Ministry of Culture to fund Telangana Martyrs Memorial

Future generations should be made aware of the civil apprising against Nizam’s tyranny, says Kishan Reddy

September 17, 2020 06:12 pm | Updated 10:08 pm IST - HYDERABAD

Union Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy celebrating Telangana Liberation Day at his official residence in New Delhi on Thursday.

Union Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy celebrating Telangana Liberation Day at his official residence in New Delhi on Thursday.

The Ministry of Culture has agreed to provide funds for setting up a grand memorial for martyrs of the Telangana Armed Struggle so that the future generations could be made aware of the civil apprising against the Nizam’s tyranny and the atrocities committed by his Razakars against the common people, said Union Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy on Thursday.

Addressing a gathering after hoisting the tricolour at his official residence in New Delhi to celebrate the Telangana Liberation Day — when the Nizam surrendered to the Indian Army and accepted to join the Indian Union following the ‘Police Action’ ordered by Home Minister Sardar Patel on this day in 1948 — he said the memorial will have portraits and documentary evidence of the valiant fight put up by scores of freedom fighters starting from Swami Ramananda Tirtha and others.

“Today it is a joyous occasion also because it is the 70th birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, so on behalf of the Telugu people, I extend my greetings to him. Hailing from a humble family, he has been providing great and corrupt-free leadership to the nation,” he said. The Minister said the country and Telangana people would never forget the armed uprising against the Nizam and the sufferings of the common folk at the hands of the Razakrs who indulged in murder, rape and pillage. “For Telanganites, the real freedom was in September 1948; but unfortunately, the same ‘slavish mindset’ is visible even now with the TRS government refusing to hold any official function bowing to the pressure exerted by the Majlis Party,” he charged.

Neighbouring Karnataka and Maharastra governments celebrate the Liberation Day officially even though only small tracts of the erstwhile Nizam’s kingdom were included in the States. Whereas the real headquarters of Hyderabad had never celebrated the ‘Day’ by the successive governments of the Congress, Telugu Desam and now TRS, he pointed out. Mr. Reddy said KCR was vociferous for celebrating it during the separate State agitation, but changed tack after coming to power. “Telangana people should think about this as all sections of the society took part in the struggle and it has to be kept alive for next generation by including in textbooks,” he maintained.

Police action condemned

Back in Hyderabad, top leaders including former president K. Laxman, city president N. Ramchander Rao, N. Indrasena Reddy and others hoisted the national flag at the party office here to commemorate the Liberation Day. Mr. Rao condemned the action of the police putting some leaders under house arrest to prevent them from celebrating the day in the districts. Mr. Laxman claimed that whether the government celebrated it officially or not, the people have been doing it.

It is a question of self-respect for the Telangana, but the KCR government has utter disregard for it despite coming to power on the same premise kowtowing the Majlis line, he charged

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