Chandigarh, 15 November:- Haryana Energy, Transport and Labour Minister Anil Vij said that during the First War of Independence in 1857, the British hanged revolutionaries from trees and shot them, crushed people in oil presses and burnt entire villages. To pray for the peace of the souls of all these known and unknown martyrs, a Havan-Yajna was performed today at the Martyrs' Memorial. The memorial has also been opened to the public from today. People can visit it and witness the stories of the sacrifices made by the martyrs.
Mr. Vij was speaking to journalists on Sunday after the Havan-Yajna at the Martyrs' Memorial dedicated to the First War of Independence of 1857, in Ambala Cantonment.
He said that the First War of Independence of 1857 had been fought across the country 28 years before the formation of the Congress, but its history had been forgotten. To honour the memory of those martyrs, a magnificent Martyrs' Memorial had been built in Ambala Cantonment, which was inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on 5 November. This war began in Ambala Cantonment, and there is no other memorial in the country that showcases all the martyrs who laid down their lives in the First War of Independence.
He said that the Martyrs' Memorial has 23 galleries and takes approximately six hours to explore. A light-and-sound show will also be presented here at night. One special gallery has been created which every visitor must visit. It is the gallery where people can pay their respects to all the martyrs. Arrangements have been made to register the name of every person who pays tribute there. He appealed to visitors to make sure they visit this gallery and express their reverence by paying homage to the martyrs.
The Energy Minister said that the Martyrs' Memorial had been built at an approximate cost of Rs. 600 crore and bookings had opened. A trial run was currently underway, so only 500 people were being permitted to visit the memorial in a day. From today, that is, 15 November, until 15 December, entry would be free for those who made bookings. Bookings were also being accepted online. He explained that some people had earlier made bookings without providing Aadhaar cards. Those bookings were cancelled, leaving their slots vacant. Aadhaar cards had now been made mandatory, and bookings would not be accepted without them. Some slots for this month had become available, and people could book those slots if they wished to visit. Paid bookings would also begin shortly.
Energy Minister Anil Vij said that the government wanted the new history, which the Bharatiya Janata Party government had worked to bring to light, to be shown to future generations, because earlier these events had been taught incorrectly. The martyrs were never properly spoken about. He said that anyone who had taken even a single step out of their home for the freedom struggle deserved his deepest respect. However, this memorial had been built in the memory of those who were forgotten. He wanted the younger generation to visit it. The government had also been requested in writing to make arrangements for students from all government and private schools and colleges to visit the memorial.
After this, Mr. Vij visited the museum and inspected the ticketing arrangements. He also watched a film based on the First War of Independence and the freedom revolution that began in Ambala. It is noteworthy that the film was made by Anil Vij himself. It depicts that 135 people were killed in an incident connected with Ambala during the freedom struggle, including 33 prisoners.
Mr. Vij said that the freedom we enjoy today is because of these martyrs, who cheerfully sacrificed their lives in the struggle for independence. This magnificent memorial is dedicated to them.
Dr. Kuldeep Saini, Director of the Martyrs' Memorial, said that after the memorial opened today, visitors arriving in the first slot were welcomed with flowers. Visitors would continue to be taken around the memorial according to their allotted time slots.
