Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday unveiled a hologram of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose at India Gate, putting the legendary hero of the freedom struggle on the same pedestal as Gandhi, Nehru, Patel and Ambedkar.
He said that the hologram of Netaji will soon be replaced by a one cast in stone and said that installation of the “giant statue” close to the National War Museum at India Gate and in the close vicinity of Parliament and seat of the central government marks a “homage to the hero of freedom by the grateful nation and will keep reminding our instititutions and coming generations the lesson of national duty”.
PM Modi called Netaji “a great son of Mother India (who) by installing the first ‘independent’ government on Indian soil gave country the confidence that the goal of independence was achievable”, and said that the recognition that he deserved was denied to him.
Referring to measures such as the hoisting of the flag of Indian National Army (raised by Netaji from among Indian PoWs to fight the British), participation of the INA contingent in the 2018 Republic Day parade, declassification of files related to him and measures to commemorate the INA inside the Red Fort, the PM said, “It is unfortunate that after independence, along with the culture and traditions of the country, the contributions of many great personalities were also sought to be erased. The freedom struggle involved ‘tapasya’ of lakhs of countrymen, but attempt were made to diminish their contributions. But today the country is boldly correcting those mistakes.”
In his speech, Modi emphaised development of the five pilgrimage sites associated with Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar; raising of the Statue of Unity in honour of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel as well as the recent decision to celebrate the birth anniversary of tribal hero Birsa Munda as “Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas”.
On giving due respect to Bose, the PM said one island in the Andamans has been named after Netaji and a memorial has also been dedicated in his name there. Modi recalled how Netaji had said that “there is no power in the world that can shake India” and how he had told the British that he would not take independence “as alms” but would wrest it, and said that country needed to follow the “can do, will do” spirit that Bose personified.
