Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced today that it has been decided to name the Chandigarh airport after Shaheed Bhagat Singh.
Addressing the nation in his Mann Ki Baat radio programme, the Prime Minister said, “The decision has been taken as a tribute to Bhagat Singh ji, the brave son of Mother India, just before his birth anniversary on September 28 which is a special day of Amrit Mahotsav,” PM Modi said.
“I congratulate the people of Chandigarh, Punjab, and Haryana and of the entire country for this decision,” he added.
“Just a few days ago, the country made a similar effort by setting up the statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on Kartavya Path and now the name of Chandigarh Airport after Shaheed Bhagat Singh is another step in that direction,” the Prime Minister explained.
“I wish, the way in which we are celebrating special occasions related to freedom fighters during the Amrit Mahotsav, in the same way every youth must try something new on the 28th of September,” PM Modi said.
He also said that another reason to celebrate the 28th of September is the “Surgical Strike” that was carried out against Pakistan on this very day and which adds to the country’s “Josh.”
Hasn’t the Josh risen! he remarked.
The Prime Minister said we must take inspiration from our freedom fighters, follow their ideals and build the India of their dreams… this is our tribute to them. The memorials of martyrs, the names of places and institutions named after them inspire us with a sense of duty, he added.
The Prime Minister also pointed out that today the 25th of September is celebrated as the birthday of Deendayal Upadhyay ji, the brilliant humanist, thinker and great son of the country. The more the youth of any country take pride in their identity and honour, the more their original ideas and philosophies attract them.
The biggest feature of Deendayal ji’s thoughts is that in his lifetime, he had seen the great upheavals of the world. He had become a witness to the struggles of ideologies. That is why, he put forward an idea of ‘Ekatma Manavdarshan’ and ‘Antyodaya’ before the country which was completely Indian, he explained.
Deendayal ji taught us how Indian philosophy can guide the world even in the modern, social and political perspective. In a way, he awakened our intellectual consciousness by freeing us from the inferiority complex that prevailed in the country after independence, the Prime Minister added.
PM Modi also brought up the topic of the return of the Cheetah to India in his Mann Ki Baat.
“People from all corners of the country have expressed happiness over the return of cheetahs. Over 130 crore Indians are happy, full of pride; this is India’s love for nature.
A task force has been formed. This task force will monitor the cheetahs and see how much they have been able to adapt to the environment here. On this basis a decision will be taken after a few months and then you will be able to see the cheetahs, he explained.
He also disclosed that meanwhile a competition will be organized on the MyGov platform, in which he urged people to participate. What should be the name of the campaign that we are running on cheetahs? Can we even think of naming all these cheetahs…. by what name should each of them be called? Not only that, you should also share how humans should behave with animals! Even in our fundamental duties, emphasis has been laid on respect for animals, he added.
