Amit Shah unveils 1857 War Martyrs’ Memorial in Ambala

In Haryana, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday inaugurated the Martyrs’ Memorial of the First War of Independence of 1857 in Ambala, saying it would inspire patriotism among younger generations and honour the sacrifices of India’s freedom fighters. Built at a cost of Rs594 crore across 22 acres, the memorial features 22 galleries combining historical documents, traditional craftsmanship and digital technology. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Union Minister Manohar Lal were among those present. Addressing the gathering, Shah said revolutionary fighters had launched an armed struggle against British rule in Ambala Cantonment on May 10, 1857, and that the movement subsequently spread across the country, shaking the foundations of the British Empire. He criticised historians who described the events of 1857 as a revolt, invoking Veer Savarkar’s description of the struggle as a war for freedom. “It may have been a revolt for the British,” Shah said, but for the people of India, it was a freedom struggle that ignited the desire for independence across the country. 
Paying tribute to Nana Saheb Peshwa, Rani Lakshmibai, Tatya Tope, Begum Hazrat Mahal and other fighters, Shah said countless martyrs had sacrificed everything during the 90 years between 1857 and 1947. Their sacrifices, he said, laid the foundation on which India could now pursue the goal of becoming a developed nation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Shah said a country could not progress without recognising the value of its independence and honouring those who died to secure it. He urged young people from across India to visit the Ambala memorial, learn about the freedom struggle and pay homage to the martyrs.
The memorial uses virtual reality, holography and interactive projections to depict the events of 1857. It also incorporates Haryana’s Phulkari and Sarkanda crafts, a 2,500-seat open-air theatre and a light-and-sound show. He credited household LPG access with making Haryana the country’s first smoke-free state and said its online transfer policy had eliminated what he described as the “transfer industry”.