HYDERABAD, September 17: Telangana is marking the anniversary of the integration of the erstwhile Hyderabad State with the Indian Union in 1948, with the Centre organising Hyderabad Liberation Day celebrations at the Secunderabad Parade Ground today. Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan will attend the programme as the chief guest.
Vice-President to Be Chief Guest
According to the Ministry of Culture, Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan will attend the Hyderabad Liberation Day programme at the Secunderabad Parade Ground on September 17.
The event will also be attended by Telangana Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar and other senior officials and dignitaries.
10 CAPF Contingents to Take Part in Parade
A major ceremonial parade has been planned as part of today’s programme.
The government said 10 contingents of the Central Armed Police Forces will participate in the march-past, while the Vice-President is also scheduled to inspect the parade.
The programme will include a special cultural presentation titled “Hyderabad Vimochanam”, along with the collective singing of Vande Mataram.
Winners of a Hyderabad Liberation Day quiz competition organised at the Salar Jung Museum are also scheduled to be felicitated.
September 17 Marks Hyderabad State’s Integration With India
September 17 marks the anniversary of the end of the Nizam’s rule and the integration of the erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad with India in 1948.
The Indian government launched Operation Polo in September 1948, and Hyderabad State was integrated with the Indian Union following the operation.
The former Hyderabad State included present-day Telangana as well as parts of what are now Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Centre Observes Day as Hyderabad Liberation Day
The Union government officially uses the term “Hyderabad Liberation Day” for its September 17 commemoration.
The Centre began a year-long official commemoration under that name in 2022, with events intended to remember individuals who participated in movements associated with the end of the Nizam’s rule and the state’s integration into India.
Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy has also said that the September 17 event is intended to pay tribute to those who participated in the struggle against the Nizam’s rule.
Different Political Parties Use Different Names for September 17
The terminology surrounding September 17 has remained politically contested in Telangana.
The BJP and the Union government refer to the occasion as Hyderabad Liberation Day, while other political parties in Telangana have historically used terms such as National Integration Day or Praja Palana Dinotsavam for separate commemorations of the same historical date.
The differing names reflect competing political and historical interpretations of the events surrounding Hyderabad’s accession and integration into the Indian Union.
Exhibition Highlights Hyderabad’s Historical Events
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has also organised a special exhibition at the venue focusing on historical episodes associated with Hyderabad’s integration and themes of national unity.
Former Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya inaugurated the exhibition ahead of the main programme, and school students were among those who visited it.
The main ceremony today will include tributes to people whose contributions are associated with the political and social movements surrounding Hyderabad’s integration into India.
source – Press Information Bureau / The New Indian Express / Deccan Chronicle
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