Telangana to celebrate 75th anniversary of India's freedom for two years, Rs 25 crore sanctioned

HYDERABAD: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao announced on Friday that the state government's celebrations of 75 years of India's independence from British rule will last for two years.

Speaking on Friday after a flag-hoisting at the Public Gardens in Hyderabad to mark 91 years of the historic Dandi March led by Mahatma Gandhi, the Chief Minister launched the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations in Telangana.

Rao said that a committee formed under the chairmanship of retired bureaucrat and Government Advisor(Cultural Affairs) KV Ramanachary will plan various events to be conducted across the state over the next 75 weeks, culminating in the 75th anniversary of Independence Day next year.

He further said that following the 75 weeks of celebrations and the 75th anniversary of Independence Day next year, the celebrations will continue in Telangana for one more year.

It is for this purpose that the Telangana government sanctioned a sum of Rs 25 crores, said the Chief Minister.

Speaking of making the children and youth of today aware of the sacrifices made by many people to achieve freedom for the country, Rao said, "The Independence Day of the country should not lose its relevance at any cost."

Rao spoke extensively on the Dandi March taken up by Mahatma Gandhi, the method of non-violence and civil disobedience adopted by him as part of the freedom struggle. He said that even though only around 79 people marched along with Gandhi as part of the March from Dandi to Sabarmati over a stretch of 384 km for 24 days, it sent shockwaves across the British empire.

In another event, Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan launched the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations in Warangal. There she spoke of how India witnessed a turnaround over the last 75 years, the advancements made by the country in various sectors and regarding the recent achievement of India of immunising more than two crore people already against Covid-19.