Pargat Singh
Pargat Singh, a hockey player turned politician, was born on 5th March 1965 in Mithapur, Jalandhar,
Punjab, India. He was playing for India on full back position and was considered as one of the best defenders
of the world. When India was playing with Germany in the Champion Trophy at Perth, the score at one
point of time was ticking 1-5. It was Pargat Singh who scored 4 goals in the last 6 minutes and the match
came to be a draw. Pargat Singh won the hearts of the Indians with this performance. Further, in 1986
against Holland in the Champion Trophy at Karachi, repeated the same action to give India a 3-2 victory.
He captained Indian men’s hockey team at 1992 Barcelona Olympics and 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He got
Arjuna award in 1989 and Padma Shree in 1998. He also got the honor of becoming the Vice-President of the
Surjit Singh Memorial Hockey Tournament Society of Jalandhar.In addition, he was given a job in Punjab
Police. He was working as SP, when SAD nominated him for Jalandhar Cantt legislative seat.He won that
seat in 2012 assembly election and remained MLA till July 2016, when SAD suspended him because of some
differences.
After suspension, he joined hands with Navjot Singh Sidhu and Bains brothers and formed a
new political front – Aawaaz-e-Punjab claiming to fight against those working against Punjab. Pargat Singh
being an excellent hockey player, a clean politician and a lover of Punjab, Punjabiyat and Punjabis becomes
a role model for all those who want a sincere and clean politics with a desire to do something concrete for
the welfare of their state and its people.