The PM inaugurates the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav marking 75 years of Independence

The ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ 75 weeks before 15 August 2020 will continue till 15 August, 2023.

The PM inaugurates the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav today, as he flags off the Padyatra or the Freedom March from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahamdabad, to mark the 75 years of Independence that commences August 15, this year. The ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ 75 weeks before 15 August 2020 will continue till 15 August, 2023.

The Freedom March@ 75 as it is named, the 75-week-long celebrations would be defined through a series of events to be organised by the Government of India. The Mahotsav or the grand festival will be celebrated as a Jan-Utsav in the spirit of Jan-Bhagidari.

The PM first paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi by showering flower petals on him followed other freedom fighters before he launched various other cultural and digital initiatives on the occasion, in the presence of the Governor of Gujarat Mr. Acharya Devvrat, Union Minister of Culture (Independent), Mr, Prahalad Singh Patel and Chief Minister of Gujarat Mr. Vijay Rupani.

On the occasion, the PM’s speech focused on five pillars of Independent India – that are Freedom Struggle, Ideas at 75, Achievements at 75, Actions at 75 and Resolves at 75, as guiding force for moving forward keeping dreams and duties as inspiration.

He asserted that Azadi Amrit Mahotsav means elixir of energy of independence. It means elixir of inspirations of the warriors of freedom struggle; elixir of new ideas and pledges and nectar of Aatmnirbharta.

At the site of the occasion, a very interesting exhibition of the freedom struggle of Mahatma Gandhi – the Dandi March was curated by Mr. Rizwan Qadri, who, discovered, that a boy called Chagan Lal had come to meet the Mahatma Gandhi at his ashram, and became his devotee. He remained with the father of the nation all his life. But soon, Gandhi ji discovered his skill at drawing and encouraged him.

Chagan Bhai, as he was fondly called then, drew numerous sketches on the Mahatma’s life, from among them, a series of verified sketches of his on the Dandi March was displayed at the Ashram. Qadri discovered them from a qabadi wala, collected it, got it verified from authentic sources and then he curated the show for the occasion.

The show included different manuscripts on Gandhi ji, and articles penned on him in magazines like TIME, in different times. A symbolic of self-reliant Indian or aatm nirbhar bharat was highlighted via Gandhi ji’s charkha or the spinning wheel.

Whether the Mahotsav will do anything concrete apart from reiterating its symbolic allegiance to the father of the nation, is yet to be seen.