Photo story: KCR recalls people’s sacrifices, lauds Telangana’s progress at inauguration of Martyrs’ Memorial

The dignitaries and the crowds at the event also paid homage to the martyrs of the statehood movement by lighting candles. A drone show also took place with drone-mapping.

Several artists, poets, intellectuals, and journalists involved in the movement for a separate state attended the inauguration. Slogans such as of “Jai Telangana”, “Johar Martyrs” and “Jai KCR” were raised.

Also read: Photo feature: Telangana Martyrs’ Memorial honours heroes

Unity in diversity for Telangana creation

KCR recalled how, in the various phases of the Telangana movement — from the 1950s to the 2000s — the youth, women and men sacrificed their lives.

Telangana CM KCR honouring people at the inauguration of Telangana Martyr’s memorial. (Supplied)

He added that the whole of India saw the efforts made by the anti-Telangana forces to stall the formation of the state till the last minute.

“Many conspiracies took place. We fell prey to the hope that something good would happen. Telangana encountered many problems from them,” KCR noted.

He mentioned “brave people” such as Swami Goud, students, workers and teachers who were involved in the movement despite the oppressive conditions of those days. “Leaders experienced many types of cases, many types of harassment, and job rejections,” he said.

KCR recollected the sacrifices of children for the creation of Telangana. “The sacrifices of children has hurt me. Even if I was personally persecuted, I would not have been hurt.”  

The BRS chief also lauded the efforts Telangana NGO professional KR Amos, who passed away in 2019. “When he was sacked…. under the MISA Act, a businessman named Badri Vishal Pitti carried buckets and collected money from the shopkeepers to support their families. Our NGOs have fought such a great fight,” he explained.

Telangana CM KCR, other Ministers and audience lighting candles at the inauguration of Telangana Martyr’s Memorial. (Supplied)

The chief minister recalled an incident with eminent Professor Jaya Shankar. “He adopted a two-pronged strategy. One was to achieve Telangana state instrument and the other one is to observe fasting completely on Saturday.”

Noting that even as the state marked the Formation Day celebrations with a special joy and fervour, KCR remarked that “we are haunted by the sacrifices of the martyrs.”

Also read: Activities for 3-week Telangana Formation Day celebrations

Telangana Martyr’s Memorial

The chief minister said that photos of the 1969 movement have been collected. “And the rest will also be collected and decorated in a special place with the names of the martyrs,” he said while remembering movement veteran Konda Laxman Bapuji. “He was the first one who sacrificed his post for Telangana.

CM KCR and other Ministers at the film screening inside the audio-visual hall in Telangana martyr’s memorial. (Supplied)

“In 1952, there was a huge protest near City College of Hyderabad where seven students were killed in police firing. In the 1969 movement, the police rampantly opened fire everywhere and almost 376 people died in the police firing,” sociology professor Ghanta Chakrapani, a veteran of the movement, told South First earlier.

The six-floor Telangana Martyr’s memorial, include two basement floors, houses an audio-visual hall on the first floor that has 80 seats and a 170-inch LED screen, a 650-seater convention centre-cum-museum, and a photo gallery on the second floor.

It also has a restaurant on the top floor along with open terrace seating and a mezzanine floor with a glass-roof restaurant.

Also read: Telangana Secretariat, India’s ‘tallest’ administrative building

Telangana ‘progressed’ in short time

KCR noted that, defying the prophets of doom, Telangana has “progressed a lot” in such a short period of time.

“Today we are number one in many things, including in per capita income, and have surpassed the expectations of all on Telangana’s growth,” the BRS leader said. He added that the state also stands first in per capita consumption of electricity, drinking water, and irrigation.

“In paddy, Telangana produces as much grain as Punjab,” the chief minister claimed.

Lauding the “progress” Telangana has achieved in its nine years of existence, KCR noted the contribution of several state welfare schemes. “After Telangana state was achieved, we brought Dalit Bandhu scheme to uplift the Dalits and guide the country.”

Under Dalit Bandhu, Telangana government provides one-time financial aid of ₹10 lakh to a member of the Scheduled Caste (SC) family to set up an income-generating endeavour. Schemes such as Rythu Bandhu, crop loans, crop loss compensation, crop insurance and Rythu Bima (Insurance) are also run by the government.

Also read: World’s ‘tallest’ Ambedkar statue is in Hyderabad