16589 RANI CHENNAMMA

 दक्षिण पश्चिम रेलवे / SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY  
प्रेस विज्ञप्ति / Press Release No. 109 Dt: 17.07.2022    

SWR TO CELEBRATE THE EVENT ‘AZADI KI RAIL GADI AUR STATIONS’ ICONIC WEEK FROM 18TH TO 23RD JULY, 2022

As part of celebration of 75th year of India’s Independence from the British Raj this year under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, an Iconic week celebration of the event ‘Azadi ki Rail Gadi Aur Stations’ has been planned from 18th to 23rd July, 2022. Chairman, Railway Board & CEO Shri V K Tripathi will be inaugurating the Central function of the Iconic Week Celebrations at the Conference Hall, Railway Board o­n 18.07.2022 between 4.00 P.M. and 5 P.M. and the General Managers of all the zones and Divisional Railway Managers of all the Divisions o­n Indian Railways will be joining the event through Video Conferencing. General Managers and Divisional Railway Managers will launch the Iconic Week subsequently in their respective jurisdictions.

This programme is planned to be celebrated with full fervor to reach out to public. As a part of this, a total of 27 Trains & 75 Railway stations and the areas close to these stations which were associated with our freedom struggle are identified all over India. These Railway Stations and Trains occupied an important place in the history of India’s Freedom struggle. Across India, there were several occasions where Railways were associated with freedom movement. To educate the common public and to remember the sacrifices of all those freedom fighters and the o­nes that were martyred and pay tributes to them, this Iconic Week Celebrations have been organized.

South Western Railway has identified 4 Railway Stations viz. Haveri, Maddur, Dharwad and Vidurashwatha and 2 Trains viz. 12613/12614 Mysuru - KSR Bengaluru - Mysuru Tippu Express and 16589/16590 KSR Bengaluru – Miraj - KSR Bengaluru Rani Chennamma Express to commemorate the freedom struggle. Mahadevappa Mailara, better known as ‘Karnataka’s Bhagat Singh’ who hailed from Haveri was the o­nly freedom fighter from the then Mysore State who took part in the historic Dandi March. The station has been named after him as Shree Mahadevappa Mailara Haveri Railway Station. The historic Satyagraha Soudha at Shivapura near Maddur Railway station is a symbolic and inspiring monument of Indian Freedom movement. The historic place, Kittur, which is synonymous with Rani Chennamma, the queen of Kittur, after whom the iconic train Rani Chennamma Express is named, has a glorious role in the Indian Freedom Movement. Vidurashwatha, known as the ‘Jallianwala Bagh’ of South India, holds the record of martyrdom of 35 freedom fighters who were indiscriminately fired by the British Police. Dharwad Station has been visited by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore and has been a place of inspiration to freedom fighters.

Various activities like lighting up & decoration of stations, placing digital screens, banners, selfie stands, playing patriotic songs and spot lighting of trains, flagging off of the trains by freedom fighters/public representatives are planned to highlight the importance of these places and trains. Central function of the Final event will be held in Delhi o­n 23rd July 2022. Thereafter, closing ceremonies will be held in respective Zones to conclude the event.

It is hoped that these events will spread the message of contribution of various freedom fighters and their sacrifices to the public, and more so, to the youth of the present era. In the run up to Independence Day celebrations next month, these events are an ideal occasion to respectfully remember those who sacrificed their lives for the cause of the freedom of the country.