Maharashtra Governor CH Vidyasagar Rao revived the memories of Marathwada liberation movement, as he inaugurated a 210 feet flag post at Aurangabad’s Kranti chowk on Saturday.
The Maharashtra Government has erected the flag post, carrying national tri-colour, in memory of people who sacrificed their lives for securing freedom from the Nizam rulers.
Marathwada, Telgangana and four districts of Karnataka were part of the former princely Hyderabad State when India attained Independence of August 15, 1947. Marathwada came to be integrated with India, when the India military, with help of local rebels, annexed the State of Hyderabad, overthrew Nizam and merged Hyderabad with the Indian Union on September 19, 1948.
Speaking at a function after inaugurating the flag post at Aurangabad’s Kranti Chowk, the Governor said the day of raising the National Flag rekindled in him the memories of Marathwada liberation movement.
The Governor said while the rest of India got independence from British rule on 15th August 1947, the people of the old Hyderabad state had to struggle for 13 months and 2 days for their independence.
He said that taking advantage of the weak Indian Independence Act, the then Nizam Usman Ali Khan announced Hyderabad as a separate entity.
He said even though the Hindu population of Hyderabad State was large in number, Pakistan gave recognition to it.
He recalled that people from all walks of life united together and waged a war against this injustice.
Narrating the tales of atrocities perpetrated by Nizam and his Razakars against those who raised their voice, the Governor said that renowned journalist Shoiabullah Khan was brutally murdered because he wrote in one of his articles that city of Hyderabad is the heart of India and that the heart can not be separated from the body.
The Governor recalled the great sacrifices made by Swami Ramanand Teerth, Shri Govindbhai Shroff, Bhausaheb Vaishampayan, Anant Bhalerao, Ramanbhai Parikh, Devi Singh Chavan, Vijayendra Kabra, Babasaheb Paranjpe, Chandragupta Chaudhari, Tara laddha and others in liberating Marathwada from the clutches of Nizam.
The Governor paid rich tributes to their sacrifices and said it was because of the bold decision of the then Union Home Minister late Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to initiate police action, Nizam was left with no option but to surrender and Marathwada was liberated.
The Governor said the flag was a symbol of sacrifice of our ancestors and urged the people not to forget history as also the sacrifices of our ancestors.
The Governor hoped that the 210 feet high national tricolor will serve as an inspiring force to the young generation and would help imbibe on their minds its historical importance.
The Governor felt that this struggle for Marathawada libration should be part of History Text Book.
Speaker of the State legislative Assembly Shri Haribhau Bagade, Mayor of Aurangabad Shri Nandkumar Ghodgele, Members of Parliament Raosaheb Danve and Chandrakant Khaire were prominent among the present.