Vidyasagar Rao Says September 17 Symbolises Telangana’s Hard-Won Liberation

Hyderabad: Former Maharashtra governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao on Monday said that Hyderabad played a pivotal role in India’s freedom struggle and emphasised the need to preserve its history from distortion. He stated that successive governments in the state had attempted to downplay the events surrounding Hyderabad’s liberation, making it imperative to create greater awareness among the younger generation.

Speaking at the release of Bhaskara Yogi’s book ‘September 17 – Mummatiki Vimochane’ (September 17 Is Definitely Liberation Day) at the BJP Telangana state office, Vidyasagar Rao called for the inclusion of Hyderabad Liberation Day in school curricula. He described the armed rebellion against the Nizam’s autocratic rule as a powerful mass movement that cut across political, social, and cultural lines.

“The liberation of Hyderabad holds immense historical significance and should never be forgotten or obscured,” he said. Noting ongoing demands to install statues of key leaders such as Komaram Bheem and Shoaibullah Khan in Hyderabad, he urged greater recognition of their sacrifices.

“The new generation must understand that September 17 is more than flag hoisting or military parades; it is a symbol of Telangana’s liberation and inspiration,” Vidyasagar Rao said. “Youth should realise this state was won through the struggles of our forefathers, not gifted by anyone.”

He recalled that the movement to recognise September 17 as Hyderabad Liberation Day gained momentum in 1998, when BJP leaders, including then Union Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani, honoured over 120 freedom fighters who resisted the Razakars, a private militia loyal to the Nizam. He stressed that Hyderabad was liberated under the leadership of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who launched Operation Polo, the decisive military campaign that ended Nizam rule on September 17, 1948.

Vidyasagar Rao noted that both men and women, including illiterate villagers, actively participated in the struggle despite brutal repression, imprisonment, and torture under both colonial and Nizam authorities. Many freedom fighters, he said, were jailed in the Andaman Cellular Jail (Kala Pani).

“Hyderabad remained under the Nizam’s rule till September 17, 1948, and was liberated only through police action afterwards,” he said.