The 176th martyrdom day of freedom fighter Wazir Ram Singh Pathania, who hailed from Nurpur, was observed as Veer Diwas at his birthplace Bassa Waziran near here on Tuesday.
Pathania is hailed as one of the first freedom fighters of the nation, who launched an armed struggle against the British rule in 1846.
He attained martyrdom at the age of 24 in Rangoon jail in 1849. The memorial committee constituted by the martyr’s kin has been observing his martyrdom day as Veer Diwas every year.
Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania presided over the Veer Diwas function and paid floral tributes to the martyr’s safety armour.
The Speaker exhorted the youth to follow in the footsteps of Ram Singh Pathania and not to fall prey to drug addiction. He said the martyr’s armed revolution against the British regime (1846-49) had laid the path to India’s freedom movement.
Pathania said the martyr was not only the identity of any particular dynasty or region but the immortal heritage of the entire nation. He said even before the first war of independence in 1857, Wazir Pathania sounded the trumpet of struggle against the British rule in 1846.
The Speaker said the state government would make concrete efforts to declare Wazir Ram Singh Pathania as the first freedom fighter.
He said from next year, the Veer Diwas programme would be organised by the government. Efforts would also be made to initiate efforts to convey the martyr’s inspiring story of bravery and patriotism to the new generation.
Assembly Deputy Chief Whip Kewal Singh Pathania, Fatehpur’s MLA Bhawani Pathania, Nurpur legislator Ranbir Nikka and former minister Rakesh Pathania also paid homage to Ram Singh Pathania on the occasion.
