Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the 115th installment of his monthly radio program Mann Ki Baat, invited the people to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of two great heroes of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Birsa Munda. While recalling the contributions of these great personalities, the PM called for recognising their shared vision for the difficult challenges and unity of India. Modi emphasized the equal importance of these two personalities in promoting national unity and called for honouring their lasting legacy in the face of adversity.
This is not the first occasion that PM Modi has acknowledged the legacy of those leaders who fought for India’s freedom. In the past too, he has been talking about the contributions of the freedom fighters, which include both the popular and also some lesser-known figures. While highlighting their contributions, PM Modi has ensured that the names of those who till now were not much highlighted in books, movies, etc. were known to the younger generation, and also their contributions were brought to the forefront.
While talking about the tribal leader from Jharkhand, Birsa Munda, who fought against the British Raj, PM Modi declared November 15 as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas in his honour. On Sunday, in his radio programme, PM Modi announced to celebrate his 150th birth anniversary along with Iron Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Similarly, PM Modi, in 2015, inaugurated the Birth Centenary Celebrations of the legendary woman freedom fighter from the Northeast, Rani Gaidinliu. PM mentioned the contributions of Naga spiritual leader and freedom fighter who led a revolt against British rule in the 1930s. While promoting indigenous rights and nationalism, the PM also issued a commemorative coin of a hundred rupees and a circulation coin of five rupees on Rani Gaidinliu.
Referring to her as ‘Rani-maa’, the PM had said that it is our misfortune that people such as Rani Gaidinliu have either not been remembered adequately or have been deliberately forgotten. He emphasized that India must remember the glorious heritage of the freedom struggle and ensure that the legacy of the struggles and achievements of our freedom fighters is passed on to succeeding generations.
In 2022, PM Modi launched the year-long 125th birth anniversary celebration of legendary freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju in Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh. The Prime Minister also met the members of the family of the great freedom fighter Raju, who was a revolutionary from Andhra Pradesh and led a tribal uprising against the British in the early 20th century.
Apart from this, PM Modi has also hailed the contributions of Veer Savarkar, who is known for his role in the Hindu nationalist movement. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, whose role PM Modi has been consistently hailing for unifying India post-independence. Subhas Chandra Bose is another freedom fighter who PM Modi renamed the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and unveiled a hologram of Bose at India Gate, emphasizing Netaji’s vision for a free and united India.
Honouring the legacy
It may be noted that Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the brainchild of PM Modi, celebrates the government’s commitment to give due recognition to the contribution of freedom fighters and making people across the country aware of them. As part of the endeavour, PM Modi has been ensuring that these unsung heroes are remembered for their struggle for Independence. Additionally, in this manner, PM Modi aims to ensure that the freedom fighters from various parts of India get their due recognition after all these years.
Under the Modi government, the 150th birth anniversary of Sri Aurobindo, the great revolutionary and pioneer of spiritual life, and the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Dayanand Saraswati were also celebrated. So was the 500th birth anniversary of the iconic women warrior Rani Durgawati. Since the Modi government was formed at the Centre, the birth anniversaries of those who contributed towards India’s freedom struggle started to be celebrated. The PM has also ensured that the nation was made aware of their contributions, and the new generation also remembered that the Independence they take for granted was attained due to the sacrifice of these heroes.
It may be noted that to honour the legacy of the freedom fighters, the Modi government has named several airports after them. These include
Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, Chandigarh, Veer Savarkar International Airport, Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands,
Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Airport, Agra, among others.
