75th year of Independence celebrations to begin on March 12

Celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence next year are set to begin on March 12, the day Mahatma Gandhi embarked on the historic salt satyagraha 91 years ago.

The celebrations – 'Bharat ka Amrut Mahotsav’ – will continue for 75 weeks till Independence Day next year and will be guided by a 259-member national committee chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “The committee will provide policy direction and guidelines for the formulation of programmes for the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of Indian Independence, at national and international levels,” a statement from the Ministry of Culture said.

Read | Govt forms 259-member panel headed by PM to commemorate 75 years of India's independence

The first meeting of the committee is scheduled on Monday. Multiple events such as cycle rallies, exhibitions, yoga camps, essay competitions involving children, local innovation challenge competitions were being planned for the occasion.

The members of the panel include former president Pratibha Patil, Chief Justice of India S A Bobde, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, chief ministers, leaders across the political spectrum including Congress president Sonia Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, BSP chief Mayawati, Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee, artistes such as Lata Mangeshkar, A R Rahman, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, senior BJP leader L K Advani, almost all Union ministers and several governors.

The celebrations will mark the anniversary of ‘Dandi March’ and there shall be a curtain-raiser event in different locations across the country on the same day. The commemorations will include 75 events for 75 weeks with one prominent event every week and the programmes will be planned at 75 places or monuments of historical significance spread across states and UTs.

A national implementation committee, chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah, has already been set up to guide the programmes to be undertaken by different ministries of the Centre to celebrate the 75th anniversary of India’s independence.