Overview
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath unveiled the statue at Pasi Crossing in Lucknow on Uda Devi’s martyrdom day.
- Singh said Marxist historians and earlier governments marginalized Dalit, Pasi and Adivasi figures in accounts of the freedom struggle.
- Adityanath said the state has added material on these icons to school curricula, including an extra book for Basic Education Council students.
- The government touted memorial initiatives, including a Maharaja Bijli Pasi monument, fort restorations with light-and-sound shows, and PAC women’s battalions named for Uda Devi, Jhalkari Bai and Avanti Bai.
- Speakers framed Uda Devi as a symbol of women’s service to the nation, citing girls’ entry to Sainik Schools and women’s roles in recent operations, with deputy CMs and Union minister Kamlesh Paswan in attendance.