No previous government dared to celebrate the “Telangana Liberation Day” in the past 75 years due to their appeasement policies and vote bank politics, Union home minister Amit Shah said on Sunday.
Shah was addressing the gathering after unfurling the national flag as part of the official celebration of 75th year of “Hyderabad Liberation Day” at Secunderabad Parade Grounds to commemorate the merger of erstwhile Hyderabad state with the Indian Union on September 17, 1948. “It is unfortunate that no government in the past 75 years has celebrated the historic ‘Hyderabad Liberation Day and formulated programmes to remind the younger generation about this great day. Because of their appeasement policies, the previous governments were always scared and did not celebrate it,” Shah said. “I would like to tell them that people of the country would turn away from those who turn away from their country’s history.”
On the occasion, Shah recalled the atrocities committed by the Razakars (armed supporters of Nizam) during the Nizam rule in present day Telangana, and bordering areas of Maharashtra and Karnataka, which were parts of the erstwhile Hyderabad state.
Paying rich tributes to thousands of martyrs who had laid down their lives for the “liberation” of Hyderabad from the autocratic rule of the Nizams, the home minister credited the country’s first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel whose efforts forced the Razakars to surrender. “If not for Sardar Patel, it would have taken many more years for Hyderabad to get liberated. Patel had taken the bold decision to order a police action, as it was the only way to liberate the people of Hyderabad from the clutches of the Razakars and fulfil the dream of Akhand Bharat,” Shah said.
Hyderabad, which was under Nizam’s rule, was annexed to the Union of India following a police action codenamed ‘Operation Polo’ that culminated on September 17, 1948.
“The people of this part of the country, who got the independence 13 months later [after the Independence of India], have desired to celebrate the event officially, but the previous governments had no guts to do so as they were interested in playing vote bank politics,” Shah alleged.
To be sure, September 17 is interpreted differently by various political parties in Telangana. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) celebrates it as the “Hyderabad Liberation Day”, the ruling party in Telangana, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the AIMIM mark it as the “National Integration Day”.
The home minister also hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking a decision to officially celebrate the golden jubilee of “Hyderabad Liberation Day”.
“I thank the Prime Minister for starting a new tradition of celebrating ‘Hyderabad Liberation Day’ on September 17, by the ministry of culture. Through this, the young generation will be made aware of the struggle of the martyrs of this great movement,” Shah said. “It was only after Modi’s decision that the Telangana government and other parties chose to celebrate the event.”
Before his address, Shah hoisted the national flag and inspected the ceremonial parade of the Central paramilitary forces, including the CRPF. The event was also marked by a march past by the armed forces, army bands, cultural troupes and folk artistes of Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
On the occasion, the Union minister also virtually inaugurated the residential quarters of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and also an exhibition on Telangana culture at Bollaram.
Beware of communal forces, says KCR
Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Sunday called upon the people of the state to be wary of the communal forces who were out to “distort the history, disturb the communal harmony and damage the culture of Telangana for petty politics”.
KCR — as the chief minister is popularly known as — was addressing the gathering at Public Gardens after unfurling the national flag at the celebration of “National Integration Day” to commemorate the merger of erstwhile Hyderabad state with the Indian Union on this day in 1948.
“After the merger of Hyderabad with India, Telangana remained a separate entity till 1956, when it was merged with Andhra [Pradesh] much against the wishes of the people. After a prolonged struggle, we could get back the Telangana state in 2014 and it emerged as a frontrunner in many sectors,” KCR said.
Stating that in the last nine years, Telangana has become a torchbearer for the entire nation, KCR listed out the development initiatives and welfare schemes of his government. “What we need now is the unity of all sections of people, which is our strength,” he said. “Let us not fall into the trap of disruptive forces and disturb the harmonious atmosphere in the state.”
Earlier, he paid floral tributes to the martyrs of Telangana armed struggle and others who fought for the integration of Hyderabad with the rest of India, at Telangana Martyrs’ Memorial.
To be sure, September 17 is interpreted differently by various political parties in Telangana. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) celebrates it as the “Hyderabad Liberation Day”, the ruling party in Telangana, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the AIMIM mark it as the “National Integration Day”.
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