Last year, the government announced that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary on January 23 will be celebrated as Parakram Diwas or the day of valour.
NEW DELHI: The Republic Day celebrations from this year will start from January 23 instead of January 24 to include the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in line with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government’s “focus to commemorate important aspects of our history and culture,” a government official said on Saturday.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, however, did not clarify what the decision will translate into. One possibility is that the government will count events to commemorate Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary held every year to be part of the R-Day celebrations.
Last year, the Centre announced that January 23 will be celebrated as Parakram Diwas or the day of valour.
Other such days, observance of which has become a yearly affair, are August 14 as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, October 31 as National Unity Day (birth anniversary of Sardar Patel), November 15 as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas (Birsa Munda’s birth anniversary), November 26 as Constitution Day and December 26 as Veer Baal Divas (a tribute to the four sons of Guru Gobind Singh), the official cited above added.
Reacting to the decision, Chandra Bose, kin of Subhas Chandra Bose, said even though it is a good decision but to really honour the freedom fighter, the government needs to understand and implement his ideology.
“Subhas Chandra Bose is extremely relevant in 21st century India. We see all across the country, I don’t suggest any specific political party, all parties are engaged in divisive politics. This must stop, Netaji envisioned a united India. If Netaji had returned to India, there would not have been a Partition of India or Partition of Bengal. India will again get divided, unless you bring Netaji’s ideology into the national mainstream of politics,” he added.
Ahead of the 125th birth anniversary this year, Chandra Bose, who is also a member of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him to have the freedom fighter’s image on currency notes. He also suggested declaring January 23 as a national holiday.
