Parakaram diwas is celebrated on January 23 to commemorate the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Subhash Chandra Bose.This year marks the 126th anniversary of Bose , fondly known as ‘Netaji’ . On this , auspicious occasion Prime minister Narendra Modi named the 21 largest unnamed islands of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands after 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees.
Ministry of Home affairs organised a seven day culmination at Port Blair in honour of Netaji at which home minister Amit Shah was presented physically . However, Mr. Modi participated in the ceremony through video conference and unveiled a model of the national memorial dedicated to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose that’s to be built on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep and also renamed the 21 islands name .
The renaming of these islands marks a historic resolution as Adaman and Nicobar island plays a very vital in India’ s independence .After the revolt of 1857 Britishers send the freedom fighters to the cellular Jail like kala Pani in Andaman and Nicobar island. So the remaining gives a everlasting tribute to all the freedom fighters who sacrificed their lifes for India’s freedom struggle.
As the name of these islands were named by Britishers and since then these name do not changed , on the the occasion of prakaram diwas PM decided to make resolution. Speaking at a conference Mr. Modi said, “Even the names of our islands had the imprint of slavery.”
Mr. Modi said that many messages are contained in the naming of the 21 islands. “The message is the message of ‘Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat’; this message is the message of the bravery of our Armed Forces,” he said.
Just like an ocean connects different islands, similarly, the feeling of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’ ignites the spirit of ‘Bharat Mata’ and ‘India First’,” Mr. Modi added.
These islands have been named after the 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees, viz. Major Somnath Sharma; Subedar and Hony Captain (then Lance Naik) Karam Singh, MM; 2nd Lt. Rama Raghoba Rane; Nayak Jadunath Singh; Company Havildar Major Piru Singh; Capt GS Salaria; Lieutenant Colonel (then Major) Dhan Singh Thapa; Subedar Joginder Singh; Major Shaitan Singh; CQMH. Abdul Hamid; Lt Col Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore; Lance Naik Albert Ekka; Major Hoshiar Singh; 2nd Lt. Arun Khetrapal; Flying Officer Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon; Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran; Naib Subedar Bana Singh; Captain Vikram Batra; Lt Manoj Kumar Pandey; Subedar Major (then Rifleman) Sanjay Kumar; and Subedar Major Retd (Hony Captain) Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav,” PMO further stated.
From Major Somnath Sharma, Piru Singh, Major Shaitan Singh to Captain Manoj Pandey, Subedar Joginder Singh and Lance Naik Albert Ekka, from Veer Abdul Hameed and Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran to all 21 Paramveers, everyone had only one resolve — Nation First! India First! This resolution has now become immortal forever in the name of these islands. A hill in Andaman is also being dedicated in the name of Captain Vikram Batra from the Kargil war,” Mr. Modi said.
Last year on 23. January Mr. Modi Prime Minister unveiled the hologram statue of the freedom fighter at India Gate in Delhi.