Up live news 24 uttar pradesh
Sampadak Praveen Saini
*Lucknow:* Dr. Rajeshwar Singh, MLA of Sarojininagar, on Saturday unveiled a grand bronze statue of freedom fighter Shaheed Hemu Kalani at the newly beautified chowk near Lokbandhu Hospital in LDA Colony, Kanpur Road. The junction, formerly known as ‘Springdel Chowraha’, has been redeveloped with MLA fund assistance. A large number of local residents attended the unveiling; the atmosphere resonated with chants of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Hemu Kalani Amar Rahe.”
*A tribute to youthful sacrifice*
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Rajeshwar Singh said, “We must salute courage, we must bow to sacrifice. Those great souls who thought of nation and society before themselves are our everlasting sources of inspiration.” He recalled that Hemu Kalani was executed at the age of 19 after attempting to derail a British arms train bound for Balochistan. Despite suffering extreme torture, Kalani did not betray his comrades and faced the gallows smiling for Mother India’s freedom.
*Understand the pain of subjugation to value freedom*
Dr. Singh warned that freedom did not come easily. He invoked the sacrifices of young martyrs such as Khudiram Bose, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru – many of whom laid down their lives between ages 18 and 23 — to secure our independence. He stressed that divisions along caste, language and provincial lines weakened the nation and opened the path to domination: “We endured roughly 600 years of Mughal rule and 200 years of British rule, during which our share of the world economy fell from 23% to around 2%.”
*A call to youth: skill up and safeguard the nation*
Dr. Singh urged young people to acquire skills and join the digital revolution so as to elevate the nation: “Today the nation faces new threats. We have seen neighbouring countries misuse social media, AI and deepfakes to foment unrest. We must remain vigilant, strengthen our digital skills, and guard the nation with dedication.” He noted that while 1.5 million engineers graduate every year in India, some 45% of youth still lack employable skills. He appealed to youth to take advantage of government initiatives for world-class education and affordable internet and to prepare themselves for national and global competition.
*Statues remind us of duty*
Dr. Singh observed that cultural and economic development are progressing together in Sarojininagar. “The statue of Atal Bihari Vajpayee has already been installed; the Rani Laxmibai statue is ready; statues of Uda Devi Pasi and Avantibai Lodhi will be installed shortly,” he said. “These monuments are not mere metal; they are living memories of duty that remind us that nation must always come before self.”
*Development with civic and environmental responsibility*
He highlighted concurrent development projects in the area – including the Ashok Leyland EV bus factory, the Lucknow–Kanpur elevated road, the revitalisation of primary schools and the construction of new university campuses — as examples of multidimensional progress.
*Daily reflection and vigilance*
Dr. Singh urged citizens to spend five to ten minutes daily thinking about the nation: “We must ask why the Kashmir Valley’s demography changed, why Hindu populations have declined in states like Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya, and why religious festivals face difficulties in places such as West Bengal. We must address illegal migration, conversion and environmental neglect ourselves.” He added that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Shri Yogi Adityanath, the nation is on a path of reconstruction, but societal sense of duty must awaken for development to be complete.
*Acknowledgements and attendance*
The MLA expressed special thanks to Sindhi community leader Santajada Sai Harish Lal Sahib and to sculptor Prof. K. C. Bajpai, whose artistry gave life to the bronze statue. The function was attended by a large number of residents, dignitaries, senior citizens, social workers and youth. Guests on the stage included Shri Kaushalendra Dwivedi, Shri Satish Atwani, Shri Saurabh Singh Monu, Shri Rajan Mishra, Shri Rajiv Bajpai, Shri Rama Shankar Tripathi and many other social workers and citizens.