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Avanti Bai’s sacrifice a source of inspiration: Yogi
Rani Avanti Bai, who was only 27 years old at the time of the 1857 uprising, made the supreme sacrifice for the nation’s freedom and set a lasting example for future generations, he said.
: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said the contributions and sacrifice of Veerangana Avantibai Lodhi were a source of inspiration for everyone. He informed that the government has accelerated the formation of three new women’s battalions of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) named after iconic women warriors.
A battalion named after Rani Avanti Bai Lodhi has been established in Budaun, where work is nearly complete and an equestrian statue of the queen is in the final stages of installation. In Lucknow, the battalion named after Veerangana Uda Devi Pasi is progressing rapidly, while in Gorakhpur, the unit named after Veerangana Jhalkari Bai Kori is also advancing, he said.
He made the remarks after paying floral tributes to the statue of Avanti Bai Lodhi to mark her 196th birth anniversary and described her as one of the outstanding revolutionaries of India’s First War of Independence in 1857.
Rani Avanti Bai, who was only 27 years old at the time of the 1857 uprising, made the supreme sacrifice for the nation’s freedom and set a lasting example for future generations, he said.
“People across the country still pay homage to her memory with deep reverence,” he said.
He recalled that the struggle against British rule in her region was fought under her leadership.
Naming police units after women freedom fighters, he said, aims to dispel concerns about women’s safety and ensure that daughters can live and work with dignity and confidence in every sphere of society. The chief minister said recruitment of women has been made mandatory up to 20% in the Uttar Pradesh Police. The number of women personnel has risen from about 10,000 in 2017 to more than 45,000 at present.
