Union minister Kulaste, CM Raghubar Das lead Tiranga Yatra 

Ranchi, Aug. 20: Around 1,000 BJP leaders and supporters, led by Union minister of state for health Faggan Singh Kulaste and chief minister Raghubar Das, today swooped down on the state capital's roads, taking part in a Tiranga Yatra to remember the sacrifices of freedom heroes.

The 8km Tiranga Yatra started from Birsa Munda Airport and culminated at Ranchi zilla school near Albert Ekka Chowk, where Kulaste honoured a descendant of royal revolutionary Thakur Vishwanath Shahdeo for his sacrifices during the first war of Independence in 1857. The ruler of Jharkhand's Chotanagpur princely state was hanged by the British from a kadam tree on April 16, 1857, for leading an army against them.

Today, after 159 years, when the nation is remembering the supreme sacrifices of our great freedom fighters on India's 70th year of Independence, his sixth descendant, Lal Praveer Nath Shahdeo, was presented with a shawl at a programme, Zara Yaad Karo Qurbani, organised by the state unit of BJP at the zilla school.

Around 800 bikers, carrying Tricolours, accompanied the Union minister of state in the yatra, making their way through Birsa Chowk, Argora, Harmu, Kishoreganj, Ratu Road, Machli Ghar, Radium Road, Kutchery, Albert Ekka and Saheed Chowk.

Chief minister Raghubar Das too rode pillion, holding a Tricolour, on one of the bikes of a party worker.

The event came close on the heels of state paying tearful tribute to two sons of soil - CRPF commandant Pramod Kumar and Naik Shakti Kumar Singh, who sacrificed their lives fighting terrorists in Kashmir this week.

Justifying the need of such a nationwide programme, being organised by the BJP, Kulaste said: "Our freedom is the fruit of the supreme sacrifices made by the great martyrs. Had our freedom fighters not fought the colonisers, we wouldn't have been breathing in an independent country. So, it is our duty to respect our martyrs and make our youths aware of their sacrifices."?

He also remembered the other freedom fighters from Jharkhand - Birsa Munda, Sido and Kanhu Murmu, Sheikh Bhikhari, Tikait Umrao Singh, Pandey Ganpat Rai, Tilka Manjhi besides others.

Chief minister Das also spoke about the martyrs, who sacrificed their lives fighting terrorists. He then went on to talk about his aim of making Jharkhand a dream destination within four years.

"Within four years, we want to make Jharkhand a dream destination that tribal icon Birsa Munda had wished - an exploitation-free and a poverty-free state. We want to make Jharkhand an economic super power to stop migration of poor from the state for meagre income of Rs 5,000-10,000," he said.

Ranchi MP Ram Tahal Choudhary stressed on the need to develop the villages with which the freedom fighters were associated. "Our thought should not be limited to garlanding the statue of the martyrs, but also to develop their villages," he said.

Ranchi mayor Asha Lakra, Mandar MLA Gangotri Kujur and others were also present on the occasion.