Bhubaneswar: On a 90-day voyage, in the memory of freedom fighters of India, a group of 15 youngsters from Delhi under ‘Swabhimaan Desh Ka’, reached Odisha capital on Wednesday and spent an evening at the Netaji Museum.
To celebrate the freedom attained by the sacrifices of many martyrs, they began their journey from India Gate in New Delhi, on March 23, the death anniversary of Saheed Bhagat Singh, and reached Puri on Wednesday afternoon on the 40th day after covering 10,000 km through 11 states – Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh.
“We were accorded a warm welcome at Puri by security-in-charge of Jagannath Temple, Jogendra Swain,” said team leader, Surendra Singh Bidhuri. Their first stop in Odisha was Hirakud Dam in Sambalpur, the land of Veer Surendra Sai, from where they took the soil for the largest Bhagat Singh statue to be sculpted in Delhi.
“We have collected soil from all these states, because everyone fought and our freedom is the result of their blood and sweat,” added Bidhuri. It is, however, not only for these martyrs but also for every soldier who leave home to keep us safe, he added.
“We have certain demands from the government, like providing tax-free salary to all army men, including biographies of freedom fighters in school textbooks and proper incentives to families of all martyred soldiers,” said Bidhuri.
Besides, Bhagat Singh should be declared as the Son of India, Shaheed Swabhimaan card for families of martyred army men so they can avail facilities, and job facilities for retired army personnel, he added.
They will leave for Ranchi on Thursday and cover all other states in the next 50 days.
