CM Bhagwant Mann calls youth to 'Jashan-e-Inquilab' in Ludhiana
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
On the eve of Bhagat Singh's 119th birth anniversary, Punjab is turning its grief into celebration — and its celebration into a call to action. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced on Sunday, 27 September 2026, that Ludhiana will host 'Jashan-e-Inquilab' (Festival of Revolution) on 28 September, urging the state's youth to register and attend in large numbers.
Writing in Punjabi, Mann extended a personal appeal: 'Meri saare nojavaana nu appeal hai ki QR code raaheen registration karke vaddi ginti vich zaroor pahuncho' — 'I appeal to all youth to register via QR code and turn up in great numbers, so that together we can make this programme even better and more memorable.' The post closed with the rallying cry Inquilab Zindabad — 'Long live the Revolution.'
PAU Grounds, Ludhiana: the stage for remembrance
The event is scheduled at the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) Grounds in Ludhiana, starting at 3 PM on 28 September. PAU, established in 1962, is one of Punjab's premier educational institutions and a frequent venue for large-scale public gatherings. Ludhiana — the state's largest city and its industrial heartland — provides a fitting backdrop for a celebration aimed at the working youth.
The programme promises glimpses of Punjabi cultural heritage alongside performances by prominent artists, blending revolutionary remembrance with the region's folk traditions. QR-code-based registration has been introduced to manage attendance and scale the event efficiently.
Bhagat Singh's legacy and Punjab's annual tribute
Bhagat Singh, born 28 September 1907 in the Lyallpur district of undivided Punjab (present-day Pakistan), is revered across India as Shaheed-e-Azam — the Greatest Martyr. Executed by British colonial authorities in 1931 at the age of 23, he remains a defining symbol of fearless resistance, particularly for younger generations in Punjab.
State-sponsored commemorations on his birth anniversary have a long history in Punjab, stretching back at least to the 1950s. What the Mann government has sought to do with events like Jashan-e-Inquilab is reframe that tradition — moving it from solemn observance toward energetic, youth-facing cultural celebration that ties revolutionary memory to contemporary Punjabi identity.
The choice of the name itself is deliberate: not a 'function' or a 'seminar', but a jashan — a festival — underscoring that the government wants this to feel like belonging, not obligation.
Whether the PAU Grounds fill to capacity on 28 September will be an early signal of how successfully that message lands with Punjab's youth.