UP Diwas to Go Global: CM Yogi Calls for Celebrations Beyond State Borders, Across India and Abroad
By Tajdar H. Zaidi
Lucknow: In a move aimed at strengthening cultural outreach and reconnecting the vast migrant population with their roots, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed senior officials to expand the celebrations of Uttar Pradesh Foundation Day—popularly known as UP Diwas—far beyond the geographical boundaries of the state.
This year, UP Diwas will be observed from January 24 to January 26.
Chairing a high-level review meeting in Lucknow, the Chief Minister underlined that UP Diwas should no longer remain a state-centric event.
Instead, it should be transformed into a larger cultural and social outreach programme, taking the legacy, achievements, and identity of Uttar Pradesh to regions with a substantial population of migrants from the state, particularly metropolitan hubs such as Delhi and Maharashtra.
The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Shashi Prakash Goyal, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Sanjay Prasad, and Director General of Police Rajeev Krishna, among other senior officials.
Taking UP’s Identity to Migrant Hubs
Officials were instructed to plan cultural programmes, exhibitions, and interactive events in cities where a large number of people from Uttar Pradesh live and work.
According to officials present at the meeting, the objective is to ensure that migrants—many of whom have played a significant role in the economic growth of major cities—remain emotionally and culturally connected to their home state.
“These celebrations should reflect Uttar Pradesh’s journey, its civilisational heritage, and its transformation in recent years,” the Chief Minister said, stressing that UP Diwas should showcase the state’s achievements in governance, infrastructure, investment, law and order, tourism, and cultural revival.
Outreach to the Global Diaspora
In a notable expansion of the idea, CM Adityanath also proposed organising UP Diwas events in foreign countries that host a sizeable expatriate population from Uttar Pradesh.
These programmes, officials said, could be held in coordination with Indian embassies and cultural organisations, projecting Uttar Pradesh as a land of opportunity, tradition, and modern development on the global stage.
The Chief Minister observed that Uttar Pradesh’s diaspora plays a key role in promoting Indian culture abroad and can act as ambassadors for the state’s growing economic and cultural profile.
Showcasing Development and Heritage
As per the roadmap discussed, UP Diwas celebrations will include cultural performances, displays of traditional arts and crafts, food festivals highlighting regional cuisines, and exhibitions focusing on the state’s development initiatives.
Special emphasis will be laid on youth participation, women’s empowerment, and showcasing investment-friendly policies to attract both domestic and global investors.
Officials were also asked to ensure tight coordination among departments so that the three-day celebrations—from January 24 to 26—are organised seamlessly and convey a unified narrative of Uttar Pradesh’s past glory and future aspirations.
With this directive, the Yogi Adityanath government appears keen to position UP Diwas not merely as a commemorative occasion but as a strategic platform to reinforce cultural pride, migrant engagement, and the state’s rising national and international stature.
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