Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, November 26, said India was correcting its past mistakes by celebrating its heritage and remembering its unsung bravehearts lost in the pages of history that had a myopic and colonial perspective of the British rule, a report in the Deccan Chronicle says.
He was speaking at the closing ceremony of the year-long celebrations marking the 400th birth anniversary of Lachit Borphukan, the legendary Ahom General, in the national capital.
Addressing the event, the Prime Minister said that the history of India is not only about slavery but also about how India emerged victorious, The saga and sacrifice of its warriors and the valour of countless greats. Therefore, it was important that the telling of history was not limited to a few decades or centuries.
“India’s history is about standing against tyranny with unprecedented valour and courage. Unfortunately, even after Independence, we were taught the same history. After Independence, history needed to be rewritten, but that did not happen,” he said.
The Prime Minister noted that the stories of fierce resistance against tyranny in every part of the country were willfully suppressed. “There are countless stories of victory over tyranny during the long period of repression. The mistake of not bringing those events to the mainstream is being rectified now. The fact that this event is taking place in Delhi is a reflection of this change,” he said.
The Prime Minister emphasised that
Only when a nation knows its real past, can it learn from those experiences and walk in the right direction for its future, said the Prime Minister. “It is our responsibility that our sense of history is not confined to a few decades and centuries,”
Recalling the lines of legendary playback singer and politician Bhupen Hazarika, Mr Modi said that only by repeatedly remembering can we can give the coming generations a correct picture of history.
The Prime Minister complimented the Assam government for taking steps to celebrate the legacy of its heroes. He said that projects like museums and memorials in Assam to honour its heroes will help the younger generation learn about the history of sacrifice and bravery.
Remembering Barphukan, who defeated the Mughals and successfully halted the ever-expanding ambitions of Aurangzeb, the Prime Minister said, “Lachit Borphukan’s life inspires us to live the mantra of ‘Nation First’. His life teaches us that instead of nepotism and dynasty, the country should be supreme.”
Referring to the instances from Borphukan’s life, Mr Modi said, “No person or relation is above the nation.”
The Prime Minister also suggested creating a grand theatre play on Lachit Borphukan along the lines of the one on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and staging it across the country.
“This will give a great boost to the resolution of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’. We have to make India developed nation and make the Northeast, the hub of India’s growth. I am sure that the spirit of 400th Jayanti of Veer Lachit Borphukan will give strength to our resolve and the nation will achieve its goals,” he said.
The Prime Minister also released a book titled — Lachit Borphukan – Assam’s Hero who Halted the Mughals, on the occasion.
Mr Modi said: “India is celebrating the 400th birth anniversary of Lachit Borphukan at a time when the country is marking ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.”
The Prime Minister reiterated India’s resolve to celebrate its heritage. “India is not only celebrating its cultural diversity but also acknowledging the unsung heroes and heroines of its history,” he said.
Assam governor Jagadish Mukhi, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sharma, Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal and former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi were those who attended the concluding ceremony of the two-day birth anniversary celebrations
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