Press Information Bureau

The Government has decided to constitute a High Level Committee to commemorate the 125^th Birth Anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.   This High Level Committee will decide on the activities for a one year long commemoration starting 23^rd January, 2021.   The High Level Committee will be headed by the Union Home Minister, Shri Amit Shah.   The Commemoration is being held as a tribute and as a mark of gratitude to the colossal contribution Netaji made to India’s freedom struggle.

Speaking about Netaji Bose, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had said, “India will always remain grateful to Subhas Chandra Bose for his bravery and indelible contribution to resisting colonialism. He was a stalwart who committed himself towards ensuring every Indian leads a life of dignity. Subhas Babu was also known for his intellectual prowess and organisational skills. We are committed to fulfilling his ideals and creating a strong India.”

                The members of the High Level Commemoration Committee will include experts, historians, authors, family members of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, as well as eminent persons associated with Azad Hind Fauj/INA. The Committee will also lend guidance to the commemoration activities in Delhi, Kolkata and  other places associated with Netaji and Azad Hind Fauj, both in India  as well as overseas.                                                      

In the recent past, Government of India has taken several steps towards preserving and conserving the precious heritage of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. A museum has been set up on Netaji at Red Fort, New Delhi, which was inaugurated by the  Prime Minister on 23.01.2019. A permanent exhibition and a Light and Sound show on Netaji has been planned to be set up at Kolkata in the historic Victoria Memorial building.

In 2015, Government of India decided to declassify the files relating to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and make them accessible to public. The first lot of 33 files were declassified on 4 December 2015. Digital copies of 100 files relating to   Netaji were released by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi on 23rd January 2016 to meet the long-standing demand of the people.

During his visit to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 2018, the Prime Minister  joined the programme to mark 75^th anniversary of hoisting Tricolour by Netaji Bose. He paid tributes to Subhas Chandra Bose’s Provisional Government of Azad Hind, which administered the Islands during World War II. The Prime Minister renamed 3 islands in Andaman and Nicobar. The Ross Island was renamed as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep; the Neil Island as Shaheed Dweep; and the Havelock Island as SwarajDweep.

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NB/KP