Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday virtually attended the Partition Horrors Remembrance Day programme organised in Kashipur, Udham Singh Nagar. On this occasion, he laid the foundation stone of the Partition Memorial Site.
The Chief Minister recalled the pain and displacement suffered during the Partition of 1947, noting that millions of people were forced to leave their homes, land, and businesses to live as refugees. He underlined that the decision to observe 14th August as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day was taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2021 so that future generations could remember the sacrifices and struggles of those affected.
Dhami said the Partition was not just a geographical division but also a rupture in the lives, culture, and identities of millions. He paid tribute to those who endured the tragedy but continued to maintain faith in their culture, religion, and the nation.
Highlighting recent national achievements, the Chief Minister said projects like the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, redevelopment of Kedarnath and Badrinath, and the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor have strengthened India’s cultural heritage. He also referred to major national reforms such as the abrogation of Article 370, ending of triple talaq, and justice for the 1984 riots victims.
On Uttarakhand’s development, Dhami said the state is working on strengthening infrastructure in roads, education, health, and drinking water. The government is also focused on the preservation of the state’s cultural heritage, with initiatives like the Manaskhand Mandir Mala Mission and the inclusion of Kashipur’s Chaiti temple in the corridor. He also mentioned the ongoing 12.5 km ropeway project from Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib to provide safer and easier access to pilgrims.
The Chief Minister reiterated that Uttarakhand is the first state in India to implement the Uniform Civil Code and has enforced strict anti-conversion and anti-riot laws. More than 24,000 youths have secured government jobs following the enactment of the state’s anti-cheating law. Over 7,000 acres of encroached government land have been freed, and laws have been made stricter to safeguard the state’s demographic and cultural values.
The event was attended by Cabinet Minister Ganesh Joshi, Union Minister Ajay Bhatt, Kashipur Mayor Deepak Bali, Rudrapur Mayor Wisa Sharma, MLA Trilok Singh Cheema, former MLA Harbhajan Singh Cheema, Swami Hari Chaitanya Maharaj, Ajay Maurya, and other representatives.
