Netaji Subash Chandra Bose's birthday Jan 23 to be celebrated as 'Parakram Diwas' annually

In the latest development, the Government of India has decided to observe Netaji Subash Chandra Bose's birth anniversary on January 23 every year as Parakram Diwas. The Centre announced its move to pay tribute to the freedom fighter to inspire the youth of the nation to 'act with fortitude in the face of adversity'. Ahead of Netaji's 125th birth anniversary this Saturday, The Ministry of Culture issued a circular on Tuesday announcing January 23 to be observed as Parakram Diwas every year from now on. 

Earlier in January, PM Modi had announced that Centre has constituted a committee to decide on the activities for a year-long commemoration of Netaji's 125th Birth Anniversary starting 23 January 2021. The committee, which was to be headed by Home Minister Amit Shah comprising of experts, historians, authors, family members of Netaji and INA associates, was to decide how to pay tribute to Netaji's contribution to India’s freedom struggle. 

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Modi government's push to restore Netaji to pantheon of India's great freedom fighters

Amid long-standing claims that successive Congress governments had since Independence attempted to sideline Netaji Bose and his efforts in India's freedom struggle, in 2015, the Modi government declassified 33 files relating to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, with digital copies of 100 files being released by PM Narendra Modi in January 2016. Last year in December, the Modi government de-classified all records related to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Azad Hind Fauj and placed them in the National Archives of India, Minister of State of Culture and Tourism, Prahlad Singh Patel informed. A total of 304 declassified records/files have been transferred to National Archives of India for permanent retention. Out of 304 flies, 303 files are already uploaded on the Netaji web portal. The National Archives of India is the custodian of declassified files and records of the Government of India. Earlier, in 1997 the National Archives of India had received 990 declassified files pertaining to the Azad Hind Fauj from the Ministry of Defence.

In 2018, PM Modi visited Andaman and Nicobar Islands and joined the programme to mark 75th anniversary of hoisting Tricolour by Netaji Bose - renaming Ross Island as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep, Neil Island as Shaheed Dweep and the Havelock Island as Swaraj Dweep. Recently, in January 2019, a Netaji museum was inaugurated by PM Modi at Red Fort, New Delhi. The Modi government had also inculcated 4 INA veterans in its Republic Day parade in 2019- marking a first.

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