Telangana celebrated its formation for 21 days and it ended with the opening of the new Martyrs Memorial at Tank Bund by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Thursday. The Chief Minister spoke about the long struggle for Telangana and how it was achieved peacefully. He also talked about the sacrifices made by the youth, including government employees and students who faced PD Acts and cases under MISA.
The Chief Minister said that he and his friends had prepared strategies for thousands of hours to achieve a separate state. He recalled the support of Prof K Jayashankar and Acharya Konda Lakshman Bapuji who helped the cause. The Martyrs Memorial is located in the same place where Acharya Konda Lakshman Bapuji provided shelter to Telangana protagonists.
The Chief Minister said that initially they were against the involvement of students, but they came into the agitation after facing discrimination in job opportunities. The Martyrs Memorial has become a unique landmark in Hyderabad, and soon Telangana Talli statue will be placed between Martyrs Memorial and Secretariat. The Chief Minister said that every foreign and domestic dignitary visiting the State will first pay a visit to the Memorial.