State Formation Day celebration held in Doon
By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 9 Nov: President Droupadi Murmu was the Chief Guest at the main celebration held at the Police Lines here, today, on the occasion of Uttarakhand State Formation Day.
On this occasion, she praised Uttarakhand’s progress and reminded the gathering of the contribution made by leading statehood movement leader Sushila Baluni to the cause of a separate state. It may be recalled that Sushila Baluni passed away some months ago after a prolonged illness.
Also present on the occasion were Governor Lt General Gurmit Singh (Retd), Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Cabinet Ministers Ganesh Joshi, Subodh Uniyal, Dr Dhan Singh Rawat, Premchand Aggarwal, Chief Secretary SS Sandhu and DGP Ashok Kumar.
The President greeted the people of Uttarakhand on the occasion. She said that it was a matter of happiness that, with the new identity, the hardworking people of Uttarakhand are scaling new heights of development and progress. Murmu observed that the physical and digital connectivity of Uttarakhand is continuously increasing and that infrastructure growth is taking place at a rapid pace. She added that the government is also giving special attention to disaster management. The multi-dimensional progress in Uttarakhand is leading to increased enthusiasm among investors. She also happily noted that, during the road-shows held in preparation for the upcoming Global Investors’ Summit to be held in Dehradun, MoUs of more than Rs 81,500 crores have already been signed till last week. She expressed confidence that these efforts would increase employment opportunities for the youth of Uttarakhand.
Murmu observed that the tradition of calling the sacred Uttarakhand as ‘Devbhoomi’ due to the blessings of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu is very much revered. This sacred land, which receives energy from Goddess Parvati and other forms of Shakti, and is irrigated with the love of rivers like Ganga and Yamuna, is also ‘Goddess-land’. She added that Uttarakhand resounds with the sacred chants of ‘Jai Maha-Kali’ and ‘Jai Badri-Vishal’. The sounds of Gurbani also emanate from Hemkunt Sahib and Nanak-Matta, which add more divinity to the environment.
The President also recalled that she had the opportunity to visit Uttarakhand last year in December and that every opportunity of coming to Uttarakhand is like gaining the virtue of pilgrimage. She also greeted the people on the occasion of Diwali and added that she prayed to Goddess Lakshmi to fill the all of India including Uttarakhand with wealth, happiness and health.
The President stated that the people of Uttarakhand will not forget the statehood agitationists like the late Sushila Baluni, who led the struggle for a separate state of Uttarakhand. Baluni, she claimed, remains an ideal example of the ability for struggle among women. The indomitable courage of Sushila Baluni was in accordance with the glorious tradition of the women here. She added that Bishni Devi Shah had shown her extraordinary courage during the freedom struggle. Women of Uttarakhand like Bachendri Pal, the first woman to hoist the national flag on Mount Everest, and Gaura Devi, who led the famous Chipko movement to save trees, have presented role models for the entire country. Murmu observed that, recently, Uttarakhand’s daughter Vandana Kataria had performed brilliantly at the Asian Games. Such women have strengthened the culture of Uttarakhand, she emphasised, adding that she was especially happy while giving assent to the Nari Shakti Vandan Act 2023 because it paves the way for the daughters of the country, including those of Uttarakhand, to make high level contribution to nation building.
Murmu emphasised that the land of Uttarakhand has been regularly giving birth to heroes. The heroes from Uttarakhand have made the supreme sacrifice in all the wars after independence. She said that she saluted all those heroes and the brave land of Uttarakhand. The youth here feel proud to join the Indian Army and protecting Mother India. This feeling of enthusiasm towards the defence of the nation is an example for all. Two regiments of the Indian Army, Kumaon Regiment and Garhwal Regiment, have been named after the regions of Uttarakhand. It underlines the martial tradition of Uttarakhand. India’s first Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat was a son of this soil. She also noted that the current Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, is also a resident of Uttarakhand.
The President was further happy to note that the government is emphasising, both, the ecology and the economy in Uttarakhand’s development. She appreciated the state government’s initiative to estimate Gross Environment Product (GEP). She stated that focusing on state GDP as well as state GEP, in a state full of natural resources, would strengthen sustainable development.
Governor Gurmit Singh also extended greetings and best wishes on the State Formaing Day and paid tribute to the immortal martyrs and statehood agitationists. Expressing his heartfelt gratitude and congratulations to the President, he said that Uttarakhand is joyful at her dignified presence in the state. He also congratulated the dignitaries who were honoured with the State Gaurav Samman. The Governor said that the country and the state are moving forward in the era of digital revolution. Cyber security is one the biggest responsibilities in current times and, to deal with this, the country is moving towards incorporating new technologies in security. The government is working to promote transparent and proactive policing. Controlling crimes, while ensuring women’s and girl child’s safety is the top priority of the state government. He claimed that, today, Uttarakhand has become one of the leading states of the country on many parameters of development.
The Governor said that people from every corner of the country and abroad come to visit this holy land of Uttarakhand. The Prime Minister’s visit to Adi Kailash and Jageshwar Dham has given a new identity to the Manaskhand region in the country and the world. He said that the border villages have become the first villages of India and that their infrastructure development is now a top priority of the government. The women of Uttarakhand are hardworking and strong and are the backbone of the socio-economic system.
While wishing and congratulating the people of the state, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also paid tribute to all the immortal martyrs and statehood agitationists who had contributed in building the state of Uttarakhand. He also paid tribute on behalf of the entire people of Uttarakhand to the brave soldiers of the state who have made the supreme sacrifice to protect Mother India. He also remembered the police officials, too, who made the supreme sacrifice to establish peace in the state and society.
Dhami observed that, on this occasion, it is also necessary to remember the former Prime Minister, Bharat Ratna awardee the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, during whose Prime Ministership the dream of Uttarakhand state was actualised. He said it is the duty of the government as well of the people of the state to continuously strive with full dedication to make this young Uttarakhand well nurtured and a leading state of the country.
Welcoming President Droupadi Murmu, CM Dhami said that her difficult struggle in life and her indomitable courage and inspirational political journey is a matter of great inspiration for every Indian. Her life journey is also inspiring for all, because she used all the difficulties in her life as her strength and came out on top. She is a ray of hope for all the citizens of India, especially for the poor, exploited and deprived, and a living symbol of women empowerment in the true sense. The CM noted that, with the inspiration of the Prime Minister, the state government is working day and night to make Uttarakhand a leading state of the country. The government is committed to development, accountable to the public, trustworthy and efficient in its work. Many things have happened for the first time in 23 years, a law has been implemented to stop forced or mass conversions. For the first time, preparations are being made to implement the
a Uniform Civil Code of Conduct in Uttarakhand. For the first time, a system of 30 percent horizontal reservation has been implemented for the women of the state. For the first time strict action is being continuously taken against the corrupt. For the first time regular police are being deployed in places where revenue police had been deployed earlier.
On this occasion, four dignitaries of the state were conferred the Uttarakhand Gaurav Samman by President Droupadi Murmu. These were Madhuri Barthwal, Basanti Bisht, Sachidanand Bharatiya and Rajendra Singh Bisht for their excellent service in various fields.
The parade and march past were inspected by the President, the Governor and the CM. A memento was also presented to the President. On this occasion, a short film about the achievements of Uttarakhand was also screened. Various tableaux were displayed by departments of Uttarakhand.
Assembly Speaker Ritu Khanduri Bhushan, Cabinet Ministers Ganesh Joshi, Subodh Uniyal, Dr Dhan Singh Rawat, Premchand Aggarwal, MLA Khajan Das, Chief Secretary Dr SS Sandhu, DGP Ashok Kumar and other senior officers and dignitaries were present at the programme.
