Parakram Diwas 2023: Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually participated at the event to name the largest unnamed islands of Andaman and Nicobar Islands after 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees on the occasion of the Parakram Diwas. He inaugurated a model of a proposed memorial dedicated to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in Andaman and Nicobar Islands to commemorate the freedom fighter's 126th birth anniversary. The Government had declared January 23 as Parakram Diwas in 2021 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
"Today, on Parakram Diwas, I pay homage to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose & recall his unparalleled contribution to India's history. He will be remembered for his fierce resistance to colonial rule. We are working to realise his vision for India," PM Modi wrote in his tweet.
According to an official release from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), PM Modi would also unveil the model of the National Memorial dedicated to Netaji to be built on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep. The Ross Islands were renamed as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep by the PM Modi during his visit to the Island in 2018. Other than this, Neil Island and Havelock Island were also renamed as Shaheed Dweep and Swaraj Dweep.
"Giving due respect to the real-life heroes of the country has always been accorded the highest priority by the Prime Minister. Going ahead with this spirit, it has now been decided to name the 21 largest unnamed islands of the island group after 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees," the statement from the PMO read. The largest unnamed island will be named after the first Param Vir Chakra awardee, the second largest unnamed island will be named after the second Param Vir Chakra awardee, and so on.
Who are the 21 awardees?
"These islands have been named after the 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees, viz. Major Somnath Sharma; Subedar and Hony Captain (then Lance Naik) Karam Singh, MM; 2nd Lt. Rama Raghoba Rane; Nayak Jadunath Singh; Company Havildar Major Piru Singh; Capt GS Salaria; Lieutenant Colonel (then Major) Dhan Singh Thapa; Subedar Joginder Singh; Major Shaitan Singh; CQMH. Abdul Hamid; Lt Col Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore; Lance Naik Albert Ekka; Major Hoshiar Singh; 2nd Lt. Arun Khetrapal; Flying Officer Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon; Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran; Naib Subedar Bana Singh; Captain Vikram Batra; Lt Manoj Kumar Pandey; Subedar Major (then Rifleman) Sanjay Kumar; and Subedar Major Retd (Hony Captain) Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav," PMO further stated.
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PM Modi to virtually inaugurate model of proposed Netaji memorial
The proposed memorial will be set up on Ross Island, which had been renamed as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep in 2018. It will have a museum, a cable car ropeway, a laser-and-sound show, a guided heritage trail through historical buildings and a theme-based children's amusement park, besides a restro lounge, an official said.
The virtual inauguration of the model will be followed by PM Modi’s speech to the nation. “The central government has taken this initiative to honour the Param Vir Chakra awardees. Of the 21 islands, 16 are located in North and Middle Andaman district, and five in South Andaman," the official said.
Notably, Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Port Blair on Sunday night for a two-day visit to the archipelago, where he is scheduled to address a public meeting on the occasion of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's 126th birth anniversary, besides taking stock of development activities. Shah is likely to hoist the national flag during the day and deliver a public speech at Netaji Stadium – the same place where the freedom fighter had unfurled the Tricolour on December 30, 1943.
Who will attend the unveiling of the memorial?
Meanwhile, PM Modi along with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Leaders of parties in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Members of Parliament, former Members of Parliament and other dignitaries will pay floral tributes at the portrait of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in the Central Hall of Parliament House on the latter's birth anniversary.
According to Lok Sabha Secretariate, it was recognised that the floral tributes could serve as an effective medium in spreading greater knowledge and awareness about the lives and contributions of these towering national icons among the youth of the country. Accordingly, Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE), Lok Sabha Secretariat has launched the programme titled 'Know Your Leaders'.
Born on January 23, 1897, Netaji played a crucial role in India's freedom movement. Subhash Chandra Bose established the Azad Hind Fauj. While there is a controversy over Bose's death in a plane crash in Taipei on August 18, 1945, the Central government had in an RTI (Right to Information) in 2017 confirmed that he had died in the incident. Last year, on the occasion of Netaji's 125th birth anniversary, the Prime Minister unveiled the hologram statue of the freedom fighter at India Gate in Delhi.
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