Union minister and Gurugram BJP MP Rao Inderjit Singh has urged people in southern Haryana to set aside caste differences and remain united, saying collective strength would be crucial in the political battles ahead.
Singh made the remarks on Wednesday in Hansi, where he unveiled a nearly 41-foot-high statue of freedom fighter Rao Tula Ram at an event organised by the Yadav Sabha. The programme marked Rao Tula Ram's martyrdom day and was the first such event to be held outside southern Haryana.
Addressing the gathering in the presence of Bhiwani-Mahendragarh MP Dharambir Singh, Singh invoked the legacy of those who fought for India's freedom and said their contribution could be honoured by bringing people from different communities together.
Call for unity across 36 communities
Singh said unity had played an important role in the BJP forming the Haryana government for a third consecutive term.
“There were many forces seeking to divide people, but there was a need to remain united,” he said, adding that major battles could be won only when people from all sections of society came together and fought collectively.
“Can we all, irrespective of our caste, stay together? If we can remain united, then in the coming time the rule should be ours,” Singh said, urging people to look beyond caste divisions.
He also referred to the participation of different communities at the Hansi programme, saying the initiative was intended to bring together people from all 36 communities in honour of the freedom fighters who had sacrificed their lives for the country.
‘Fight the political battle’ collectively
Singh called on people to preserve the legacy of freedom fighters by maintaining unity and working together.
“We can do one thing for those who gave us freedom, that we bind together like a fist and fight the political battle in the coming times,” he said.
His remarks came at an event organised to commemorate Rao Tula Ram, who played a prominent role in the 1857 uprising and died in Kabul on September 23, 1863. The annual Shaheedi Diwas programme has traditionally been associated with southern Haryana.
The event in Hansi was also significant because Rao Inderjit Singh is a descendant of Rao Tula Ram. The Union government's National Monuments Authority identifies Singh as a descendant of the freedom fighter and lists him as the BJP MP from Gurgaon.
Rao Tula Ram’s legacy highlighted
The programme sought to underline the participation of people from different communities in the freedom struggle, with Singh arguing that the same spirit of unity should continue.
The Tribune reported that Singh said the fight against British rule was not confined to any one community and that people from all 36 communities had participated in the struggle. He said a similar sense of unity was needed to confront challenges facing society today.
Singh's daughter and Haryana Health Minister Arti Rao attended the programme as the guest of honour. She said the stories and sacrifices of freedom fighters such as Rao Tula Ram should inspire younger generations and that their history needed to be preserved and passed on.
Arti Rao also said around 5,000 patriots had laid down their lives during the 1857 struggle at Nasibpur and noted Hansi's contribution to the uprising.