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When memories of that painful period of partition of India were refreshed on Wednesday at Prem Nagar Ashram in Haridwar, the atmosphere became emotional. The occasion was the 'Partition Holocaust Memorial Day' program organized by Uttaranchal Punjabi Mahasabha, where Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who arrived as the chief guest, paid tribute to the sacrifice of lakhs of innocents and displaced families who lost their lives in the partition of 1947.

Chief Minister Dhami clearly said in his address that the tragedy of 1947 was not limited only to the division of land or geographical boundaries. In fact, it was a brutal displacement of the shared culture, identity and sentiments of millions of people living together for centuries. People became strangers overnight and countless families had to leave their own land and face the brunt of migration. He stressed that it is very important to convey this deep wound and the lessons of history to the new generation.

Partition Horrors Memorial Day and message of national unity

CM Dhami described the initiative taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to celebrate August 14 as 'Partition Disaster Memorial Day' as an epoch-making decision. He said that the real purpose of remembering this day is to honor the struggle of the victims' families and to make the coming generations understand the importance of the unity, integrity and social fabric of the country.

Referring to the major decisions of the Central Government, the Chief Minister said that today's India is reconnecting with its cultural roots. Steps like construction of grand Shri Ram temple in Ayodhya, rejuvenation of Kedarnath-Badrinath Dham, Mahakal Lok and Kartarpur corridor have given new heights to the self-respect of the country. Apart from this, confidence in the country has been strengthened by decisions like abolition of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, CAA, ban on triple talaq and providing justice to the victims of 1984 Sikh riots.

Identity, development of Devbhoomi and preparations for Kumbh

Talking about the development of Uttarakhand, the Chief Minister said that the state government is fully dedicated to protecting the cultural identity and self-respect of Devbhoomi along with modern infrastructure. Health and drinking water facilities are being expanded from remote villages to major cities.

Referring to the upcoming Kumbh Mela, the CM expressed confidence that this time the event will be historic, grand and completely safe. The government is moving forward with a balance of tradition and modernity.

'Radcliffe did not understand India': Former CM Trivendra Singh Rawat

Haridwar MP and former Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, present in the program, put forward the historical aspects of partition. He said that the country was united till August 14, 1947, but after midnight the lines were drawn. The biggest irony was that partition had taken place, but the boundaries were not clear.

Raising a sharp question, he said that the responsibility of demarcating the border was given to the British officer Sir Cyril Radcliffe, who had no basic understanding of the social structure and culture of India. Such a sensitive decision pushed millions of lives into darkness.

Respect for elders and blood donation camp

During the program, the Chief Minister visited the exhibition on the horrors of Partition and saw the tragedy of that period through photographs. After this, he took stock of the blood donation camp organized in the campus and distributed citations to the blood donors. The CM also honored the senior elders of Uttaranchal Punjabi Mahasabha who came from different districts by covering them with shawls.

On this occasion, Cabinet Minister Madan Kaushik, MLA Pradeep Batra, Adesh Chauhan, Savita Kapoor, Haridwar Mayor Kiran Jaisal, Shivalik Municipality President Rajeev Sharma, State President of Punjabi Mahasabha Karan Malhotra, General Secretary Rajkumar Futela and many public representatives, administrative and police officers and a large number of local people were present.