PM declares Aug. 14 as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day

On the eve of India's 75th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced that August 14 will be observed as “Partition Horrors Remembrance Day” in memory of the struggles and sacrifices of people, saying the pain of partition can never be forgotten.

Pakistan, which was carved out of India, celebrates its Independence Day on August 14.

Noting that millions of people were displaced and many lost their lives due to mindless hate and violence caused by Partition, the Prime Minister said the day keep “reminding us of the need to remove the poison of social divisions, disharmony and further strengthen the spirit of oneness, social harmony and human empowerment”.

Pakistan was carved out as a Muslim nation after the division of India by the British in 1947, and millions were displaced and lakhs lost their lives as large-scale rioting broke out.

Soon after the PM tweeted about the “Partition Horrors Rememb-rance Day”, many BJP leaders, including Union ministers and party supporters tweeted their messages with the hashtag #PartitionHorrors Remembrance Day.

“This will forever be a reminder of the human misery caused by wrong policies of the then government,” said Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri.

Smriti Irani, said, “Generations were torn apart, for many the scars will never heal. Today on #PartitionHorrorsRemembranceDay, we resolve to ensure — Never again shall we be divided!”

Rajya Sabha member Rakesh Sinha tweeted: “The Partition was followed and preceded by genocide. It was an attack on our age-old civilizational ethos and journey. Marxist historians made it footnote to hide the truth. Thanks to PM Narendra Modi for lifting it from margin to mainstream. Posterity must know the truth.”