By Dominick Rodrigues
Mumbai : The Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray today made a clarion call for remembering India’s freedom fighters besides also cherishing and living the values of the freedom struggle in achieving “Surajya” (Good Governance) with “Swarajya” (self-rule).
“This is the freedom which we have inherited from our forefathers and it is our responsibility to safeguard it, even with our lives,” the Chief Minister said during the curtain-raiser activities of “Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav” in Maharashtra, where he paid floral tributes at the August Kranti Memorial in Mumbai while remembering India’s freedom fighters at the inaugural function.
He said “Going beyond caste, religion etc. our feelings for our country are same. We should not only remember the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country but we should also try to build a nation which is worthy of their sacrifice. We have achieved Swarajya now and — after 75 years of Swarajya — we should reflect upon whether we have achieved Surajya.”
“We are fortunate that when very few people are left amongst us who actually fought the freedom struggle, today we have with us freedom fighter Shri Satyabodh Narayan Singit who was put behind bars by British in 1941 when he was of tender age of just 19 years.”
Noting that the August Kranti Maidan was witness to the Indians’ spirited struggle whose leaders were imprisoned by the British on the night of 8th August, Thackeray noted that it was Aruna Asaf Ali who hoisted the Indian National flag at the Gowalia Tank maidan, Bombay during the Quit India Movement in 1942. “This highlights the spirit of freedom fighters which could not be dampened even when their leader was in prison,” he said.
Thackeray said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation would spending about Rs two crores on renovation of this ‘ maidan’ to ensure that the generations to come will remember this ground being the +battleground for our struggle for freedom.+
Maharashtra Culture Minister, Amit Deshmukh pointed out that said this occasion of remembering the freedom struggle highlighted Maharashtra’s battle against covid-19 including being the first state to discover a vaccine against corona—that was like a “gift of Maharashtra to the nation and the world.”
He said that while bowing to the memory of Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, the Maharashtra government will hold year-long programmes to celebrate Amrut Mahotsav of Independence.
Havildar Madhusudan Narayan Surve, recipient of Shourya Chakra, Smt Madhavi Manohar Rane, the spouse of Squadron leader Manohar Rane (Martyr) who is also recipient of Shourya Chakra, and Pradhan Mantri Bal Shakti award winner Kavya Kartikeyan were also felicitated today. The Chief Minister also flagged off a Cycle Rally on this occasion. Revenue Minister of Maharashtra, Balasaheb Thorat and Minister of Textile, Fisheries and Port Development for Maharashtra Aslam Shaikh were also present on this occasion.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi had flagged off the ‘Padyatra’ (Freedom March) from Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad and inaugurated the curtain raiser activities of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
“Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav” is being organised by the Government of India along with State governments to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of India’s Independence. On this occasion felicitation of freedom fighters, Armed Forces heroes, young achievers; cultural performances, heritage walk, number of competitions, organisation of bicycle rallies and other programmes are being arranged all over the country.
