Ambala, June 29:- A massive gathering was organized today at the BPS Planetarium Hall in Ambala Cantt to honor Dr. Nirmal Singh (Ph.D.), who served as the Divisional General Secretary of the Northern Railway Men's Union (Ambala Division) for 4 years and is retiring as the Station Manager of the Chandigarh Railway Station after 36 years of service. More than 2,000 union members from various centers of the Ambala Railway Division attended the event.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Nirmal Singh thanked the workers for their support and said that he had taken over the reins of the union from former President Charanjit Singh Bajwa. Over the past four years, he had to wage several struggles and fight battles in the interest of the workers. Owing to the unity of the workers, the union emerged victorious in every struggle. He shared that despite holding high educational qualifications and wanting to become a college professor, destiny brought him here, and he served with utmost dedication. On this occasion, he also remembered his college teacher Dr. Rattan Singh Dhillon and his classmate Prof. Gurdev Singh Dev.
The keynote speaker of the gathering was Shiv Gopal Mishra, National General Secretary of the All India Railway Federation and Railway Men's Union. In his address, he praised Dr. Nirmal Singh, stating that after Comrade Charanjit Singh Bajwa, he did not let the union's standards drop; rather, under his leadership, the union emerged victorious in every struggle.
In his speech, he discussed in detail the problems of railway employees, future policies, and issues related to the 8th Pay Commission. He stated that protecting the interests of railway employees is the primary responsibility of the union. Continuous efforts are being made to improve the service conditions, pension benefits, and working conditions of the employees. He said that in this era of inflation, a reasonable increase in the salaries and allowances of employees is necessary. He also demanded to further strengthen post-retirement benefits. He assured on behalf of the union that no injustice would be allowed to be done to any employee and their voice would be raised forcefully at every level.
Divisional President Harnam Singh, Divisional Secretary Nirmal Singh, Divisional Vice Presidents Paramjit Singh and Sudhir Tyagi were present on the occasion. It was noted that it was the Railway Union that forced Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold talks with the union, whereas he otherwise never does so. He asked the workers to maintain unity, as the energy and power of unity alone lead to victory.
Towards the end of his speech, national railway union leader Mishra announced the name of Comrade Thakur Singh of the Bathinda branch as the next General Secretary, succeeding Dr. Nirmal Singh. As soon as the announcement was made, slogans of "Comrade Thakur Singh Zindabad" echoed in the hall for a long time. While announcing the name, Mishra also put forward a condition that starting July 1st, Comrade Thakur Singh would have to sit at the union's divisional office in Ambala Cantt instead of Bathinda, which Comrade Thakur Singh gladly accepted.
On this occasion, Dr. Nirmal Singh's entire family was present, and his friend Dr. Kuldeep Singh Thind was also present.