Uttarakhand CM Dhami attends '50th Khalanga Mela', announces 5 lakh grant for to organizing committee

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], December 1 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday participated in the '50th Khalanga Mela' organized by Balbhadra Khalanga Vikas Samiti at Sagartal Nalapani, Dehradun. To support the event, the Chief Minister announced a grant of Rs 5 lakh to the Khalanga Mela Organising Committee and unveiled the '50th Khalanga Mela Souvenir.'

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in his address at the event said that Khalanga Mela is an occasion to remember the bravery and indomitable courage of the ancestors. The CM also paid homage to Commander Kunwar Balbhadra Thapa and his companions, emphasising their bravery in defending the motherland against British forces.
He said that in the Anglo-Gorkha War of 1814 in the Veerbhoomi of Khalanga, commander Kunwar Balbhadra Thapa and his brave soldiers sacrificed their lives to protect the motherland. "In this war, Kunwar Balbhadra Thapa and his brave soldiers faced a huge army of British soldiers and drove away the British army with their bravery and strategic skills," he said.
The Chief Minister said that this war is a symbol of the indomitable courage of our brave Gorkha warriors and their immense love for the motherland, which will always inspire us to be patriotic. "The saga of Khalanga is a symbol of the unmatched courage of our brave ancestors and our glorious heritage," he said.
He further said that this fair is also a medium to preserve our rich cultural traditions and pass them on to the next generation. "The historical heritage of our country is the identity of our glorious past and is also the strong root of the banyan tree of our culture," he added.
The Chief Minister further stated that "under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the work of strengthening our culture is being done across the country. Under the leadership of the Prime Minister, along with development, heritage is also being taken forward. Keeping the Khalanga War Memorial under the protection of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is a big example of this."
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also mentioned that the state government is fully committed to the upliftment of the Gorkha society and is constantly striving for their development and welfare. "Certainly, such events will help the new generation in preserving the traditions of the Gorkha community and remembering the bravery and sacrifice of their ancestors," he further added. (ANI)