Andaman and Nicobar’s role in freedom struggle neglected After independence: PM Modi

PM Modi said Andaman and Nicobar Islands’ freedom legacy was ignored post-Independence due to political insecurity, adding his government is correcting historical neglect and restoring national p

Representative Image: ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reflected on India’s freedom struggle and highlighted the long-neglected historical significance of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Addressing the nation on Parakram Diwas, the Prime Minister said that after Independence, the islands’ contribution and legacy should have been celebrated with pride, but were instead sidelined due to political insecurity and selective attribution of credit.

While addressing virtually, PM Modi said, "... After independence, the history of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and its achievements were meant to be celebrated and cherished with pride. However, the leaders in government at that time were plagued by insecurity.”

Without taking names, PM Modi said Congress governments focused on projecting India’s freedom movement as the achievement of a single family, which led to the neglect of the country's rich history.

Add Zee News as a Preferred Source

“They sought to attribute the credit for our freedom solely to one family. As a result of this political self-interest, much of the country's rich history was neglected. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands continued to bear the names of British officers, symbolising this disregard. To correct this historical injustice, we have now taken steps to restore the dignity of our past," he added.

On Friday, Telangana Jagruthi founder K Kavitha wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding that the Andaman and Nicobar Islands be renamed as 'Azad Hind' to honour freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

In her letter written on the occasion of Parakram Diwas today, Kavitha recalled that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose hoisted the national flag in Port Blair on December 30, 1943, and declared the islands as the first Indian territory liberated from British rule. She noted that Netaji had named the islands Shaheed Dweep and Swaraj Dweep under the Provisional Government of Azad Hind.

Kavitha said that while some islands have been renamed in recent years, the archipelago's collective identity continues to bear the nomenclature of the British era. She asserted that the name 'Azad Hind' symbolises India's first assertion of sovereignty and would permanently commemorate Netaji's contribution to the freedom struggle.

(With ANI inputs)