CM Dhami pays tribute to statehood agitators of 1994 Mussoorie firing

Dehradun, Sept 2 (PTI) On the 31st anniversary of the 1994 Mussoorie firing incident, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday paid tribute to the statehood agitators and honoured their families. Speaking at a programme in Mussoorie on the anniversary of the firing, the chief minister said the state government is working towards creating the Uttarakhand the statehood agitators has dreamed of. Paying tribute to those who lost their lives in the firing incident, including Balbir Singh Negi, Belmati Chauhan, Hansa Dhanai, Dhanpat Singh, Rai Singh Bangari and Madan Mohan Mamgai, Dhami said they sacrificed their lives for the creation of Uttarakhand. "Without their unique contribution, Uttarakhand could not have been created," he added.

Calling September 2, 1994, a dark chapter in history, Dhami said the statehood agitators had to face police bullets despite demonstrating peacefully. "It symbolises the repressive attitude of the ruling parties of the time that tried to crush a peaceful movement mercilessly," he said.

The chief minister emphasised that by implementing 10 per cent horizontal reservation to statehood agitators in government jobs recently, the state government expressed its gratitude to them for their role in the creation of the state.

"The abandoned, widowed and divorced daughters of the identified agitators will also be able to get the benefit of this reservation", he said.

Apart from this, a monthly pension of Rs 3000 has also been initiated for the families of the agitators. Additionally, the injured and jailed agitators are being given a pension of Rs 6000 and active agitators Rs 4500 per month, he said, adding that identified statehood agitators have been issued identity cards, and 93 of them have been given government jobs. The chief minister further noted that the agitators are being provided the facility of free travel in government buses, and their children are being given free education in schools and colleges.

Talking about the other steps taken by the state government for the welfare of people, Dhami highlighted that women have been given 30 per cent horizontal reservation in government jobs.

"Implementation of a Uniform Civil Code was also a step towards the creation of an Uttarakhand where our culture, language and traditions are preserved. The UCC ensures equal rights and duties for all citizens in the state," he said.

Dhami also spoke about the introduction of the anti-copying law to provide equal employment opportunities with transparency to the youth of the state and sending over 100 copying mafias to jail.

After the implementation of the law, over 25000 youths in Uttarakhand have succeeded in getting government jobs, the chief minister mentioned. PTI ALM ALM MPL MPL