NEW DELHI, AUGUST 10: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has received a formal petition from Punjab Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney seeking the posthumous conferment of the Bharat Ratna on legendary social worker Bhagat Puran Singh.
The movement led by Bhagat Puran Singh began in 1947 with the creation of Pingalwara, an asylum dedicated to caring for society’s most vulnerable and homeless citizens.
The philanthropist also devoted significant effort to environmental conservation, authoring informative literature on ecological issues alongside organizing community plantation campaigns.
Though honored with the Padma Shri award in 1981, he relinquished the title as a mark of protest after the Indian Army operation at the Golden Temple complex.
Outlining the sanctuary’s vital community role, Sahney affirmed, “Pingalwara is a home for destitutes where all disabled and neglected people are provided shelter, allowing children, widows, and elderly people to find a family atmosphere and a feeling of love.”
Underscoring the lifelong dedication of the humanitarian, Sahney declared, “He spent his entire lifetime caring for the poor, destitute and disabled without ever establishing a permanent home for himself.”
