'Some parties ashamed to call Sep 17 Hyderabad Liberation Day'

HYDERABAD: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that some political parties feel ashamed to call September 17 Hyderabad Liberation Day as they still have fear of ‘Razakars’ in their mind.

Without naming anyone, he asked these parties to remove the fear from their minds, saying Razakars cannot take decisions in this country which became independent 75 years ago.

Shah made the remarks after hoisting the national flag and reviewing a parade at Parade Grounds in Secunderabad to mark erstwhile Hyderabad state’s accession to the Indian Union.

The event was organised by the Union Ministry of Culture and was attended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Karnataka Transport Minister B. Sriramulu and Union Minister for Tourism and Culture G. Kishan Reddy.

Hyderabad State, which comprised Telangana and parts of the present day Maharashtra and Karnataka, became part of India on September 17, 1948, about 13 months after the country gained independence.

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao stayed away from the event but hoisted the Tricolour at a programme organised by the state government, which is celebrating the occasion as National Unity Day.

Shah thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for deciding to organise official celebrations of September 17.

“I am not surprised. In fact, I am happy that as soon as he took the decision, all other parties announced that they will also celebrate the day. They are celebrating but with a different name. They are not calling it liberation as they still have fear of Razakars in their minds. I want to tell them to remove the fear asA Razakars can’t take decisions in this country which became independent 75 years ago,” he said.

Razakars were supporters of Hyderabad State’s ruler Nizam and wanted the state to remain independent.

The Union Home Minister said unfortunately those who were in power for 75 years did not dare to celebrate Liberation Day because of vote bank politics.

“Many people made promises during elections and during movements but after coming to power they went back on their word due to fear of Razakars,” he said.

Shah also remarked that those who feel ashamed to call it Liberation day should know that they are enjoying power because of the martyrdom of thousands of people. “If you are not paying them tributes, you are betraying them.”

He also told the people of Telangana not to forget those who ignored the aims for which the state was formed.

Paying rich tributes to India’s first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel for deciding to launch ‘Police Action’ (Operation Polo) against the Nizam’s army and Razakars to make Hyderabad a part of India.

“If Sardar Patel was not there, it might have taken many more years to liberate Hyderabad,” he said and recalled that even after India became independent, there were no celebrations in the then Hyderabad State and for 13 months people were subjected to repression by Razakars.

He said Patel knew that until Nizam’s Razakars were defeated dream of ‘Akhand Bharat’ will not be achieved and if a large area remain independent and excesses continue on people Gandhiji’s dream of independent India will not be fulfilled

Shah recalled the supreme sacrifices made by many freedom fighters to liberate Hyderabad. He mentioned the names of Komaram Bheem, Ramji Gond, Swami Ramanand Teerth, M. Chenna Reddy and P. V. Narasimha Rao and other freedom fighters from Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

He also referred to various movements that were launched against Nizam’s rule in different parts of the then Hyderabad State, the draconian laws made by the Nizam government to commit repression on people and a few incidents of killings committed by Razakars.

He said that the aim of Hyderabad Liberation Day celebrations is to inform the young generation of the liberation movement, sacrifices of great freedom fighters and inculcate a sense of patriotism among them.

Shah suggested to the universities in all three states to do research on the Hyderabad liberation movement and undertake documentation of the excesses that were committed on people so that the entire country knows the history of the freedom movement in this part of the country.

Addressing the event, the Maharashtra Chief Minister said September 17 is celebrated as Marathwada Mukti Din in the state every year.

He paid tributes to those who laid down their lives to liberate Hyderabad State and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah for deciding to officially celebrate the day.