By IANS,
Kolkata: Unfurling of the national flag, march pasts, colourful rallies and speeches marked the 114th birth anniversary of legendary freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose across West Bengal, where the day was celebrated as ‘DeshPrem Divas’ Sunday.
Hundreds of people thronged Netaji’s residence – Netaji Bhawan – on Elgin Road in south Kolkata to pay their homage to the great leader. Netaji Bhawan also houses the Netaji Research Bureau (NRB), a society formed by Netaji’s nephew Sisir Kumar Bose in 1957.
Delivering the Netaji Oration – If only Netaji had participated in post-independent India building – in the NRB compound, founder-chairman of Infosy N.R. Narayana Murthy regretted that due respect has not been shown to the great leader. “We have failed to pay due respect to Netaji. It is time this is corrected.”
Lauding Netaji for his courage, Narayana Murthy said had Netaji been part of post-independence nation-building, India would have become the globe’s second most powerful economy ahead of China.
West Bengal Governor M.K. Narayanan said he would write to the central government for celebrating the day as Deshprem Divas across the country.
The governor and Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee garlanded Netaji’s statue on Red Road in the city hub. Bhattacharjee and other Left Front leaders participated in a programme at the base of the statue where personnel of Kolkata Police, Rapid Action Force and National Cadet Corps took out a colourful march past.
Ashok Ghosh, state secretary of All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) – founded by Netaji in 1939 – requested the central government to declare Netaji’s birthday as Deshprem Divas across the country in order to take his ideology to the nation’s young generation. Netaji’s statues across the state were garlanded and decorated with flowers, as youngsters raised the tri-colour in various localities.
Bhattacharjee later unveiled Netaji’s statue at Noapara in North 24 Parganas district.
The state headquarters of AIFB organised a picture exhibition on Netaji and various moments of his life and struggle. State Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta garlanded Netaji’s portrait at state secretariat- Writer’s Building.