The five-day ‘Shahid-Swaraj Dweep Samooh Naman Yatra’ which started on December 30, 2019 concluded on January 2, 2020 at Port Blair. A seminar on Citizenship Amendment Act under the aegis of Forum for Awareness of National Security (FANS) was also held during the yatra.
Port Blair, Jan 9: The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) does not affect any genuine Indian citizen professing any religion. No Indian citizen should therefore worry about this act, said Indresh Kumar, senior RSS leader and Patron of Forum for Awareness of National Security (FANS).
He was speaking at the seminar organised on CAA at Port Blair on the side lines of the “Shahid-Swaraj Dweep Samuh Naman Yatra” held from December 30, 2019 to January 2, 2020. This was the 8th year of this yatra which began to commemorate the first national flag hoisting on this island by the Indian National Army (INA) headed by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on December 30, 1943.
Indresh Kumar said that no country in the world has come forward and offered to accept the persecuted minorities of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. It was only India which offered to provide citizenship to these persecuted minorities from these Islamic countries. The world must praise India for this large-heartedness, he said.
The Congress party has criticized the government for neglecting Muslims from these countries, Indresh Kumar said and quipped that it means the even Muslims are not safe in these Islamic countries. So, other Islamic countries of the world should condemn Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh for the ill-treatment being given to Muslims there, he said. They should ask these countries to stop killing of minorities and Muslims.
Union Minster Ashwini Kumar Choubey, FANS A & N Island Chapter President Girish Arora and others were present on this occasion.
Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey said that the CAA has nothing to do with the people of any particular religion. The CAA was brought by the government for giving citizenship to the persecuted minorities who migrated to India from the neighbouring countries of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh to save their religion, honour and dignity.
The Minister further said that the CAA will not snatch away citizenship of Muslim citizens of India as is wrongly propagated by the vested interests to mislead the Muslims and create division in the Indian society.
Choubey also recalled the contribution and importance of these islands in the freedom struggle of India.
This year it was the 75th anniversary of flag hoisting here by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose as first Prime Minister of the Government of India in Exile. He unfurled the Indian tricolour on 30th December 1943 – the first ever landmark milestone in the Indian freedom struggle. The Prime Minister had visited these islands last year and hoisted the national tricolour at Port Blair on a newly erected 150-ft high flag mast on Dec 30, 2018. He also released the commemorative stamp and coin in memory of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
This year the flag hoisting ceremony was attended by Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Indresh Kumar, Lt Governor of A & N Islands Admiral D K Joshi, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, NM, VSM (retd) who hoisted the tricolour at the Flag Point in port Blair.
The ceremony was prominently attended by Chief Secretary K R Meena, Deependra Pathak DGP and other officers, Subir Chander, President Zilla Parishad, N K Udhaya Kumar, Chairperson PBMC, Vishal Jolly, President BJP, Sarala Singh, General Secretary, FANS, Girish Arora, FANS, A & N Island chapter president and others.
The FANS has been organising this event at Port Blair since past 8 years. The ‘Shahid Swaraj Dweep Samooh Naman Yatra’ is designed to commemorate the legendary flag hoisting by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on 30th Dec 1943. Hundreds of nationalists participate in this event which spans over almost a week from December 29 to Jan 2 every year under the leadership of Sri Indresh Kumar, Guide and Patron of FANS.
