Telangana gearing for National Integration Day celebrations

Hyderabad, Sep 7 (IANS) Telangana is gearing up for National Integration Day celebrations beginning on September 16 to mark 75th anniversary of accession of erstwhile Hyderabad State to the Indian Union.

Ministers and officials were holding review meetings in connection with the arrangements in all 33 districts for the three-day events to launch year-long celebrations.

Students, youth and women will participate in huge rallies to be held in all constituency headquarters on September 16.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will hoist the national flag at the Public Garden in Hyderabad and address the people. The same day, ministers, public representatives and officials unfurl the national flags in all district headquarters. Flag hoisting will also be oraganised at all municipalities, panchayats and government offices.

The State Cabinet at its meeting on September 3 decided to organise the diamond jubilee of Hyderabad State's accession to India.

On September 17, the chief minister will also inaugurate Banjara Adivasi Bhavan in Hyderabad. day. A massive procession will also be organised from Necklace Road to NTR Stadium, where a public meeting will be held which will be addressed by the chief minister.

On September 18, freedom fighters will be felicitated at all district headquarters. Poets and artists will also be felicitated and programmes highlighting the rich culture of Telangana will be organised.

Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar along with top officials of various departments will finalise the arrangements for the celebrations to be held in Hyderabad.

Ministers and officials in the districts were busy making preparations for the rallies, flag hoisting, felicitations and cultural programmes.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government's decision to organise the celebrations is seen as a counter to the central governmenta¿s plans to organise a programme in Hyderabad on September 17 to to celebrate Telangana Liberation Day.

Union home minister Amit Shah will be the chief guest at the programme to be held at Parade Grounds in Secunderabad under the aegis of union ministry of culture. Union minister for culture G. Kishan Reddy has written to chief ministers of Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra inviting them for the programme.

Some districts of present day Karnataka and Maharashtra along with Telangana were part of erstwhile Hyderabad State.

The princely states acceded to the Indian Union on September 17, 1948 after 'Operation Polo' launched by the Indian Army.

The chief minister of Telangana is not likely to attend the programme being organised by the Centre as he would be busy attending the celebrations organised by the state government.

The BJP had long been demanding the state government to officially celebrate the day. However, TRS and other political parties have been celebrating September 17 every year as Telangana Merger Day.

This time All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has also decided to celebrate the day as national integration day.

AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi last week wrote to Amit Shah and Telangana CM KCR, suggesting that September 17 be celebrated as national integration day. He took objection to calling it a liberation day and recalled that both Muslims and Hindus fought against the autocratic rule of Nizams.

Owaisi also announced that AIMIM MLAs and other leaders will take out motorcycle rallies on September 16 as part of the celebrations.