Amit Shah To Inaugurate Rs 800-Crore 1857 Revolt Memorial In Ambala On November 5

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will formally open the Aazadi Ki Pehli Ladai Ka Shaheed Smarak in Ambala Cantonment, Haryana, on November 5, state Transport Minister Anil Vij announced on Wednesday.

The government has allocated approximately ₹800 crore for the project and will open the memorial to the public on November 6.

Shah will address a public meeting at Gandhi Ground after inaugurating the memorial.

Vij appealed to the public to participate in the programme, describing it as an occasion to pay tribute to the nation’s martyrs.

Event Arrangements and Public Participation

Vij discussed arrangements for the event with BJP office-bearers at Ambala Club during a meeting led by state party president Archana Gupta. He said he had pursued the memorial project for nearly 25–30 years.

According to the Minister, the armed resistance against British rule began in Ambala in 1857, before the revolt spread in Meerut.

Vij referred to historical documents suggesting that the 60th and 5th Native Infantry regiments sounded the call for rebellion in Ambala Cantonment at 9 AM, approximately 10 hours before the uprising in Meerut. He lamented that numerous freedom fighters who endured executions and severe punishment had not received adequate recognition.

Anil Vij maintained that everyone who contributed to the struggle for independence deserved respect, regardless of their political affiliations.

Vij said the state government had instructed schools and educational institutions to organise visits to the memorial, enabling students to learn about Ambala’s significance in the 1857 revolt. He added that he had repeatedly sought approval for the project in the Haryana Assembly.

According to him, the BJP government sanctioned the construction of a national-level memorial after assuming office in 2014.

The facility will use modern technology to document the 1857 uprising, highlighting battles fought in Haryana, Bihar, Punjab and other parts of the country.

The memorial aims to bring greater recognition to the sacrifices of those who participated in the uprising and deepen public understanding of their contribution to India’s independence struggle.

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