New Delhi, Aug 14: Prime Minister NarendraModi on Saturday announced that August 14 will now be observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day in memory of the struggles and sacrifices of people, and said the pain of partition can never be forgotten. Modi noted that millions of people were displaced and many lost their lives due to the mindless hate and violence caused by the partition.
May the Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, the prime minister said, keep “reminding us of the need to remove the poison of social divisions, disharmony and further strengthen the spirit of oneness, social harmony and human empowerment”.
Hours after Modi’s announcement, the Union Home Ministry notified August 14 as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said Partition Horrors Remembrance Day will be a fitting tribute to all those who lost their lives due to the partition of the nation and were displaced from their roots.
Declaration of such a day would remind the present and future generations of Indians of the pain and suffering faced by the people during the partition, it said.
“Independence Day, which is celebrated on August 15 every year, is a joyous and proud occasion for any nation; however, with the sweetness of freedom also came the trauma of partition. The birth of the newly independent Indian nation was accompanied by violent pangs of partition that left permanent scars on millions of Indians,” the I&B Ministry said.
It said the pain and violence of partition remain deeply etched in the nation’s memory. While the country has moved on to become the largest democracy and the third-largest economy of the world, the pain of partition suffered by the nation can never be forgotten.
“While celebrating our Independence, a grateful nation also salutes those sons and daughters of our beloved motherland who had to sacrifice their lives in the frenzy of violence,” the I&B Ministry said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Union Home Ministry on Saturday issued a notification declaring that August 14 will be observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day to salute those who sacrificed their lives during the country’s partition, hours after Prime Minister NarendraModi made the announcement to this effect.