Gautam Buddha Nagar (Uttar Pradesh) (ANI): Exhorting the youth to take inspiration from revolutionary freedom fighters such as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose to build a new, self-reliant India, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday criticised the previous governments saying Netaji’s contribution to independent India was either deliberately ignored or underestimated by previous governments. Addressing young researchers at an event held in Greater Noida, Defence Minister asserted that the young ignited minds of the country have the potential to build an ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, stressing that they should take inspiration from the country’s glorious cultural heritage and come out with innovative ideas, through in-depth research, to take the country to greater heights. He said the aim is to achieve ‘Aatmanirbharta’ by leveraging technology while coming out of the colonial mindset, which was the dream of freedom fighters such as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
Rajnath Singh listed several steps taken by the government to free the country from a colonial mindset. These include the renaming of Rajpath to Kartavya Path; the installation of a grand statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at India Gate premises; renaming of three islands of Andaman and Nicobar archipelago as a tribute to Netaji; a new ensign of the Indian Navy inspired from Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji and the abolition of hundreds of laws dating back to the British era. Singh said, “There was a time when Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s contribution to independent India was deliberately ignored or underestimated. Documents on him weren’t brought to the public domain. When PM Modi assumed office, he started giving Netaji the respect he deserved. We declassified and dedicated to people of the country more than 300 documents related to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose that were not brought to the public domain for a very long time.”While maintaining that technology will play a central role in every sector in the coming times, he called upon the students to focus on in-depth research through conventional sources such as research institutes, libraries and archives, other than newer methods such as the internet. Singh urged the students to stay abreast with the latest developments across the globe but ensure that the cultural traditions and values remain protected.
“In this era of globalisation, the world is interconnected through many mediums. It is, therefore, necessary to understand different cultures, languages, education, economic & political systems. While we are steadfast in building a ‘New India’, our guide should be ‘India of the past’ and its rich cultural traditions. There is a need to re-evaluate Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s role and vision. Some people call it rewriting history. I call it course correction,” he said. Singh said India is touching greater heights today as the focus of the government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is towards achieving self-reliance in every sector, in line with the vision of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’. (ANI)
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