Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 9 Nov: Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President Ganesh Godiyal today paid tribute to the martyrs of the Uttarakhand statehood movement at the Shaheed Sthal in the Dehradun Collectorate premises on the occasion of the state’s Foundation Day. Accompanied by senior party leaders, statehood activists and Congress workers, Godiyal remembered those who sacrificed their lives for the creation of a separate of Uttarakhand and said their contribution would always remain a source of inspiration.
Addressing the gathering, Godiyal said the dream of a separate Uttarakhand became a reality because of the sacrifices made by the martyrs and countless movement activists. He said that women, students, youth and ex-servicemen played a vital role in the statehood movement and that the sacrifices made during incidents such as the Mussoorie, Khatima and Muzaffarnagar firing episodes were instrumental in taking the movement to its ultimate goal. He added that Uttarakhand’s people, including those living outside the state, contributed wholeheartedly to the movement and their role could never be forgotten.
The Congress leader said the first elected Congress government under former Chief Minister Narayan Dutt Tiwari laid the foundation for the state’s development by establishing administrative structures and expanding the annual plan size from around Rs 900 crores to Rs 5,000 crores. He claimed that Congress governments promoted industrial development in Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar, Kashipur and Dehradun, created employment opportunities and completed major hydropower projects, including Tehri Dam, Maneri Bhali and Dhauli Ganga, helping make the state self-reliant in power generation.
Godiyal asserted that Uttarakhand has witnessed several ups and downs over the past 27 years and has continued to face serious challenges. He emphasised the need to secure the future of women and youth, reduce hardships faced by residents and create greater employment opportunities. He also criticised the BJP, alleging that despite Uttarakhand and the newly created states of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh being formed around the same period, Uttarakhand is yet to get a permanent capital. He said the Congress government had initiated the development of Gairsain in line with public sentiment, but the BJP had continued to mislead people on the capital issue. He claimed that if Congress comes to power, it will declare Gairsain as the state capital.
He further criticised the state government’s decision to observe Statehood Day on 6 November saying that it had hurt the sentiments of many statehood activists. During the programme, Godiyal also participated in cultural events and honoured statehood activists with mementoes.
Among those present were senior statehood activist and Pradesh Congress general secretary Rajendra Shah, Ashwini Bahuguna, Mohan Singh Khatri, Virendra Pokhariyal, Jagmohan Singh Negi, Navin Joshi, Sanjay Kanaujia, Sangram Singh Pundir, Sanjay Sharma, Dr Pradeep Joshi, Ritesh Kshetri, Pushpalata Silmana, Dwarika Bisht, Ambuj Sharma, Dr Atul Sharma, Rameshwari Parmar, Pramila Rawat and a large number of Congress workers and movement activists.
