75th I-Day will celebrate spirit of freedom struggle: PM Modi
Addressing the 259 member panel, PM says the 75th year will mark the aspirations, and dreams of 130 crore Indians
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday addressed the 259-member committee set up to oversee the celebrations of 75 years of independence next year, saying that the occasion will mark the aspirations, feelings, thoughts, suggestions and dreams of 130 crore Indians.
“New ideas, new suggestions, on how to mark the 75 years will be discussed at length,” Modi said. “These suggestions are invaluable, your suggestions show your connect with the people.”
He added that overtime the suggestions will provide a roadmap for the celebrations with all nuances of the programme being considered.
“The celebrations can be divided in five sub-heads - Freedom struggle, Ideas at 75, Achievements at 75, Actions at 75 and Resolve at 75,” the Prime Minister said.
“We are fortunate that in time, the country has given us the responsibility to make this festival a reality. This festival of 75 years of Independence should be a festival in which the spirit of freedom struggle and its renunciation can be experienced, in which there is also a tribute to the martyrs of the country and the resolve to make India of their dreams, in which there is a glimpse of the glory of Sanatan Bharat, which also has the glow of modern India,” PM
Modi said.
“It is an opportunity to showcase to the world our achievements since 1947. We need to tell people about the sacrifice of freedom movement heroes,” he said after the virtual meeting.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is heading a high-level committee comprising 259 eminent personalities to commemorate 75 years of India’s independence, the government notified last week.
The Committee includes former president Pratibha Patil, CJI Sharad Bobde, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla and home minister Amit Shah. It also includes eminent personalities from various fields, such as noted economist Amartya Sen, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and spiritual leader Baba Ramdev.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi, chief ministers of all states and other senior political leaders are also among the 259 committee members.
“The Committee will provide policy direction and guidelines for formulation of programs for the commemoration of 75th anniversary of Indian Independence, at the national and international levels,” the culture ministry had said in a statement.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the opening ceremony in Gujarat on March 12, 75 weeks before the pivotal day. March 12 also marks the day of the Dandi March led by Mahatma Gandhi as a part of India’s freedom movement.
“To commemorate 75 years of Independence, the PM will be in Gujarat on March 12 to launch ‘Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav’ from the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad,” Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani said.
The government will also undertake a major push for tourism and organize various exhibitions to celebrate freedom fighters Mahatma Gandhi, Vallabhbhai Patel and Subhas Chandra Bose.
On January 31, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2021’s first Mann ki Baat had appealed to the countrymen to write about freedom fighters and stories of their struggle to mark the country’s 75th Independence Day this year.