WB Guv Dhankhar to unveil Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's portrait; CM Mamata also invited

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar will unveil a portrait of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at the Raj Bhavan on January 23 which will be observed as Parakram Diwas on the freedom fighter's 125th birth anniversary. Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar will unveil the painting of Netaji while an invitation has been extended to CM Mamata Banerjee as well. Further, 'INA and North East India', a book edited by Dr. Sujit Kumar Ghosh, Chairman of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies will also be released by the West Bengal governor. 

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Netaji's portrait to be unveiled by WB Guv Jagdeep Dhankhar

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Fight over Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's legacy

The Government of India decided to observe Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's birth anniversary on January 23 every year as Parakram Diwas. The Centre announced its move to pay tribute to the freedom fighter to inspire the youth of the nation to 'act with fortitude in the face of adversity'. Ahead of Netaji's 125th birth anniversary, the Ministry of Culture issued a circular announcing January 23 to be observed as Parakram Diwas every year from now on. Soon after, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that the birth anniversary of Netaji will be celebrated as 'Desh Nayak Diwas' annually. A train has also since been renamed to Netaji Express. Moreover, TMC has demanded that the book on Netaji that was written by Defence Ministry panel decades ago to be made public. 

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Amid long-standing claims that successive Congress governments had since Independence attempted to sideline Netaji Bose and his efforts in India's freedom struggle, in 2015, the Modi government declassified 33 files relating to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, with digital copies of 100 files being released by PM Narendra Modi in January 2016. Last year in December, the Modi government de-classified all records related to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Azad Hind Fauj and placed them in the National Archives of India, Minister of State of Culture and Tourism, Prahlad Singh Patel informed. A total of 304 declassified records/files have been transferred to National Archives of India for permanent retention. Out of 304 flies, 303 files are already uploaded on the Netaji web portal. The National Archives of India is the custodian of declassified files and records of the Government of India. Earlier, in 1997 the National Archives of India had received 990 declassified files pertaining to the Azad Hind Fauj from the Ministry of Defence.

In 2018, PM Modi visited Andaman and Nicobar Islands and joined the programme to mark 75th anniversary of hoisting Tricolour by Netaji Bose - renaming Ross Island as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep, Neil Island as Shaheed Dweep and the Havelock Island as Swaraj Dweep. Recently, in January 2019, a Netaji museum was inaugurated by PM Modi at Red Fort, New Delhi. The Modi government had also inculcated 4 INA veterans in its Republic Day parade in 2019- marking a first.

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