Lucknow: Jan Sangh stalwart Deen Dayal Upadhyay will be the focus of a mega general knowledge quiz, involving about 20 lakh children in Uttar Pradesh, as the BJP celebrates the birth centenary of its leader.
The quiz aims to make ‘antodaya’ (reaching the last strata of society) and ‘ekaatma manavaad’ (integral humanism) — the terms synonymous with Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay — household names across the state. The BJP is celebrating 2017 as ‘Gareeb Kalyan Varsh’ to mark the birth centenary celebrations of Upadhyay.
The quiz will be held on August 20. “It will be a written quiz in which we are expecting 15- 20 lakh students from classes VIII, IX and X to participate.
The quiz will be held throughout the state on August 20. A booklet depicting the life, personality, contribution and achievements of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay is being printed for participants,” UP BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi told PTI.
The quiz will be conducted by the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Janma Shataabdi Samaroh Samiti, which will have BJP members in the committee, he said.
He said the endeavour of the party workers is to ensure that the teachings and philosophy of Deen Dayal Upadhyay reach the last strata of the society and also among the youngsters.
“Deen Dayal is a well-known personality outside India. But it is ironical that in the annals of Indian history, he is yet to get a fair share of his due,” Tripathi said. UP state secretary of BJP Subhash Yaduvanshi has been made the co-ordinator for this ambitious competition. “Victorious students will be publicly felicitated.
Preparations for the quiz are already going on in full swing,” said another BJP spokesperson Manish Shukla.
The contest will see participation of 100 schools from each of the 75 districts of the state, he said. The Yogi Aditynath government has also decided to rename the Mughalsarai Railway Station in the state after the RSS ideologue, who had mysteriously died at the railway station in 1968.
Earlier in April, the Yogi Adityanath government had decided to name the Agra airport after Upadhyay. The birth centenary celebrations of the Jan Sangh stalwart will continue till September 25 for which the Information department has been made the nodal department.
The programmes will be held at the district and block levels and a three-day-long Antodaya Mela and exhibition will be organised. Information about the welfare measures initiated by the Centre and state governments will also be disseminated through fairs and exhibitions. The departments of higher education and secondary education will conduct different programmes on this occasion.
This includes discussions, seminars, poster competition, slogan writing competition, creative writing competition, debates, recitation, elocution, quiz competition and essay writing contests.
A ‘prabhat pheri’ (morning march) will be taken out on the birth anniversary of Upadhyay. The government will also declare a nagar panchyat (the smallest unit of the urban local bodies) as ‘Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Adarsh Nagar Panchayat’.
Under this, efforts will be made by the state government to make available all basic amenities to people living in the area. There are 438 nagar panchayats in UP. A number of sporting events too will be held on this occasion.
PTI