BJP demands official 'Telangana Liberation Day' celebration on Sep 17

The BJP in Telangana has moved an adjournment motion in the Assembly, demanding the state government officially celebrate 'Telangana Liberation Day' on September 17, a move supported by Union Minister G Kishan Reddy. The day marks the 1948 merger.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Telangana on Wednesday moved an adjournment motion notice in the state Legislative Assembly, demanding that the state government officially celebrate 'Telangana Liberation Day' on September 17.

A day ago, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy also expressed regret that the day has "not received the same recognition" across the state as liberation days celebrated in other regions. Reddy made the remarks while reviewing preparations at Parade Grounds in Hyderabad, where Telangana Liberation Day celebrations will be held on September 17.

"Telangana achieved liberation on September 17, 1948... it is unfortunate that while different states and regions celebrate their respective liberation days, Telangana has not received the same recognition," Reddy said.

He said that during the Nizam's rule, some districts of the erstwhile Hyderabad state became part of Maharashtra, and those regions have been observing Hyderabad Liberation Day. "When Hyderabad was under the Nizam's rule, some of those districts became part of Maharashtra. Since Maharashtra had a Congress government, Hyderabad Liberation Day has been celebrated there under their leadership... This has not seen such celebrations across the state," he added.

Historical Context and Naming Controversy

Telangana Liberation Day is observed on September 17 to commemorate the end of the erstwhile Hyderabad State under the Nizam and its integration with the Indian Union in 1948, as Telangana Praja Palana Day, the Day of People's Governance. On that day in 1948, the then-Hyderabad State merged with the Indian Union. State Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari issued orders to this effect.

In 2023, the then-BRS government decided to celebrate September 17 as National Integration Day. The Union government, however, decided to celebrate it as Hyderabad Liberation Day, with the Ministry of Home Affairs issuing a gazette notification to this effect.

Operation Polo: The 1948 Merger

Hyderabad merged with the Indian Union on September 17, 1948, following a "police action" under Operation Polo. While some describe it as liberation from Nizam rule, others refer to it as a merger with the Indian Union.

Operation Polo marked India’s decisive 1948 military intervention to incorporate the princely state of Hyderabad into the national union, bringing an end to the Nizam's administration and solidifying post-independence sovereignty. Beginning on September 13, 1948, the Indian Armed Forces executed the strategic campaign orchestrated by Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Confronted by armed opposition from the militant Razakars and the Nizam's political reluctance to accede, military columns moved swiftly across multiple fronts. Within five days, the forces dismantled the resistance, dissolved the feudal structure, and permanently integrated the territory into the newly independent Indian republic. (ANI)

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