Karnataka: Union Minister Amit Shah Inaugurates Memorial For Martyrs Of Gorta Massacre
Amit Shah Karnataka Visit: He also stated that the first Home Minister of India, Sardar Patel, played a major role in ousting Nizam from Hyderabad following which Bidar could be part of India
Union Home Minister Amit Shah Sunday inaugurated a memorial and hoisted a 103 feet tall Tricolour in Karnataka's Gorta village in memory of hundreds of people who were killed by the army of Nizams, back in 1948, for hoisting the national flag. The union minister also stated that the first Home Minister of India, Sardar Patel, played a major role in ousting Nizam from Hyderabad followed which Bidar could become part of India.
"In this Gorta village, hundreds of people were killed by the army of a cruel Nizam for hoisting just a 2.5-ft tall Tricolour. Today, I proudly say that on the same land, we have hoisted a 103-ft tall Tricolour that can't be hidden from anyone," Amit Shah said as quoted by news agency ANI.
In this Gorata village, hundreds of people were killed by the army of a cruel Nizam for hoisting just a 2.5-ft tall Tricolour. Today, I proudly say that on the same land, we have hoisted a 103-ft tall Tricolour that can't be hidden from anyone: Union Home Minister Amit Shah… pic.twitter.com/ErZ0LX2GIR
— ANI (@ANI) March 26, 2023
What Happened In Gorta?
Gorta, a tiny village in the Bidar district of Karnataka, had witnessed the bloodiest struggle against Hyderabad Nizam, back in May 1948. On August 15, 1947, when hoisting the tricolour has become official in the subcontinent, however, it continued to be an act of offence in some regions which were part of the Princely State of Hyderabad. The Hyderabad state was only liberated from Nizam's rule on September 17, 1948.
But, three months ahead of the liberation, in May 1948, this village in Bidar district witnessed a massacre by the army of Nizams — the Razakars. It all started when a few people hoisted the tricolour at Hannalli and neighbouring Halagorta villages in the Bidar district. Isamuddin, who was the local leader of Razakars, along with Nizam police captured Honnalli to arrest the Baurao Patil, who was leading a few people to hoist the national flag. However, the Razakars couldn't find Patil and his followers but the latter planned to retaliate and according to the plan they killed Isamuddin, as per The Hindu report.
After Isamuddin's death, the Razakars suspected the Gorta villager's involvement and attacked the village. As a result, many villagers, including the village heads, were reportedly massacred in the attack and counter-attack. While there was no clear death toll in the ambush attack by the Nizam, KM Munshi, Agent-General of the Government of India in Hyderabad, mentioned in his book 'The End of an Era – Hyderabad Memoirs', that the estimated death toll is around 200.
What's Happening Now?
Union minister Amit Shah's announcement of the inauguration of a memorial comes after several failures to build a memorial for the people killed by Razakars, said a New Indian Express report. Although after several trials, the project of building a memorial for the martyrs killed in the "Gorta massacre" remained incomplete.
And now while erecting a memorial of the martyrs, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, "On the same land, a memorial of those immortal martyrs has been erected. This 20-ft tall statue of Sardar Patel is a symbol of the significant role played by our first Home Minister in ousting the Nizam from Hyderabad. That is why this area, this Bidar could become a part of India."
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