The Hindu : New Delhi News : Cultural programme marks 1857 anniversary

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Sunday, May 11, 2008
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New Delhi

Cultural programme marks 1857 anniversary

Staff Reporter

Sheila inaugurates exhibition at Central Park; ‘any country which forgets its culture, tradition and sacrifices gets wiped out’, says Advani

. Photos: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar and Sushil Kumar Verma

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit at a cultural function to commemorate the 150 years of the First War of Independence at Central Park in Connaught Place, New Delhi, on Saturday and (right) senior BJP leader L.K.Advani at another function in Town Hall

NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Saturday inaugurated an exhibition titled “Delhi in the First War of India’s Independence 1857” at the Central Park in Connaught Place here to commemorate 150 years of the great Indian uprising.

A colourful cultural programme was also organised by Sahitya Kala Parishad at the venue to mark the historic event.

The gathering was informed that the historic moments that have been portrayed in the exhibition mounted by the Department of Delhi Archives seek to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the First War of Independence as a tribute to the known and unknown freedom fighters of Delhi.

Delhi played a much more important role in the national struggle for freedom than what its size in area and population would suggest. Its historic importance and the crucial position as the seal of government gave it a larger than life importance in the eyes of the people outside.

Indeed the events of Delhi had much wider ramifications then those of the other metropolitan cities. Quite naturally, people all over the country looked towards Delhi for inspiration and guidance.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, L. K. Advani and Rajnath Singh, paid homage to the martyrs by observing silence for “57 seconds” at “1857 hours” at various places in the Capital over the weekend.

Mr. Advani, who addressed the BJP workers at Town Hall in Chandni Chowk, said any country which forgets its culture, tradition and sacrifices gets wiped out. “Generations to come will have to remember that it was only due to the sacrifices by lakhs of Indians that our country got freedom,” he said.

In a programme organised at Keshavpuram, BJP president Rajnath Singh said India would not have been able to achieve freedom had the uprising not taken place in 1857. Even today, he added, there were many dangers to the country from within and outside but the present Government was disregarding them. It was the duty of the countrymen, including the BJP, to maintain the unity and integrity of free India, he asserted.

Delhi BJP president Harsh Vardhan, who paid homage to the martyrs at Birla Mills in Kamla Market, said the martyrs of 1857 did not get their due recognition as the Congress only focused on one family.

Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj was among the leaders who paid homage to the martyrs. In all, various units of the BJP paid homage to the martyrs at nearly 300 places in the Capital.

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