Latest news with #QuitIndiaMovement
United News of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
Council Chamber: India's first Parliament House echoes legacy of freedom movement
Shimla, May 30 (UNI) Tucked away in the hills of Shimla, the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly building — known as the Council Chamber — stands as a silent witness to India's journey from colonial rule to democracy. Constructed between 1920 and 1925 during the British Raj, this grand structure originally served as the Central Legislative Assembly— the first Parliament House of India. Built at a cost of ₹10 lakh, the Council Chamber was not just a building but a political landmark of its time. It was here that Vithalbhai Patel, elder brother of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, made history in 1925 by becoming the first Indian President of the Assembly, defeating British candidate Frederick White by just two votes. His election marked a defining moment in India's legislative autonomy under British rule. The Assembly's Speaker's chair, crafted from fine teak, was a diplomatic gift from the Burmese government to the British — a relic that still occupies a place of pride in the House. The chamber also served as the venue for key developments that shaped India's democratic fabric, including the historic passing of the proposal to grant women the right to vote. Even the Quit India Movement, one of the most powerful calls for independence, found its early voice in this very hall — imbuing the site with revolutionary resonance. Today, the chamber continues to evolve with time. Modern legislative tools like zero hour and online committee participation have been introduced, marrying tradition with technology. The historic chamber received renewed attention today when the Government Assurances Committee of the Haryana Legislative Assembly, led by Chairman Bharat Bhushan Batra, paid a courtesy visit and toured the site, appreciating both its heritage and upkeep. UNI ML ARN PRS
Time of India
03-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
‘Majhya Gavcha Dhada' ignites young minds in Sangli ZP schools
Kolhapur: The Sangli Zilla Parishad 's initiative to introduce contents of local importance in history, geography, finance and art textbooks for schoolchildren has not only helped ignite the young minds but also paid rich dividends in their learning process. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The impact has been such that the ZP has now requested Balbharti (Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook Production and Curriculum Research) to consider adding blank pages in the textbooks so that locally relevant contents can be added by teachers in different districts of the state. The Sangli Zilla Parishad has implemented ' Majhya Gavcha Dhada ' (Chapter On My Village) concept in its 700 primary schools. In a geography book, teachers included two Maharashtra-specific chapters and assessed the children's understanding. The chapters included information on Lonar crater in Buldhana district, around 500km from Sangli. It was formed after a meteorite fell on Earth. The chapter also included information on the famous waterfall from Siddhewadi village. An internal assessment of five questions showed that all students from Siddhewadi school could answer all the questions related to their local waterfall. But they could answer only a few questions related to the Lonar crater. Sangli ZP chief executive officer Trupti Dhodmise, who had floated the idea a year ago and got all teachers to contribute, collected around 2,263 chapters, including poems, to activity-based descriptions. "During my interactions with ZP schoolstudents, I found that children could not relate to things distant or something that they had not seen or felt. The outcome of the learning was not up to the mark. We then decided to run a small project, through which we made the students know about local things, their village and its history, local banks and famous personalities. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now They could easily understand and relate to the concept. This led to the idea of including relevant local information in textbooks," she said. An example of the impact of this learning came from a chapter written by Vandana Sharad Kadam, a teacher from Kavathe Ekand village in Tasgaon tehsil, on the Quit India Movement of 1942. She included part of a historic march on Sept 3, 1942, that started from Tasgaon to support the movement led by Mahatma Gandhi. Kadam said, "The students were thrilled to know the historic importance of the place they live in. They got inspired and wanted to know more about the freedom movement." Similarly, a teacher wrote about a local numismatist. Eventually, the students met the coin collector to know about the hobby. The ZP has prepared a model booklet on such lessons. An editorial board was constituted to guide the teachers in Sangli to prepare a model booklet. The chapters are similar to the lessons in regular textbooks provided by govt. It has an author introduction, to-do activity, questions at the end, maps and pictures wherever required. "We will request Balbharti to print four to five pages at the end of each textbook, where we can introduce chapters on local things written by our teachers," Dhodmise said.
Hindustan Times
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Yogi pays tribute to ex-CM HN Bahuguna on birth anniversary
LUCKNOW Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday paid floral tribute to former chief minister late Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna on his birth anniversary, remembering him as a valiant freedom fighter who made significant contributions to India's Independence struggle and also contributed to the development of the state and the country. After offering flowers to a statue of the former CM in Yojana Bhawan, Adityanath honoured Bahuguna's unwavering courage and sacrifices during the Quit India Movement, underscoring his pivotal role in India's struggle for independence, said a statement from his office. 'On behalf of the people of the state, I bow to his memories and pay humble tributes to him. Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna was a great freedom fighter. Due to his active role in the Quit India Movement, he had to face torture at the hands of the British government,' he said. Bahuguna was born on April 25, 1919, in Pauri Garhwal (now Uttarakhand) and died on March 17, 1989, in Ohio, United States. 'He entered public life in 1952 by becoming a member of the UP Legislative Assembly for the first time. As a minister in the state government, chief minister and Union minister, he contributed to the development of the state and the country by showing leadership ability in many ministries,' added Adityanath. Adityanath said that after getting educated in his native village, Bahuguna came to Prayagraj for higher studies and joined the freedom movement there. 'The contribution he made to the development of the state and the country is being continuously honoured and carried forward by the government,' he added. The event was also attended by former MP Rita Bahuguna Joshi, MLA Neeraj Bora, BJP leader Avinash Trivedi, and other dignitaries.
New Indian Express
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Ghantasala was not just a singer, butalso a freedom fighter: Andhra MLA Mandali
VIJAYAWADA: Avanigadda MLA Mandali Buddha Prasad on Monday said legendary playback singer Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao was not only a musical genius but also a dedicated freedom fighter who actively participated in the Quit India Movement. He was speaking after flagging off a heritage walk in Ghantasala village to commemorate the 58th anniversary of Ghantasala's historic musical concert in his native village on April 21, 1967. The walk, held under the auspices of NRI Gorrepati Ranganatha Babu, saw participation from local dignitaries, students of UVR Gorrepati School and ZP High School, and villagers. The event began with floral tributes at the statue of Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao, followed by special prayers at the statue of Gautama Buddha. The MLA visited the Veerabrahmendra Swamy Temple, where Ghantasala once performed, and the house of Vemulapalli Veerasekhar, where the singer's family had once stayed. Recalling Ghantasala's contributions to the freedom movement, Buddha Prasad said the maestro was arrested during the Quit India Movement in 1942 and imprisoned in Gudivada for a year, where he shared a cell with freedom fighter Potti Sriramulu. He later took part in Sriramulu's funeral procession, singing patriotic songs in his memory. He also remembered how the Challapalli Rani recognised Ghantasala's talent early on and gifted him a ring, which he later sold to fund his music training in Vizianagaram. The program was attended by former ZP Vice Chairman Gorrepati Venkata Ramakrishna and others.
