Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on January 23 said that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was a personality who symbolised patriotism and nationalism of the highest order and that his contributions towards the nation’s freedom struggle were immense and incomparable.
Sarma on January 23 attended the 127th birth anniversary celebration of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, organised by the All Assam Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Birthday Celebration Committee, at Netaji Chowk in Guwahati’s Paltan Bazar.
At the occasion, Sarma said that Netaji symbolised patriotism and nationalism of the highest order.
Stating that the contributions of Netaji towards India’s freedom struggle were either consciously or subconsciously downplayed by a section of the intellectual circles and contemporary historians, Sarma said prime minister Narendra Modi had been relentlessly trying to undo such historical wrongs through initiatives such as installation of the 28-feet tall black-granite statue of the Indian National Army (INA) commander-in-chief near the India Gate.
Crediting Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose for taking the issue of India’s demand for Independence from colonial rule to areas far beyond the perimeters of the Indian subcontinent, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Bose’s indomitable spirit and aspirations to see his motherland become free again drove him to take up unimaginable dangerous tasks and missions.
The ideals of patriotism, nationalism and of nation-first displayed by Netaji continue to inspire millions of Indian citizens in dedicating their lives to the welfare of the nation, the chief minister added.
Sarma also showered praises on Subhas Chandra Bose for his role in preserving the cultural and political hegemony of the indigenous communities of Northeast India countering designs of altering the demography of the region by certain quarters with vested interests.
Using the platform of the Netaji’s birth anniversary, chief minister Sarma appealed to the youth of the state to imbibe the ideals of Netaji and work towards the process of nation-building. Netaji had immense faith in the capabilities of the children in transforming the world and the society, the chief minister said, exuding confidence Assam’s younger generations would make the best use of their potential and abilities in their respective fields of expertise.
Assam ministers Pijush Hazarika and Ashok Singhal, member of legislative assembly Siddhartha Bhattacharjee, chief executive of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council Tuliram Ronghang, mayor of Guwahati Municipal Corporation Mrigen Sarania, among others were also present during the celebration.
