Garhwal Post Bureau
Khatima, 1 Sep: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami today participated in a solemn tribute ceremony in Khatima to honour the memory of the martyrs of the statehood agitation, who had laid down their lives during the Uttarakhand movement. Floral tributes were offered to the martyrs of the Khatima firing incident, and their families, along with other statehood activists, were felicitated in recognition of their sacrifices.
Addressing the gathering on the occasion, the CM observed that this day serves as an emotional reminder of the supreme sacrifice made by Bhagwan Singh Siraula, Pratap Singh, Rampal, Salim Ahmed, Gopichand, Dharmanand Bhatt, and Paramjeet Singh, who attained martyrdom during the Khatima firing. He noted that every citizen of Uttarakhand remains eternally indebted to these brave souls. Recalling his own involvement in the statehood movement, Dhami noted that the incident had galvanised public sentiment and strengthened the resolve to fight for Uttarakhand’s rights. He emphasised that the most fitting tribute to these martyrs would be to collectively build the Uttarakhand of their dreams.
The CM also reminded the gathering of the various initiatives undertaken by the government to uphold the ideals of the statehood movement. He reminded that a 10 per cent horizontal reservation has been implemented in state government employment for statehood activists and their dependants. Additionally, the government has introduced a monthly pension scheme, providing Rs 3,000 to the families of martyred activists, Rs 6,000 to those who were injured or imprisoned during the movement, and Rs 4,500 to active participants. Under the revised provisions, daughters of identified activists who are abandoned, widowed, or divorced are also eligible to avail the benefits of this reservation. He shared that identity cards have been issued to recognised activists, and 93 individuals have been provided government jobs. Free travel in government buses has also been extended to activists.
Reminding the gathering about the significant contribution of women in the statehood movement, Dhami stated that their enthusiastic participation had played a crucial role in the formation of Uttarakhand. In acknowledgement of this, the state government has implemented a 30 per cent horizontal reservation in government jobs for women. He further mentioned that several landmark decisions have been taken to ensure the holistic development of the state. Uttarakhand became the first state in the country to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and has also enacted the most stringent anti-copying law in India, which has enabled over 24,000 youth to secure government employment.
The CM also reiterated the government’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding the demographic integrity of Uttarakhand. He added that stringent anti-conversion and anti-riot laws have been enforced, and more than 7,000 acres of encroached government land have been reclaimed.
On this occasion, Dhami also administered the “Save Himalayas” pledge to the assembled crowd and urged everyone to take collective responsibility for preserving the fragile Himalayan environment.
Among those present on the occasion included Nainital MP Ajay Bhatt, Zilla Panchayat President Ajay Maurya, MLA Bhuvan Kapri, Municipal President Ramesh Chand Joshi, Minister of State ranked Anil Kapoor Dabbu, Subhash Barthwal, Farzana Begum, Block President Sarita Rana, Dan Singh Rawat, Nandan Singh Kharayat, Jeevan Singh Dhami, Gopal Singh Rana, District Magistrate, US Nagar, Nitin Singh Bhadauria, SSP Manikant Mishra, Vice Chairman, District Development Authority, Jai Kishan, DFO Himanshu Bagri and ADM Pankaj Upadhyay.
