During the country’s independence in 1947, amidst the inhumane tragedy of the Partition, millions of people lost their homes and livelihoods, and countless lives fell victim to religious frenzy. To honor and preserve the memory of those sacrifices and struggles, the formation of the ‘Partition Horrors Remembrance Trust’ (*Vibhajan Vibhishika Smriti Nyas*) has been announced. The Trust has been constituted under the guidance of Manohar Lal, the Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs and Minister for Power.
Swami Dharmadev—the Settlor and Founding Chairman of the new Trust—and Bodhraj Sikri—the newly appointed General Secretary—stated in a press release issued here today that Ramesh Chand Juneja, Chairman of Mankind Pharma Limited, has been appointed as the Trust’s Lifetime National President. The new team comprises Suman Kant Munjal, Sunil Sachdeva, Rajiv Gulati, Manmohan Chawla, Khanna, P.K. Datta, Rajiv Mukul, Dinesh Nagpal, Puran Dabar, Surjit Oberoi, Baldev Raj Bhatia, Sumit Chanda, Praveen Bhatia, Satish Grover, and Abhishek Banga.
Bodhraj Sikri informed that the Trust will construct a grand national memorial and a state-of-the-art museum in the Haridwar-Rishikesh region. The Trust aims not only to commemorate the pain of that era but also to acquaint the new generation with the deepest wounds inflicted upon the Indian soil during the time of Partition. The memorial will feature portraits of various social icons and revered figures, including Lord Ram, Arut Maharaj, Mata Hinglaj, Maharishi Kashyap, Guru Tegh Bahadur, Guru Gobind Singh, Shaheed Bhagat Singh, and Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra. The proposed museum will house a ‘Horror Gallery’ and a ‘Displacement Corridor,’ where scenes from that period will be depicted using cutting-edge technology. According to Sikri, Subhash Arora, Harinder Hora, Sanjeev Kumar, Omprakash Kathuria, Deep Kalra, Chandra Shekhar Taneja, and Vikas Kapoor have consented to become members of the Trust. Renowned spiritual figures—including Swami Chidanand Saraswati Muniji, the chief spiritual guru of the Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh; Anandmurti Gurumaa, the founder of the Rishi Chaitanya Ashram in Gannaur; and Shri 108 Mahant Ram Sukhdas Ji Maharaj of the famous Gaddi Tikana Sati Bhai Sai Das Ji in Kalanaur (Rohtak district)—have been nominated as Chief Patrons and Patrons of the Trust. In addition to these individuals, former Governor of Assam Professor Jagdish Mukhi, retired IAS officer Surina Rajan Kumar, retired IAS officer Mukesh Ahuja, retired Vice-Chancellor Dr. Ashok Diwakar, and retired Vice-Chancellor Dr. Markandeya Ahuja have also been included.
