NEW DELHI: Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is participating in the tribute program organised in memory of the state agitators who were martyred during the Uttarakhand movement in Khatima at Shaheed Smarak, Main Square, on Monday. He marked the 31st anniversary of the Khatima firing incident, a pivotal moment in the state’s struggle for separate statehood.Dhami paid heartfelt tributes to the brave individuals who sacrificed their lives for the creation of Uttarakhand. He stated that their “sacrifice” is not just a part of the state’s history but also a “valour” that is inscribed in the soul of Uttarakhand.Sharing a post on ‘X’, CM Dhami mentioned that their indomitable courage in the state’s journey to formation will remain unforgettable.”Countless salutations to the immortal state agitators who sacrificed their lives to fulfil the resolve for a separate Uttarakhand state in the Khatima firing incident. The sacrifice of the brave state agitators is not merely a part of history but an epic of valour inscribed in the soul of Uttarakhand, which infused new vitality into the mountain identity and existence. Your sacrifice and indomitable courage in the great journey of state formation will remain forever unforgettable,” CM Dhami wrote on ‘X’.The Khatima firing incident took place on September 1, 1994. It is considered a dark day in the history of the Uttarakhand state movement as a peaceful procession was being carried out by agitators seeking a separate Uttarakhand state in Khatima, but the police carried out an indiscriminate firing at the agitators, resulting in the death of seven agitators.The firing incident led to cruel results, including several protests by people against the administration across the state, along with the Massorie firing incident, which took place on September 2, 1994. The Khatima firing incident was followed by the Massorie firing incident the other day, in which six people were fired upon by Provincial Armed Constabulary personnel.