The Governor of West Bengal, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar ji, the Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, Shri Kishan Reddy ji, all the dignitaries associated with the Victoria Memorial Hall, Vice-Chancellors of the universities, stalwarts of the arts and culture, ladies and gentlemen!

First of all, I express my condolences on the violent incident in Birbhum, West Bengal. I hope that the state government will definitely ensure punishment for the perpetrators of such a heinous crime in the great land of Bengal. I would also urge the people of Bengal to never forgive the perpetrators of such incidents and those who encourage such criminals. On behalf of the Central Government, I also assure the State that the Government of India will provide whatever help it needs in getting the criminals punished at the earliest.

Friends,

I, on behalf of the people of India, salute the great revolutionaries and their sacrifices of this land in the Amrit Mahotsav of Independence. On Martyrs’ Day, I pay my tributes on behalf of a grateful nation to all the brave heroes who laid down their lives for the country. It is also written in Shrimad Bhagavad Geeta –  नैनं छिन्दन्ति शस्त्राणि, नैनं दहति पावकः i.e., no weapon can cut him into pieces, nor can he be burned by fire. Such are the people who sacrifice for the country. They attain immortality. They continue to spread their fragrance generation after generation by becoming a flower of inspiration. That is why the saga of the sacrifices of Amar Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev is on the lips of every child even after so many years. The stories of these heroes inspire all of us to work relentlessly for the country. Martyrs’ Day has become all the more important during the Amrit Mahotsav of Independence. Today, the nation is paying tribute to the heroes who contributed to independence and is refreshing the memory of their contributions. Today the entire nation is remembering again the clarion call of Bagha Jatin – ‘Aamra Morbo, Jaat Jogbe’ (We shall die to awaken the nation), or the call of Khudiram Bose – ‘Ek Baar Bidaai De Ma, Ghurye Aashi (Mother bid me farewell once, I will be back soon). Bankim Babu's Vande Mataram has become the life mantra of Indians today. Brave ladies like Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi, Jhalkaribai, Rani Chennamma of Kittur, Matangini Hazra, Bina Das, Kamala Das Gupta, Kanaklata Barua, etc, ignited the flame of the freedom struggle with women power. In the memory of all such heroes, ‘Prabhat Pheris’ (mini processions) have been taken out at many places since this morning. Our young friends have organized special programs in schools and colleges. In this historical period of Amrit Mahotsav, Biplobi Bharat Gallery has been inaugurated at Victoria Memorial on Martyrs' Day. Today this place has been sanctified by the memories of many great fighters like Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Aurobindo Ghosh, Ras Bihari Bose, Khudi Ram Bose, Bagha Jatin, Binoy, Badal, Dinesh, etc. After Nirbhik Subhas Gallery, a beautiful pearl has been added to the heritage of Kolkata, West Bengal, in the form of Biplobi Bharat Gallery.

Friends,

The Biplobi Bharat Gallery is also a testimony to our commitment to cherish and embellish the rich cultural and historical heritage of West Bengal over the years. The work of making iconic galleries grand and beautiful, be it Old Currency Building, Belvedere House, Victoria Memorial or Metcalfe House, has almost been completed. Our government is engaged in presenting one of the oldest museums in the world, the Indian Museum in Kolkata, before the world in a new way.

Friends,

The legacy of our past guides our present and inspires us to build a better future. Therefore, the country experiences its history, its past, as an awakened source of energy. You must be aware of the time when there used to be frequent news of the theft of idols of ancient temples. Our works of art were fearlessly smuggled abroad, as if they were of no value. But now the collection of heritages of India is being brought back. Kishan Reddy ji has also described it in detail. Just two days ago, Australia handed over dozens of such sculptures, paintings and other artifacts to India. Many of these belong to West Bengal. Last year, the US also returned about 150 artifacts to India. Many such examples come to the fore when the influence of the country grows and when the affinity between two countries develops. You will reckon that only a dozen statues could be brought to India in the decades before 2014. But this number has increased to more than 225 in the last seven years. May these artifacts of our culture and civilization continue to inspire the present and future generations of India! This is a huge effort in this direction.

Brothers and sisters,

There is another side to it, the way the country is developing its national and spiritual heritage with new self-confidence. This aspect is 'heritage tourism'. There is immense potential in 'heritage tourism' from the economic point of view as it also opens new avenues of development. A nationwide campaign is underway to promote ‘heritage tourism’, whether it is a monument in the memory of Salt Satyagraha in Dandi or the reconstruction of Jallianwala Bagh memorial, Statue of Unity in Ekta Nagar Kevadia or a memorial of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay ji in Varanasi, Baba Saheb Memorial in Delhi or Bhagwan Birsa Munda Memorial Park and Museum in Ranchi, or the beautification of the Ghats of Ayodhya and Banaras or the restoration of historical temples and places of faith across the country. Heritage tourism is being given impetus through several schemes like Swadesh Darshan. It is a worldwide experience of how heritage tourism plays a big role in increasing the income of the people and creating new employment opportunities. India of the 21st century is moving ahead only by realizing this potential.

Friends,

India got freedom from hundreds of years of slavery through the combined efforts of three streams. One stream was of revolution, the second stream was of Satyagraha and the third stream was of public awareness and creative works. All these three streams have been emerging in my mind in the form of three colours of the Tricolour. The saffron colour of our Tricolour symbolizes revolution. The white colour symbolizes the stream of Satyagraha and non-violence. Inherent in the green colour are the stream of creative tendencies, propagation of education based on Indian values, literary works related to patriotism and Bhakti movement. I see the blue circle inside the Tricolour as a symbol of India's cultural consciousness. From Vedas to Vivekananda, from Buddha to Gandhi, this cycle continued. This cycle has never stopped be it Mathura's Vrindavan, Kurukshetra's Mohan, his Sudarshan Chakra and Porbandar's spinning wheel.

And friends,

Today, when I am inaugurating the Biplobi Bharat Gallery, I can also see the future of New India in the three colours of the Tricolour. Saffron colour now inspires us for hard work, duty and national security. White colour is now synonymous with 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas'. The green colour today symbolizes India's huge goals for renewable energy for protecting the environment. From green energy to green hydrogen, from biofuel to ethanol bleeding, from natural farming to GobarDhan Yojana, all are becoming its reflection. And the blue circle in the Tricolour is synonymous with the blue economy today. The immense marine resources in India, the vast coastline, our water power, continue to give impetus to the development of India.

And friends,

I am happy that the youth of the country have taken up the task of strengthening this pride and glory of the Tricolour. It was the youth of the country who had held the torch of India's freedom struggle in every period. Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru were hanged on this day; they were only 23-24 years old. Khudiram Bose was much younger than them when he was hanged. Bhagwan Birsa Munda was 25-26 years old, Chandra Shekhar Azad was 24-25 years old, and they shook the British rule. The potential of the youth of India has never been found lacking either then or today. I want to tell the youth of the country to never underestimate your powers and dreams. There is no such work that the youth of India cannot do. There is no such goal that the youth of India cannot achieve. Whatever height India will reach in 100 years of independence in 2047 will be solely on the strength of today's youth. Therefore, the biggest goal of today’s youth should be their contribution to building a new India. In the next 25 years, the hard work of the youth will make India's destiny and shape India's future.

Friends,

The freedom movement of India has always inspired us to work for ‘Ek Bharat- Shreshtha Bharat’. The fanatics of independence belonged to different regions, had different languages ​​and dialects, even their resources were varied, but their patriotism and the spirit of service to the nation were singular. They were connected with the sutra of 'Bharat Bhakti' and stood and fought for a resolution. This eternal feeling of ‘Bharat Bhakti’ and the unity and integrity of India should be our top priority even today. No matter what your political thought is and which political party you belong to, any kind of playing with the unity and integrity of India will be the biggest betrayal of the freedom fighters of India. Without unity, we will not be able to strengthen the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’. Respect for the constitutional institutions of the country, respect for constitutional posts, equal feelings towards all citizens, sympathy towards them, emphasizes the unity of the country. In today's time, we have to keep an eye on every element working against the unity of the country, and fight them vehemently. Today, when we are celebrating the Amrit Mahotsav of freedom, it is also our great responsibility to protect this nectar of unity.

Brothers and sisters,

We have to move forward with a new vision in New India. This new vision is of India's self-confidence, self-reliance, ancient identity and future progress. And the sense of duty is of paramount importance. The more faithfully we perform our duties, the more profound are our efforts, the more imposing will be the future of the country. Therefore, 'devotion to duty' should be our national spirit. 'Respect towards duty' should be our national motivation. Duty should be the national character of India. And what is this duty? We can very easily make decisions about our duties around us, can make efforts and can also bring results. We perform our duties when we do not scatter filth and take care of cleanliness on the roads, in trains, at bus stands and on the streets and the markets. Getting vaccinated on time, contributing to water conservation and helping save the environment are also examples of duty. We follow our duty when we make digital payments, make others aware of it and train them. We do our duty when we buy a local product and become vocal for local. This is also our duty when we give impetus to the AatmaNirbhar Bharat campaign. I am also happy that today India has set a new record of exporting products worth $400 billion i.e. 30 lakh crore rupees. India's growing exports are a symbol of the strength of our industry, MSMEs, manufacturing capacity and agriculture sector.

Friends,

When each and every Indian gives top priority to his duties, follows them with full devotion, then India will not face any problem in moving forward and no one will be able to stop it from moving forward. If we look around us, lakhs of youth, women, our children and our families are practicing this sense of duty. As this spirit becomes the character of every Indian, the future of India will become brighter. If I quote poet Mukunda Das ji : ''की आनंदोध्वनि उठलो बौन्गो-भूमे बौन्गो-भूमे, बौन्गो-भूमे, बौन्गो-भूमे, भारौतभूमे जेगेच्छे आज भारौतबाशी आर कि माना शोने, लेगेच्छे आपोन काजे, जार जा नीछे मोने''. May this spirit of Indian citizens continue to be strong, may we always be inspired by the spirit of revolutionaries! With this wish, I again congratulate all of you on Biplobi Bharat Gallery. Vande Mataram! Thank you!

DISCLAIMER: This is the approximate translation of PM’s speech. Original speech was delivered in Hindi.

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DS/VJ/VK/AK