75th Independence Day: Unsung freedom fighters should be honoured, says PM Modi

With the nation set to commence the celebration of the 75th anniversary of Independence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday stressed acknowledging the contribution of the “lesser-known” participants of the struggle for freedom from the British Raj.

Modi emphasised the need to honour and take the stories of the lesser-known freedom fighters to people, said a press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office after he chaired the first meeting of the national committee recently constituted to plan and oversee the celebration of the 75th anniversary of Independence.

He was quoted saying that every nook and corner of the country was replete with the sacrifices of its sons and daughters and their stories would be an eternal source of inspiration for the nation.

Modi had on several occasions in the past mounted not-so-veiled attacks on the Nehru-Gandhi clan, alleging that the contribution of many freedom fighters and great leaders of the nation’s struggle for independence had been deliberately obscured in order to glorify “one family”.

The Congress and other opposition parties, however, alleged that the leaders of the BJP’s mentor organization, RSS, had not only stayed away from the nation’s struggle for freedom from British Raj but had also tried to dissuade people from joining the movement.

The Modi government has decided to start the celebration next Friday, commemorating the 91st anniversary of the historic Salt Satyagraha led by Mahatma Gandhi. The 259-member national panel would provide policy direction and guidelines for holding a series of events over the next 75 weeks, culminating on August 15, 2022.

The Prime Minister said that the festival of the 75 years of Independence should be planned based on five pillars – Freedom Struggle, Ideas at 75, Achievements at 75, Actions at 75 and Resolve at 75.

He added that the festival should embody the glimpses of the glory of “Sanatan Bharat” and also the glow of modern India, adding that this festival should reflect the light of the spirituality of the sages and also the talent and strength of our scientists.

“This event will also showcase our achievements of these 75 years to the world and also give a framework for a resolution to us for the next 25 years,” he was quoted saying during the meeting.