Chandigarh, March 9: The Punjab Vidhan Sabha on March 6 became the first state legislature in the country to formally pay tribute to the victims of the recent airstrikes in Iran. During the obituary references of the budget session, members observed two minutes of silence for the children killed in a school bombing in Minab and for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Dr. Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi, the MLA from Banga, raised the matter in the House, asserting that the global community must recognize the human cost of the current military actions. He stated that the killing of innocent schoolgirls and medical staff at hospitals constituted a grave violation of humanitarian principles.
“I urge you that, if possible, pay tribute to them,” Dr. Sukhi stated while addressing Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan. He declared that even as a representative of Punjab, it was important to speak against injustice occurring beyond national borders.
Following the request, the Speaker maintained that the House should pay its respects, leading the assembly in a somber tribute. The move has been lauded by various groups in the Middle East, who affirmed that the gesture highlights the cultural and spiritual ties often shared between the regions.
Despite the international focus, the session continued with its primary legislative agenda, including tributes to local freedom fighters and former ministers. However, the decision to include the Iranian leader and students in the official obituary has set a precedent in the state’s parliamentary history.
