On July 23, 2024, a remarkable event took place at the Vivekananda Kendra in Kanyakumari with the inauguration of a tribute wall to honour the valor and indomitable spirit of the freedom heroes who came together from different parts of India and fought with the objective of freeing India from British oppression, resolving that freedom was their birthright and they shall attain it.
The tribute wall bears the names of 1040 most remarkable Indian national heroes who had given their lives for Mother India.
The tribute wall was inaugurated by RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat in the august presence of A Balakrishnan, President of Vivekananda Kendra.
The concept of the tribute wall was conceived and created by Chakra Rajasekar, Chairman of Chakra Vision India Foundation (CVIF), and is executed by P Goverthanan, Vice President of CVIF.
While addressing the gathering RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat said, “We are the people of India, and we know that India has existed for a very long time and continues to thrive today. We are more ancient than China. In the meantime, many countries emerged and got vanished, such as Greece and Egypt, but we existed before all of them and still do. This brave entity did not come into being easily; it took many generations to build. Countless sacrifices were made by our people to protect it. Despite numerous foreign invasions and attempts to eliminate us, we stood firm”.
Narrating an anecdote he said, “ once the Badshah of Delhi destroyed a ‘akshayvat’ in prayag because Hindus used to worship it, he uprooted the tree and burnt its roots, and even filled the area with iron sheets to prevent regrowth, but within ten years, the tree sprouted again from the iron sheets. Today, that ‘Akshayvat’ stands in its original form in the Prayag fort, and people continue to worship it. This resilience is a result of countless sacrifices”.
The tree represents environmental reverence, a value ingrained in us, as we worship trees, animals, and rivers. Everywhere we see dignity, we find divinity, because it is in our culture, he added.
“From ancient times to the present, our identity has embraced everyone, we treat the entire world as one family. We revere nature as mother, and this sentiment is a hallmark of our nation’s essence. Bharat is a land of many languages and immense diversity, which manifests unity. Our diversity is a variety of a single identity. This unity in diversity is built and maintained by the efforts, sweat, blood, and sacrifices of our people from all walks of life. The world admires this heritage, and today, the world needs this model of unity within diversity”, he further said.
“Whenever an invader set foot on Indian soil, his resistance began immediately. Invaders might have won battles, but they could never sleep peacefully, knowing their struggle would continue until their end. Bharat would never accept slavery, which is why invaders either lost the battle or were driven out”, he said.
He further said that, “Despite periods of conquest, invaders could never eradicate us; we rose again and gained independence. Our existence was safeguarded by our ancestors’ immense sacrifices”.
Concluding his address he said that, “as we recently celebrated our 75th anniversary of independence, we found that in every district across the old boundaries of Bharat (undivided Bharat) after every 10 villages we can find freedom fighter who sacrificed their all for the motherland. Their struggles and sacrifices are an inspiration; they are still remembered and revered by local communities. This legacy of freedom fighters spans all social beings, languages, faiths, and regions, making it a source of inspiration for us. It reminds us to strive to better ourselves, leading Bharat to become Vishv Guru.”
PM Modi also shared his thoughts via message “The tribute wall is a precious book behind our national flag. This idea is unique in the world. This initiative taken by Chakra vision India Foundation Trust would definitely inspire younger generation. I am really touched and proud to be part of MISSION AZADI 2027”.
Interestingly, the foundation of this tribute wall is laid using sacred soil brought from the birthplace of each national hero who fought for India’s freedom.
Former ISRO Chairman K Sivan, BJP Tamil Nadu State President K Annamalai also attended the event.
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