Uttarakhand CM Dhami pledges to protect state’s demography, honors 1994 Rampur Tiraha martyrs

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, on Wednesday, emphasized his government's commitment to preserving the state's demography and identity. Addressing the people on the 30th anniversary of the Rampur Tiraha firing incident, he urged citizens to protect Uttarakhand with the same passion that fueled the statehood movement.

Dhami highlighted that the threat of demographic change in Uttarakhand is real and needs immediate attention. He cited measures already taken, such as the introduction of a strict anti-conversion law and an extensive anti-encroachment drive that freed around 5,000 acres of land. These initiatives, Dhami said, are aimed at maintaining the state's demographic balance.

The chief minister also revealed plans for a stricter land law that would limit the purchase of land by outsiders, further preventing potential demographic shifts. He expressed that protecting Uttarakhand’s unique identity is a duty that must be fulfilled with the same zeal as the fight for statehood.

Dhami paid homage to the martyrs of the Rampur Tiraha incident, a pivotal moment in the statehood movement. On October 2, 1994, seven people were killed, and several others injured when police opened fire on activists demanding the creation of Uttarakhand as a separate state. The incident played a crucial role in the eventual formation of Uttarakhand, carved out of Uttar Pradesh in 2000.

"We owe an unpayable debt to the martyrs of Rampur Tiraha, whose sacrifices led to Uttarakhand’s creation. Our responsibility is to realize their dream by developing the state while preserving its identity," Dhami said. He also announced that statues honoring the Rampur Tiraha martyrs would be built at the site of the incident. The event concluded with Dhami paying tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on their birth anniversaries, offering floral respects at their portraits at his official residence in Dehradun.