The Sarsanghchalak of RSS honoured the descendants of the war heroes with a memento and a shawl and said that it is a proud moment for all Indians that our forefathers have fought and sacrificed their lives for the cause of freedom
Imphal: Sarsanghchalak of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Dr Mohan Bhagwat has honoured the descendants of Anglo-Manipuri war heroes on Sunday during a book release function held at Rajarshi Bhagyachandra Skill Development Centre (RBSDC), Haraorou under Imphal East.
While stating that it is a proud moment for all Indians that our forefathers have fought and sacrificed their lives for the cause of freedom, the Sarsanghchalak of RSS honoured the descendants of the war heroes with a memento and a shawl.
The county has completed 75 years of independence because of the sacrifices made by our forefathers. Many Manipuris have participated in the freedom struggle and some of them were sentenced to death, even Maharaja Kulchandra Singh of Manipur with 22 others were sent to Kalapani. The people of Manipur have also contributed the same as other states do in the freedom struggle of the country and it should be made known to all, Mohan Bhagwat said.
India is not based on religion but on dharma; the freedom fighters not only fought for freedom, but they also fought for dharma. The sacrificing spirit of our forefathers is in our blood and their contribution makes the whole country strong. Making India a material and spiritually prosperous nation would be our befitting tribute to them. But, to lead the world as vishwaguru we need to change our strategy, said the Sarsanghchalak of RSS while taking the dedication of Israelis from their effort to establish Israel as a nation to becoming a global power as an example.
Manipur has been a contributor to the life of India since the Mahabharata period. Today's generation also makes the same contribution by taking inspiration from those heroes. We should get such a whole of India upliftment through our actions, Mohan Bhagwat said while urging to translate the book into Manipuri and other Indian languages so that everyone can read and understand the contribution of Manipur in the freedom struggle.
The book entitled ‘Unsung Anglo-Manipuri War Heroes at Kalapani’was released by the RSS Sarsanghchalak and Maharaj of Manipur, LeishembaSanajaoba, who is also the Member of Rajya Sabha.
Earlier in the morning at RBSDC, the Sarsanghchalak paid a floral tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his 125th birth anniversary on the third day of his four-day visit to Manipur.
Co-author of the book, Hanjabam Sukhdev Sharma said that even in difficult times the war heroes of Manipur protested against the food provided for them while they were imprisoned at Mount Manipur (earlier Mount Harriet) as the food was against the Vaishnavite culture. They cook their own food and continue to survive with strong Vaishnavism.
When the Manipuri war heroes were not allowed to return home, they decided to rest till their last breath at holy pilgrimages like Nabadwip, Radha Kund and Vrindavan. Maharaja Bhagyachandra died at Nabadwip, while Maharaja Kullachandra died at Radha Kund, Sukhdev Sharma said while urging the government to preserve and promote the heritage.
