India, March 16 -- The Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Monday unanimously passed a resolution demanding that the Union government confer the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, upon late Dalit icon and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) founder Kanshi Ram.

The resolution, which came a day after the Ropar-born leader's 92nd birth anniversary, led to an hour-long debate, with members across party lines, including the ruling AAP, Congress, and SAD, honouring his role in the socio-political awakening of the "Bahujan Samaj (the community of the majority). In a political and sociological context, it refers to the consolidated group of Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and religious minorities, who collectiv...