West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today led a grand procession in Kolkata to pay tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his 125th birth anniversary. Before the commencement of the procession from Syambazar area in the northern part of the city, Banerjee blew a conch shell and a siren was sounded at 12.15 pm, the time when Bose was born on this day in 1897. The 7-km procession culminated at the Netaji’s statue on Red Road.
“We do not celebrate Netaji’s birthday only in the years when elections are scheduled. We are celebrating his 125th birth anniversary in a grand fashion. Rabindranath Tagore described Netaji as Deshnayak. That is why we have decided to celebrate this day as Deshnayak Diwas,” she said.
Earlier during the day, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee paid homage to freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his birth anniversary and urged the Centre to declare January 23 as a national holiday.
She also said a monument, named after Azad Hind Fauj, will be built in Rajarhat area and a state-funded university, which is also being set up, will be dedicated to Netaji.
“….This year’s Republic Day parade in Kolkata will be dedicated to Netaji. A siren will be sounded today at 12.15 PM. We urge everyone to blow shankh (conch) at home. Centre must also declare January 23 as a National Holiday.
“We are celebrating this day as #DeshNayakDibas. GoWB has also set up a committee to conduct year-long celebrations till January 23, 2022,” Banerjee said on Twitter.
“A monument, named after Azad Hind Fauj, will be built at Rajarhat. A university named after Netaji is also being set up which shall be funded entirely by the state, and will have tie-ups with foreign universities,” she said on the microblogging site.
The Centre has decided to observe January 23 as “Parakram Diwas” to commemorate the birth anniversary of Bose, who was born on this day in 1897.