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Netaji�s birth anniversary celebrated

By Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Jan 23 � Remembering Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose as a true leader of the masses, who sacrificed everything for the cause of the country, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today said that though Netaji was born in Bengal, he was very close to hearts of the people of Assam.

With the rest of the country, Netaji�s 116th birth anniversary was enthusiastically celebrated in the State. Speaking at a function organized by the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Birthday Celebration Committee at Netaji Chowk, Paltan Bazar, Chief Minister said that great leaders like Netaji would always motivate the younger generations.

�He was a great patriot but his greatest quality was that he taught thousands of people how to love one�s motherland. Though Mahatma Gandhi and Netaji chose different paths for attaining freedom, the aim was common and it was to get political freedom, social justice and economic freedom for the people of the country,� he added.

Minister of Public Works Department Ajanta Neog hoisted the national flag at 12.20pm, the time when Netaji was born on January 23. In her speech, she said that Subhash Chandra Bose sacrificed a rewarding career in the Indian Civil Services, to serve the motherland. �At the time of political disturbance in Assam, Netaji extended his support to Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi and the people of the State,� she added.

Minister of Public Health Engineering (PHE) Gautam Roy also paid his tribute to the great leader of the masses.

On the occasion, the organizers of the function extended Netaji Smarak Garima Sanman to Dr Amalendu Guha noted poet and social-economist, eminent folklorist Birendranath Dutta and popular novelist Dr Arun Sarma. Eminent writer and wife of Amalendu Guha, Anima Guha received the award on his behalf.

Speaking as the designated speaker of the occasion, Dinesh Baishya, principal of the B Barooah College said that the relevance of Netaji�s ideology is growing with the age of the Indian democracy.

�People called him Netaji � the leader � which itself implies that the people of the country accepted him as the leader of the masses. No other leader of that time was called Netaji,� he said.

�He was a believer in scientific democracy and because of this he participated in the election of Congress leadership and also won the election. But subsequently he had to resign from the Congress and many political analysts feel that Netaji�s resignation from the India National Congress was the turning point in the history of the Congress and also the country,� he mentioned.

�The popular saying �Jai Hind� which we use commonly in the glory of the motherland, was first used by Netaji in his speech. He was a courageous leader who sacrificed everything for the cause of the country,� Baishya added. Earlier, East Guwahati MLA Captain Robin Bordoloi extended the welcome speech.

In another function celebrating the 116th birthday of Netaji at the District Library, Governor of Assam JB Patnaik said that there are many people in the country who believe that Netaji is alive. He is one of the deathless heroes of the country.

�The innermost craving of his heart was to free India from the British yoke and he believed that India would be free only through a violent struggle. The civil disobedient movement had its own limit. Sixty-nine years ago, as the head of the Provisional Government of Ajad Hind, Netaji�s first radio message to India was that civil disobedience must develop into an armed struggle. He also paid his tribute to Mahatma Gandhi in his message and called him the father of the nation and praised Quit India Movement,� he said.

�Had Netaji won the war, India would not have been divided. There was only one goal of the INA � an undivided independent India irrespective of variety of religion and ethnicity,� he added.

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