The story of the historic Telangana freedom struggle and sacrifices of the martyrs should be told to the future generations and the entire world, said Union Home Minister Amit Shah, adding it was “unfortunate” that the previous governments were “scared” to celebrate ‘Liberation Day’ due to “vote bank politics”.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be complimented for taking the momentous decision to take up the celebrations through the Culture Ministry 75 years after the country’s independence and setting a precedent. We need to remember the valiant struggle against the Nizam, and the persons who laid down their lives and take inspiration for the State’s development,” he reiterated.
The Home Minister was addressing the gathering at the Parade Grounds on Sunday after hoisting the national flag, taking salute to the ceremonial parade by contingents of the para-military forces on the occasion of Telangana Liberation Day for the second successive year at the venue. The State government organised a parallel ‘Unification Day’ event separately at Public Gardens where Chief Minister K.Chandrasekhar Rao hoisted the national flag and took a salute from the police forces.
The Home Minister in his crisp speech devoid of any mention of the BRS or KCR or even the Congress Party which is holding the CWC meeting a few kilometers away, only pointed out that Telangana Liberation Day celebrations were not held in the past nine years despite a separate Telangana state being formed.
“Without Sardar Patel and K.M. Munshi, Telangana would not have been free. People here went through hellish times before Patel designed the Police Action to liberate Hyderabad without shedding much bloodshed from the clutches of the Nizam and his Razakars militia,” he said.
Mr.Shah reminded that “Jallianwala Bagh kind of incidents” where several persons were slain at Bidar, Parkal and Parbhani by the Nizam’s army and Razakars had taken place, and that has to be remembered for years. “Those incidents had prompted Sardar Patel to take up Police Action to liberate Hyderabad as the people here had fought the Nizam for close to 400 days,” he said.
He recalled the contributions of various organisations like Arya Samaj, Hindu Mahasabha and others as also prominent personalities like former prime minister P.V.Narasimha Rao, Burgula Ramakrishna Rao and many more in ensuring Hyderabad joins the rest of the Indian Union 13 months after the country got independence from the British.
The Home Minister greeted Mr.Modi on his birthday and claimed that the country has developed a lot economically in the past nine years. The success of the G-20 and Chandrayaan-3 mission success has shown our country’s scientific prowess and also showcased the heritage and culture.
Mr.Shah witnessed traditional cultural dance performances, laid a wreath at the War Memorial, distributed battery-run tricycles to the disabled and greeted freedom fighters at the venue. Postal covers of journalist Shoebullah Khan and tribal freedom fighter Ramji Gond were released while a virtual exhibition of the Police Action – Operation Polo was unveiled on the occasion. Earlier, he also laid the foundation stone for South India’s first SSB (Sashastra Seema Bal) residential quarters and barracks on 85 acres in Ibrahimpatnam.
Union Minister and Telangana BJP chief G.Kishan Reddy said Telangana people had suffered a lot during the reign of terror unleashed by the Nizam and Razakars in the villages with atrocities, rapes and killings. “Burying this history by the previous governments is nothing but cheating the public. How it can be a unification day when people have martyred themselves for freedom and unshackled the chains of slavery from the Nizam,” he questioned.
Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, Culture secretary Govind Mohan, IB director Tapan Deka, CRPF DG Sujoy Lal Thaosen, SSB DG Rashmi Shukla and other top officials were present.
