Tributes paid to Subhas Bose on 120th birth anniversary in Agartala

The 120th birth anniversary of the revolutionary leader of India's War of Independence Subhas Chandra Bose has been celebrated in Agartala as elsewhere in India.

The main programme was organised by the students of Netaji Subash Vidya Niketan School in Tripura’s capital on Monday.

A colouful rally was taken out to depict mainly Bose's ideology and the freedom struggle, cosmopolitan society of India and the prevailing evils.

Education Minister of Tripura Tapan Chakraboty inaugurated the programme.

Hundreds of school students and members of different organisations and clubs took part in the rally that went through the streets of Agartala as thousands lined both sides of the roads.

Subhas Bose, more popularly known as ‘Netaji’ (beloved leader), was born in a Bengali family of Cuttack in Orissa.

He was the catalyst in sowing the seeds of independent India and revolutionary ideals in the mind of the young

Inspired by the call of Mahatma Gandhi's Khadi Movement, Netaji was not fully convinced that civil disobedience alone was going to be enough to bring freedom to India.

Armed revolution was the answer; he said and later was appointed the Commander-in-Chief of the National Volunteer Corps. He then declared open war against the British rulers of India.

In 1943, he organised the Indian National Army (I.N.A) and fought shoulder to shoulder against the allied forces in Burma and eastern front of India, and also fought alongside Japanese forces in the Malayan peninsula in World War II.

Monday’s rally depicted India’s freedom movement with emphasis on Subash Bose’s role, India’s unity in diversity, demonetisation, surgical attack, disasters, militancy, taboos in society, and other socio-cultural subjects.

Anupam Sharma, a student of standard nine, who was dressed like Subash Bose, said, “Today is the 121st birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and I dressed like him. Students of my class are depicting the attack on the British by Netaji in this procession.”

Another student Debolina Mazumder, who was dressed like a Muslim woman, said: “Hindus, Muslims and all humans are realising that we should not get differentiated on the basis of religion because it leads to communal fight, so here it is a small initiative by us against this.”

Her friend Debolina Roy added, “We are all aware of the fact that today is Netaji’s birthday and our school has been established on the ideology of his. Like earlier years, on this occasion we are taking out a rally and we are showing here our diverse culture, the unity and spreading this message.”

Tens of thousands of Indians also paid tribute to their hero Netaji who founded the Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) to drive the British rulers out of India.

The Azad Hind flag was fluttered along with the national flag on this day to remember the hero.

The procession to celebrate the birthday of Subash Bose in Agartala started back in the year 1950 and got government recognition in 1980.