Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday inaugurated the Martyrs’ Memorial of the First War of Independence of 1857 in Haryana’s Ambala, saying it would inspire patriotism among younger generations and honour the sacrifices of India’s freedom fighters.
Built at a cost of ₹594 crore across 22 acres, the memorial features 22 galleries combining historical documents, traditional craftsmanship and digital technology. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Union Minister Manohar Lal were among those present.
Addressing the gathering, HM Shah said revolutionary fighters had launched an armed struggle against British rule in Ambala Cantonment on May 10, 1857, and that the movement subsequently spread across the country, shaking the foundations of the British Empire.
He criticised historians who described the events of 1857 as a revolt, invoking Veer Savarkar’s description of the struggle as a war for freedom.
“It may have been a revolt for the British,” HM Shah said, but for the people of India, it was a freedom struggle that ignited the desire for independence across the country.
Paying tribute to Nana Saheb Peshwa, Rani Lakshmibai, Tatya Tope, Begum Hazrat Mahal and other fighters, HM Shah said countless martyrs had sacrificed everything during the 90 years between 1857 and 1947. Their sacrifices, he said, laid the foundation on which India could now pursue the goal of becoming a developed nation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
HM Shah said a country could not progress without recognising the value of its independence and honouring those who died to secure it. He urged young people from across India to visit the Ambala memorial, learn about the freedom struggle and pay homage to the martyrs.
The memorial uses virtual reality, holography and interactive projections to depict the events of 1857. It also incorporates Haryana’s Phulkari and Sarkanda crafts, a 2,500-seat open-air theatre and a light-and-sound show.
Highlighting Haryana’s historical and cultural significance, HM Shah referred to its association with the Vedas, Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. He also recalled the contributions of Raja Nahar Singh and Rao Tula Ram to the freedom struggle and praised the state’s role in the armed forces, sports, food production and the White Revolution.
HM Shah said a national highway built at a cost of ₹1,260 crore was also inaugurated, adding that it would strengthen Haryana’s connectivity.
Reviewing the state government’s initiatives, he said Haryana procures 24 crops at minimum support prices and provides 1,000 kilometres of free travel to eligible poor families under the Haryana Antyodaya Parivar Parivahan Yojana, or HAPPY.
He credited household LPG access with making Haryana the country’s first smoke-free state and said its online transfer policy had eliminated what he described as the “transfer industry”.
HM Shah also highlighted the implementation of the new criminal laws, saying the state had increased its conviction rate by 40 per cent. He cited the hydrogen train, elevated railway track, Parivar Pehchan Patra initiative and Bhavantar scheme for horticultural farmers among Haryana’s achievements.
He said the state pays the highest wages under MGNREGA and was working towards becoming drug-free, adding that Haryana had received priority under the Prime Minister’s leadership.
(PIB)
