Dehradun: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the Rampur Tiraha Martyr Memorial in Muzaffarnagar on Friday to pay homage to the martyrs of the Uttarakhand statehood movement. Laying a floral wreath at the memorial, he honored the sacrifices and struggles of the activists.
On this occasion, the Chief Minister announced that statues of statehood martyrs that have not yet been installed will now be erected at suitable locations in their native villages or residential areas. He also announced the upgrading of the State Guest House at Rampur Tiraha, the transformation of the memorial library into an e-library, and the expansion of the museum to feature traditional musical instruments, attire, and cultural artifacts of Uttarakhand. The process for re-identifying statehood activists will also be completed soon.
Reflecting on the night of October 1–2, 1994, CM Dhami described the Rampur Tiraha firing on Delhi-bound statehood activists as a painful chapter in Uttarakhand’s history. He noted that the separate state came into existence due to the supreme sacrifices made at Khatima, Mussoorie, Rampur Tiraha, and Sri Yantra Tapu in Srinagar.
Highlighting welfare initiatives, the Chief Minister stated that the state government offers 10% horizontal reservation in government jobs for statehood activists and their dependents, has simplified the issuance of dependent certificates at the tehsil level, and has set up the Uttarakhand Rajya Andolankari Samman Parishad. Other measures include free travel in state transport buses, renaming roads and schools after martyrs, and renovating martyr memorials across the state.
CM Dhami laid the foundation stone for installing statues of the martyrs at Rampur Tiraha, backed by an initial release of ₹27 lakh. He also remembered late Pandit Mahavir Sharma, who donated land for the memorial and whose statue is now installed on the premises, while expressing deep gratitude to the local population of Muzaffarnagar for assisting and sheltering activists during those difficult times.
Dignitaries present included UP Minister of State Kapil Dev Aggarwal, MLC Vandana Verma, Zila Panchayat Chairperson Kiran Chaudhary, Muzaffarnagar BJP District President Dr. Sudhir Saini, Vice President of Uttarakhand Culture, Literature & Art Council Madhu Bhatt, Vice President of Statehood Activist Honor Council Subhash Barthwal, Culture Secretary Yugal Kishore Pant, DM Mayur Dixit, SSP Navneet Singh Bhullar, alongside many activists and local residents.
