Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced that a grand statue of legendary freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose will be installed at India Gate. It will a symbol of India’s indebtedness to him, Prime Minister said. Until the statue, made of granite, is completed, a hologram statue of his would be present at the same place, he said, adding that he will unveil the hologram statue on 23 January, the 125th birth anniversary of the Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army) founder.
The prime minister tweeted, “At a time when the entire nation is marking the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, I am glad to share that his grand statue, made of granite, will be installed at India Gate. This would be a symbol of India’s indebtedness to him.”
The statue of Netaji will be installed under the grand canopy near which the Amar Jawan Jyoti flickers in remembrance of India’s martyrs. The eternal flame, which has not been extinguished for 50 years, will be put off today, as it will be merged with the flame at the National War Memorial.
The canopy, which was built along with the rest of the grand monument in the 1930s by Sir Edwin Lutyens, once housed a statue of the former king of England George V. The statue was later moved to Coronation Park in central Delhi in the mid-1960s.
The dimensions of the upcoming statue will be 28 feet by 6 feet, government sources said.
Last week, the union government announced that starting this year, the annual Republic Day celebrations will commence on 23January, instead of 24 January, to coincide with the birth anniversary of Subhas Chandra Bose. Also, since last year, 23 January has been observed as ‘Parakram Diwas’ in memory of the former commander of the former INA.
Today’s announcement by Prime Minister Modi comes in the backdrop of the controversy surrounding the ‘merger’ of India Gate’s Amar Jawan Jyoti flame with the eternal flame at the National War Memorial.
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