Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said that no society or nation can touch the heights of development by forgetting its heritage and past and the past always stays with the individual and the society.
After performing the Bhoomi Pujan and laying the foundation stone of Naval Valour Museum construction project to be built at a cost of Rs 23 crore in CG City near Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium, he said that the glorious moments of the past are a new inspiration for the country.
Yogi said, “There is an opportunity to pioneer and move forward. Today is a historic moment for Lucknow and the state, when the foundation stone for setting up of Naval Gallantry Museum is being laid on the banks of river Gomti, known as Adi Ganga, in CG City, cherishing this new aura of development in this emerging area.
This museum will become a new medium for the growing strength of the Indian Navy.”
The CM expressed confidence that the project will prove to be a milestone in terms of waterways of the state and employment of youth.
He said that before 2014, UP was a landlocked state. “People used to say that nothing can go out of UP through waterways but there was no truth in this. About 40-50 years ago, we used to hear in villages that water transportation was done by boats. When there was no network of roads and no effective train movement, the only means of transportation and carrying goods from one place to another was through rivers and waterways.”
Yogi said that there are sufficient water resources in UP. “Considering the medium and capacity of these rivers, the UP is accelerating the process of forming a State Waterway Authority. Through its better use, we can use the potential of water transport within the state to transport any item from one place to another.”
The Chief Minister said, “PM Modi has connected the country’s first inland waterway between Varanasi and Haldia, which is operational.
The PM gave us the means to free ourselves from being a landlocked state. Now, if the State Waterway Authority will contribute by working with the authorities of the central government, it will help us in increasing the capacity of UP.”
Yogi expressed gratitude to officers for choosing Lucknow for the Valour Museum. “Today is also Police Memorial Day. About 64 years ago, CRPF soldiers deployed in Ladakh for the security of the border were treacherously attacked by the enemy country.
In this attack, our soldiers made sacrifices for the country. In the memory of the soldiers belonging to the country’s army, paramilitary and police forces, who made the supreme sacrifice for the motherland, October 21 is celebrated as Police Memorial Day. The country remembers them and pays tribute to them on this day,” he said.
The CM said that it is a moment of pride that INS Gomti, which enhanced the capabilities of the Indian Navy for 34 years and strengthened its strategic position, after having been decommissioned, is going to become a part of the Bravery Museum today.
Yogi thanked the officers of the Indian Navy for choosing Lucknow, the capital of UP for the museum. He said that this will become a medium for the young generation to know the bravery and valour of the Indian Army.
The Chief Minister said, “Also, it will become a medium to give impetus to Prime Minister Modi’s campaign of self-reliant India, which the country is witnessing today through the Make in India initiative.”
He said that South Korea is known for its technology. “The dynasty there believes that their grandmother was the princess of Ayodhya. A memorial has been built in her memory in Ayodhya. She is remembered as Princess Ratna in Ayodhya and Queen Ho in South Korea. There is a feeling of reverence towards her,” Yogi said.
He said, “2,000 years ago, Princess Ratna had reached South Korea from Ayodhya by waterway, which means even then UP was connected with waterways. We often talk of Satavahana, Chola, Buddha dynasties, but forget Dwarkadhish. Dwarka was located inside the sea. The largest means of transportation at that time was the fleet of waterway boats through which Dwarka was established as the most prosperous city.
Lord Shri Krishna had done this work in Dwarka 5,000 years ago. India has a very old experience of working at sea. Lord Rama had built a bridge to reach Lanka.”
Yogi said that this year is very important. “The Navy has also got its own indigenous symbol, which was established by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. These are moments of pride,” he said.
The CM said that Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) has been told that tourism, irrigation and forest will expand this programme to develop 64 acres of wetland. “Also a police or military memorial should be established for the soldiers of UP who have made supreme sacrifice for the internal security of the borders and in various states in the line of duty after the independence of the country to preserve their memories, so that the future generation can develop a sense of respect for the army, paramilitary and police,” he said.
