The Indian government has declared September 17 as 'Hyderabad Liberation Day' to commemorate the integration of Hyderabad into the Union of India. The announcement came on Tuesday from the Union Home Ministry.
Following India's independence on August 15, 1947, Hyderabad remained under the rule of the Nizams for 13 months. The region's integration came after a military operation, 'Operation Polo,' on September 17, 1948. The decision to celebrate this day as 'Hyderabad Liberation Day' comes in response to a long-standing demand from the people of the region.
"The Government of India has decided to celebrate 17th September every year as 'Hyderabad Liberation Day' to remember the martyrs who liberated Hyderabad and to infuse the flame of patriotism in the minds of youth," the notification from the Home Ministry stated.
The announcement holds significance in the context of the events that unfolded after India's independence. The Razakars, a private militia, opposed Hyderabad's merger with India and instead advocated for its accession to Pakistan or its establishment as an independent Muslim state. The people of the region fiercely resisted the Razakars' atrocities and their efforts to prevent Hyderabad's integration with India.
The Indian government, led by then Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, launched 'Operation Polo' in September 1948, leading to the annexation of Hyderabad into the Union of India. In recent years, the Narendra Modi government has held events on September 17 to commemorate 'Hyderabad Liberation Day,' with Home Minister Amit Shah also participating in some of these events.