Kolkata: Inaugurating postal stamps and dedicated galleries ‘Nirbhik Subhas’ (Fearless Subhas) and ‘Biplabi Bharat’ to celebrate the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Victoria Memorial hall said that following Netaji's ideology, India is now 'Atma Nirbhar' (Self-reliant) as a country.
The Prime Minister also said that once, Netaji had wanted to go to Delhi to free India and today Delhi is coming to Kolkata to celebrate the birthday of its greatest saint.
“Netaji would have been happy to see that today India gives a befitting reply to anyone who tries to hurt its sovereignty. The entire world is seeing the avatar of a strong India that Netaji had envisioned, from LAC to LoC. The land of Bengal has given us several saints. It is from Bengal that we got our national anthem and our national song. A self-reliant West Bengal will further reinforce a self-reliant India,” claimed PM Modi, adding that everyone should follow the ideologies of Netaji.
The Prime Minister also mentioned that Netaji would have been very happy to see the way India is fighting the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak.
“Netaji would have been very proud of India’s response to COVID-19. Netaji’s life, his work and his decision are of great inspiration to us all. I personally get energised every time I hear Netaji’s name. With India about to cross 75 years of Independence, we have already made India ‘atmanirbhar’ (self-reliant),” added the Prime Minister.
Showing respect to the freedom fighters of the Indian National Army (INA), Modi said that these fighters worked tirelessly with Netaji to bring back the lost glory of the country.
“It was the good fortune of our government that INA veterans participated in the parade on January 26. I am privileged to honour them today. Netaji is an inspiration for India’s courage and every year, we will mark this day as 'Parakram Diwas'. It is our duty to remember the sacrifices made by Netaji,” added Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Modi also said that when the world was discussing the basic rights of women, Netaji formed the 'Rani Jhansi regiment' of the Azad Hind Fauj to bring women to the forefront of India's freedom struggle.
“He trained them and instilled in them a passion for the country and the will to fight for India's freedom. Netaji was ahead of his time and worked for the upliftment of women. Everything was possible for him,” mentioned the Prime Minister.
