Pithoragarh’s first freedom fighter Prayag Pant ‘ignored’
Our Correspondent
Pithoragarh, July 15
Social worker and advocate Janardan Pant has said the state government is ignoring the district’s first freedom fighter Prayag Datt Pant. He also sought withdrawal of ‘illegal’ orders to honour people other than freedom fighters and naming of educational institutions after them.
The activist staged a dharna in front of the District Magistrate’s office here today and sent a memorandum to Governor KK Paul.
“Family members of Prayag Datt Pant, the first freedom fighter from the district, have been in pain for the last 68 years after Independence and especially over the last 15 years after the formation of Uttarakhand. Pant’s contribution to the country and the freedom movement is deliberately ignored when the question of establishing a memorial to his name comes up,” said Janardan in his memorandum of demand sent to the Governor.
He questioned the naming of educational institutions after people other than freedom fighters and leaders. “I also demand that the decision to name some educational institutions after some ‘fake’ freedom fighters of the district and in the state be investigated,” said Janardan.
He cited evidence from history and said Prayag Datt Pant was the only freedom fighter who led the freedom struggle from Pithoragarh district to the Bageshwar Uttarayani mela in 1921 when the Kuli Begar abolition agitation created an awakening in the Kumaon region. “Since then, no government or leader has given respect to the first freedom fighter from the district who sacrificed his life for the cause of the country,” he said.
