CM KCR unveils Amara Jyothi Telangana Martyrs’ Memorial

Telangana government would make it a custom to bring all delegates visiting the State to the Martyrs Memorial and pay tributes to the martyrs, said Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao

Hyderabad: Unveiling an everlasting tribute to the several hundreds who laid down their lives for the cause of Statehood for Telangana, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Thursday unveiled the magnificent Amara Jyothi Telangana Martyrs’ Memorial.

Constructed in the heart of Hyderabad, this tribute to Telangana’s martyrs would remain an inspiration to the people of the State and future generations as well, apart from serving as a constant reminder to the rulers of the State about the sacrifices of the martyrs, making them strive hard for the State’s development, he said.

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Unveiling the Amara Jyothi memorial to mark the conclusion of the decennial celebrations of Telangana State Formation, the Chief Minister said the event was scheduled for the last day to pay a befitting tribute to all those who made numerous sacrifices to achieve Statehood. The State government would make it a custom to bring all delegates visiting the State to the Martyrs Memorial and pay tributes to the martyrs as well as explain to them about the sacrifices made to achieve the State, he said.

“We should not let the sacrifices of numerous martyrs go waste and should continue to strive for development of the State as per their aspirations. The government is making all efforts to develop the memorial to showcase different phases of the Telangana movement to the people of the State and also those from other States or countries. A huge photo gallery with photographs of the Telangana movement since 1969 has been established. I urge people to contribute and share photographs or video footage about the Telangana movement which can be showcased at the Amara Jyothi,” he said.

Turning emotional as he went down the memory lane recalling the events that led to the first and second phases of the Telangana movement, Chandrashekhar Rao reminded the gathering how people from various walks of life, especially Telangana employees, intellectuals and students sustained the movement in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh for more than six decades, despite facing severe hardships. He mentioned in particular the efforts of stalwarts like Prof. Jayashankar and Konda Laxman Bapuji to sustain the movement.

“We launched the second phase of Telangana movement with a conscious decision to involve neither employees and students in the initial stages. We wanted to avoid any bloodshed which occurred during the first phase of movement in 1969. But as the movement picked up pace and I sat on an indefinite hunger strike, youth got vexed up with the then rulers and sacrificed their lives, hoping that it would compel the Centre to deliver the separate State. It is our responsibility to ensure that those sacrifices do not go waste,” he asserted.

Chandrashekhar Rao said the sacrifices of martyrs were invaluable, but the State government ensured that their families were not abandoned in their absence. He stated that since the State formation, 600-700 families of the martyrs were provided jobs, financial assistance and houses as a gesture to honour the sacrifices. If anyone was left out, he suggested that the bereaved families apply to the State government for support.

Stating that the area including the BR Ambedkar Statue, the BR Ambedkar Telangana State Secretariat, the Amara Jyothi Memorial and Tank Bund would from now become major centre of attraction in Hyderabad, the Chief Minister also announced that a Telangana Talli statue would be installed in the same vicinity.

Earlier, the Chief Minister felicitated the family members of six youngsters who martyred for the cause of Telangana State. He said the BRS government had succeeded in shutting up naysayers and developed the State beyond anyone’s imagination, with Telangana emerging as a front runner in the country on various parameters within a short span of nine years.

A drone show on the occasion saw 750 drones in the air at the same time. The 15-minute show had 13 formations depicting the achievements of Telangana, including its iconic structures, welfare and development programmes and martyrs. A 30-member team used ‘Made in India’ drones.