The government on Saturday decided to observe August 14 every year as the Partition Horrors Remembrance Day as a tribute to those who lost their lives in the violence during India’s partition in 1947. Declaration of such a day would remind present and future generations of Indians of the pain and suffering faced by the people during the partition, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
“In a fitting tribute to all those who lost their lives due to the partition of the nation and were displaced from their roots, the government has decided to observe 14th August every year as the day to commemorate their sacrifice,” the PMO said.
Earlier, making the announcement on Twitter, Prime Minister Narendra Modi noted that millions of people were displaced and many lost their lives in the violence.
“Partition’s pains can never be forgotten. Millions of our sisters and brothers were displaced and many lost their lives due to mindless hate and violence. In memory of the struggles and sacrifices of our people, 14th August will be observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day,” Modi tweeted.
“May the #PartitionHorrorsRemembranceDay keep reminding us of the need to remove the poison of social divisions, disharmony and further strengthen the spirit of oneness, social harmony and human empowerment,” he further said in his tweet.
In its statement, the PMO observed that with the sweetness of freedom came also the trauma of partition. “The birth of the newly independent Indian nation was accompanied by violent pangs of partition that left permanent scars on millions of Indians,” it said.
The partition caused amongst the largest migrations in human history affecting about 20 million people. Millions of families had to abandon their ancestral villages, towns, cities and were forced to find a new life as refugees, the statement said.
“While at the stroke of midnight of 14th-15th August, 2021, the entire nation will be celebrating the 75th Independence Day, the pain and violence of partition has remained deeply etched in the nation’s memory. While the country has moved on, to become the largest democracy and the third-largest economy of the world, the pain of partition suffered by the nation can never be forgotten. While celebrating our Independence, a grateful nation also salutes those sons and daughters of our beloved motherland who had to sacrifice their lives in the frenzy of violence,” the PMO added.
