Tribute paid to Subhas Chandra Bose on 121st birth anniversary in Agartala

The 121st birth anniversary of the revolutionary leader of India's War of Independence, Subhas Chandra Bose, was celebrated in Agartala and in other parts of the country.

The main programme was organised by students of the Netaji Subash Vidya Niketan School.

A colouful rally was brought out to depict mainly Subhash Chandra Bose's ideology and his involvement with the freedom struggle, the cosmopolitan society of India and the prevailing evils which are a curse to mankind.

Hundreds of school students, different organisations and clubs participated in the rally that went through the streets of Agartala. Spectators lined both sides of the road during the event.

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

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

Inspired by the call of Mahatma Gandhi's Khadi Movement, Netaji, however, was not fully convinced that civil disobedience alone would be enough to gain India freedom. He believed that the armed revolution was the answer and was the Commander-in-Chief of the National Volunteer Corps that declared an 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 on the eastern front of India and also fought alongside Japanese forces in the Malayan peninsula in World War II.

The rally depicted India's freedom movement with emphasis on Subash Bose's role, India's unity in the diverse, demonetisation, surgical attack, disasters, militancy, existing taboos in the society, and other socio-cultural subjects.

Anupam Sarma, a student of standard nine, who dressed up 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 during the procession."

Meantime, another student Debolina Mazumder, who has dressed like a Muslim woman, said: "Hindus, Muslims and all humans are realizing that we should get differentiated on the basis of religion and which leads to communal fight, so here it is a small initiative by us against this."

While her friend Debolina Roy added, "We are all aware of the fact that today is Netaji's birdhay and our school has been established on the ideology of his. Like earlier years on this occation we are taking out a rally and we are depicting here our diverse culture the unity and spreading this message."

Hundred of proud 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 fluttered along with the national tricolour on this day to remember the hero.

The programme was inaugurated by Tripura's Education Minister Tapan Chakraboty in presence of other dignitaries.

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