Lal, Gurmeet Dutta, and Bilal Choudhary participated in the event to pay their respects and remember the great sacrifice of Shaheed Bhagat Amarnath, who gave his life for the empowerment of the marginalized.