Grand Ceremony Marks Birth Anniversaries of Martyr Chandrashekhar Azad and Lokmanya Tilak; Five Eminent Personalities Honoured

Indore, July 24, 2026 (SDNA)
A grand “Azad-Tilak Investiture Ceremony” was organized to commemorate the birth anniversaries of legendary freedom fighter Chandrashekhar Azad and Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak. The event was jointly organized by Shri Geeta Rameshwaram Trust, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose All India Freedom Fighters’ Descendants Organization, and the All India Freedom Fighters’ Descendants Organization.

On the occasion, five distinguished personalities from different fields were honoured for their outstanding contributions to society and the nation. Patriotic songs performed during the ceremony filled the venue with a spirit of nationalism.

The chief guest was Justice (Retd.) Mohammad Shamim Qureshi, former Judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court and former Head of the Mediation Centre. The programme was presided over by Satyanarayan Patel, National Secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and former MLA, while Hemraj Wadia attended as the special guest.

Guests were welcomed by Anil Azad, Ganesh Verma, Jagdish Sateya, Bunty Kumrawat, Umashankar Rayakwar, O.P. Verma, Sudhir Sethia, Umesh Parekh, Kailash Kushwaha, and Sanjay Jayant. The event was conducted by Madan Parmaliya, while the vote of thanks was delivered by Jagdish Joshi. A large number of eminent citizens and members of the public attended the programme.

Call to Fulfil the Dreams of Freedom Fighters

While addressing the gathering, Satyanarayan Patel said that India’s freedom fighters made countless sacrifices for the country’s independence without ever expecting rewards or personal benefits. He urged everyone to work towards building the India they had envisioned and to honour their sacrifices through meaningful action.

Chief Guest Justice Mohammad Shamim Qureshi said that society is witnessing a decline in moral values and that serving society is a challenging yet noble path. He stated that every individual should contribute positively to repay the debt owed to society. He also emphasized that patriotism should not be limited to symbolic gestures but should be reflected through sincere actions.

Five Distinguished Personalities Receive ‘Azad-Tilak Honour’

Event Convener Vinod Satyanarayan Patel informed that the following five personalities were conferred with the ‘Azad-Tilak Honour’ for their outstanding contributions in their respective fields:

1. Ashok Yadav – Hockey Coach (Sports)
2. Dr. Omprakash Dhiman – Educationist (Education)
3. Rajendra Soni – Social Service
4. Seema Sen – Social Service
5. Hukam Yadav – Social Service

Patriotic Songs Enthrall the Audience

The ceremony also featured inspiring patriotic performances by Aftab Alam Qureshi, whose energetic renditions filled the venue with national pride and enthusiasm. His performances received an enthusiastic response from the audience and added a memorable cultural dimension to the celebration.