158th martyrdom day of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi was today observed by Bharatiya Janta Party at its State Office Trikuta Nagar, Jammu with feeling and fervor.
The programme with huge participation from the womenfolk, was organized by the State Convenor Freedom Fighter’s & Martyrs Cell Bharat Bhushan Sharma. The event started with the lighting of traditional lamp and paying floral tributes to the portrait of Rani Lakshmibai by State General Secretary (Org.) Ashok Kaul, State Vice-President Yudhvir Sethi, State Secretary Ch. Vikram Randhawa, District President Baldev Singh Billawaria, Cells Incharge S. Varinderjeet Singh and others who were occupying the chairs on the dias.
Speaking on the occasion, Ashok Kaul said that the martyrdom of Rani Lakshmibai in 1857 and others in the first war of freedom waged against the oppressive foreign rulers and East India Company represents a watershed in the history of India. Rani Lakshmibai by her valor and dedication to the mother land has inspired not only the future generations of the daughters but the entire populace of the country. Her contribution in making the first freedom war of 1857 a very decisive event was seminal and was the precursor to the freedom struggle that lasted more than eight decades.
Yudhvir Sethi, in his address, said that Rani Lakshmibai had fought the war with utmost bravery and fiercely which had instilled awe and respect in the mind of the Britishers who were fighting her. The fact a lady from royalty fought like a general revealed the status of the females in the Indian society in those days. The ladies had been participating in the public affairs of the society as equals with the men. Modi’s Ladli Beti and Beti Bachao Beti Padao welfare schemes are meant to enable the ladies to achieve the same status in the Indian society which it had in the past.
Vikram Randhawa also paid rich tributes to the brave royal lady who fought the war against foreign rulers to rid the country from them.
Prominent among those who participated in the programme included Prof. Virender Gupta, Bansi Lal Bharti, SS Bijral, Naresh Dogra, Anil Masoom, Anju Dogra, Govind Sareen, Vishal Kohli, Dr. Pardeep, Vinay Gupta, Indu Bhushan Sharma, Kuldeep Magotra, Vineeta Arora, Reva Masum Bala, Sangeeta Dogra, Surinder Kour, Neelam Sharma, Kiran Aggrawal and others.
Bharat Bhushan Sharma presented the vote of thanks to the participants.
