Aug 14 to mark horrors of Partition’
A day before he esses the nation from the parts of the Red Fort on ’s Independence Day, Prime ster Narendra Modi on Saty announced that August 14 be observed as Partition ors Remembrance Day. artition’s pains can never be otten. Millions of our sisters brothers were displaced and y lost their lives due to dless hate and violence. In ory of the struggles and sacs of our people, 14th August be observed as Partition rors Remembrance Day,” Modi tweeted. a subsequent tweet, he said ns should be drawn from iolence that erupted during tion to further enhance hary and human empowert. “May the #Partitionhorremembranceday keep inding us of the need to ove the poison of social divis, disharmony and further gthen the spirit of oneness, al harmony and human owerment,” he tweeted. ours after the PM’S uncement, the Union home stry issued a notification aring that August 14 will be rved as Partition Horrors embrance Day to salute e who sacrificed their lives ng the country’s partition. .the Government of India decided to declare 14th ust as Partition Horrors embrance Day in rememce of the people who lost lives during the partition. herefore, the Government dia declares 14th August as tion Horrors Remembrance to remind the present and re generations of Indians of ain and suffering faced by the people of India during the partition,” the notification said.
Welcoming the PM’S decision, Union home minister Amit Shah tweeted in Hindi, “The wound of the partition of the country and the grief of losing loved ones cannot be described in words. I am sure that Partition Horrors Remembrance Day will strengthen peace, love and unity by eliminating the ill-will of discrimination and malice from society.” Thanking the PM, defence minister Rajnath Singh said this decision to remember the sacrifice of the people during the Partition is a “testament to his sensitivity”. August 14 is also the day that Pakistan celebrates as its Independence Day.
Commenting on the decision to observe August 14 as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day,
Vijay Chauthaiwale, in-charge, foreign affairs department of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said it was time to acknowledge the horrors of Partition and the violence that ensued after India and Pakistan were carved out as two countries in 1947.
“This is a long overdue recognition that Partition had resulted in violence, displacement of millions of people, incidents of killing and rape of those who came from the present-day Pakistan. The stories are still vivid and observing this day is a recognition of their sacrifices. Partition was a tragic part of history and the violence that followed it as well. PM Modi has shown tremendous courage by acknowledging the same,” Chauthaiwale said. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological mentor of the BJP, has been observing August 14 as the Akhand Bharat Divas to commemorate the Unified India. On several occasions, its top leaders have made a case for reunification of Akhand Bharat, including parts that got separated from India such as Afghanistan and Pakistan but not through coercion.
BJP leader and Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the Partition remains a “gaping hole” in the soul of India.
“Announcing August 14 as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day is a rightful tribute to the struggles and sacrifices of our people who were a casualty of the Congress’ ambition and tunnel vision,” he said.