HYDERABAD: The BJP government at the Centre has begun moving swiftly on its preparations to celebrate Hyderabad Liberation Day as an official event on September 17 in the city with a public meeting and event at Parade Ground, that will kickstart year-long celebrations.
Not losing any time on this front, Union culture minister G. Kishan Reddy, whose department will spearhead the celebrations, on Saturday sent formal invitations to Chief Ministers of Telangana, Maharashtra, and Karnataka – the three states in which the then Hyderabad State had territories – to attend the event. The three Chief Ministers, K. Chandrashekar Rao from Telangana, Eknath Shinde from Maharashtra, and Karnataka’s Basvaraj Bommai, have been invited as guests of honour for the event.
In his invitation letter to Chandrashekar Rao, Kishan Reddy, recalling the merger following Operation Polo led by the then Union home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, said the Chief Minister “As a son of the soil and a person with an accentuated awareness of this history and a nuanced understanding of the struggle, you do well appreciate the significance of the Liberation Movement.”
He said Union home minister Amit Shah will be the chief guest at the event. Kishan Reddy, in his letter to Chandrashekar Rao, said, “I request your august presence as the Guest of Honour at the inaugural programme of Hyderabad Liberation day at Parade Ground on 17th September 2022.”
Kishan Reddy said the Centre had approved the year-long commemoration of Hyderabad Liberation Day’ nd that Maharashtra and Karnataka already commemorate this day as Marathwada Liberation Day and Hyderabad-Karnataka Liberation Day respectively. “The 75th year celebrations give us a unique opportunity to celebrate it across the 3 states in a manner befitting the sacrifices made by the previous generations,” he said.
The celebrations are aimed at making the current generation, both from this region, and the rest of India, “aware of the story of resistance, valour, and sacrifice,” and that the Government of India will launch these celebrations at Hyderabad, the epi-centre of the struggle for freedom. Kishan Reddy requested the Telangana Chief Minister to”identify events and commemorations throughout the year and share these plans with the Government of India so that a holistic approach can be taken in planning the yearlong commemorations.”
