Attempts made to forget Netaji, our effort to honour him, says Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday lamented that attempts were made to erase the memory of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, and claimed the Narendra Modi government took several initiatives such as setting up of a memorial in Andamans to honour his legacy.

Shah is on a visit here to commemorate the 126th birth anniversary of Bose.

Addressing a gathering at Dr. B R Ambedkar Institute of Technology auditorium here, he said, “We cannot forget the contribution of Subhash `babu' in India’s freedom struggle but the irony is attempts were made to forget him.

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“We will not let this happen and these initiatives by PM Modi ji are a symbol of India’s indebtedness towards him”, the home minister said.

“We installed a statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on Kartavya Path in New Delhi and this will remind our generation about their `Kartavya' (duty) in future to our country. I would also like to commend the vision of PM Modi for naming 21 Islands after the Param Veer Chakra awardees.

Mentioning that to his knowledge, no other country had honoured its soldiers by naming islands after them, Shah said the Prime Minister’s initiative in this regard was “highly commendable”.

“His decision for a memorial at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Island (Ross Island) is also commendable,” the Union Home minister said.

Shah also pointed out that despite differences with ‘Gandhi ji’, Bose had sought his blessings before joining India’s independence movement.

Later in the day, while addressing the ‘Iconic Events Week’ organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs to mark the 126th Birth Anniversary of Netaji in Port Blair, Shah said Netaji "sought Gandhi ji's blessings despite having differences with him ...this shows how humble a person he was.”

“Those who are brave are not dependent on anyone for their memory. I would like to urge the youth of India to read as much as they can about Netaji’s life and his significant role in the Independence movement," the home minister said.

He added that the planned Netaji memorial will turn this island territory into a "major tourist hub as people will visit not only for the island's beaches but also to bow their head before Cellular Jail because it is not a monument but a ‘tirtha sthan’."

Indian freedom fighters were incarcerated in the notorious jail in the pre-independence era and regularly tortured by British authorities.

He said, “Andaman and Nicobar Island is blessed because this is the place which was first liberated by Netaji on December 30, 1943.

“In last eight years, we have identified various opportunities in Andaman and worked hard to make this place a must visit for people across the globe."

Many steps were taken including laying of submarine optical fibre for better internet connectivity, 100 per cent drinking water in 266 villages, 20 MW solar power project, new airport terminal and better roads, Shah pointed out.

"Our Prime Minister is working on making these islands self-reliant,” the home minister said.