Ahead of the West Bengal elections, the Modi government on Tuesday announced that the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose would henceforth be celebrated as 'Parakram Diwas' (valour day).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to participate in the first 'Parakram Diwas' programme in Kolkata on January 23 which would mark the 125th birth anniversary of the revolutionary leader.
Bose's legacy has become a rallying point for political parties ahead of the West Bengal elections expected in April, with Trinamool Congress describing it as a "political stunt" and Forward Bloc demanding that the anniversary be celebrated as 'Desh Prem Diwas'.
Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel said the prime minister would inaugurate an exhibition on Bose at the National Library grounds in Kolkata and felicitate prominent members of the Indian National Army (INA), founded by Bose.
The Centre has also constituted an 85-member high-level committee chaired by the Prime Minister to plan programmes to mark the 125th birth anniversary of Bose throughout the year.
Patel said 200 Patua artists from West Bengal will make a painting on a 400-metre-long canvas depicting Bose's life.
Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will participate in a programme in Cuttack, Odisha, where Bose was born, while another programme will be held in Haripura village in Gujarat's Surat district where Bose was elected as president of the Indian National Congress in 1938.
The culture ministry is also considering building a memorial in the honour of around 26,000 martyred members of the INA, Patel said.
(Published 19 January 2021, 11:13 IST)
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