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President hails contribution of unsung freedom fighters
Everyone should work on making a strong, developed and successful India, says President Kovind in Kanpur
President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday said India’s independence was achieved due to the contribution of several unsung freedom fighters and their role should be made known to the public.
President Kovind arrived in Kanpur on a two-day visit for the birth centenary celebrations of former MP Chaudhary Harmohan Singh Yadav, a Shaurya Chakra winner who was associated with the Samajwadi Party. Yadav died in 2012.
In his address at the Meharban Singh Ka Purwa township, Kovind said the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav was being celebrated to mark 75 years of independence.
“In two years of this Mahotsav, we will remember the contribution of the unsung heroes of the freedom struggle who had laid down their lives,” the President said.
The President remembered freedom fighters Ajijan Bai, Mainavati, Jaidev Kapoor, Shiv Varma, Bijay Kumar Sinha and Gaya Prasad on the occasion.
“It is the duty of all of us to bring information about the contribution of such anonymous freedom fighters to the public,” President Kovind said.
“The future of any nation is guided by the experience of the past and enriched by the heritage,” he said, adding that everyone should work on making a strong, developed and successful India.
Praising Harmohan Singh Yadav, he said he single-handedly converted the tiny hamlet Meharban Singh Ka Purwa into a shining township. He was a perfect example of simplicity and an inspiration for public service, the President said, adding that he strove to bring happiness in the lives of the people, particularly those living on the margins and the farmers.
From gram sabha to Rajya Sabha, his views about agriculture were heard very seriously by policy makers, the President said.
The President said Yadav had set an example of communal harmony, saving countless lives from a mob in 1984. Kovind was referring to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Seven years later, Yadav was conferred the Shaurya Chakra for his fearlessness.
The doors of Harmohan Singh Yadav’s house were always open for all, he said.
Earlier, the President was welcomed by Uttar Pradesh governor Anandiben Patel and chief minister Yogi Adityanath at the Chakeri airport.
Kovind will attend the centenary celebrations of Harcourt Butler Technical University in Kanpur on Thursday.
