TIL Desk/National/Port Blair/ Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the historic Cellular Jail where thousands of Indian freedom fighters suffered incarceration was no less than a place of worship for him as he hoisted the Tricolor on a 150-ft-high mast. Addressing a public event to mark the 75th anniversary of the hoisting of Tricolour on Indian soil by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Modi also announced the renaming of three islands.
Ross Island would now be called Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep; Neil Island would be known as Shaheed Dweep; and Havelock Island would be renamed as Swaraj Dweep, he said. He laid a wreath at the Martyrs Column, visited the Cellular Jail and offered floral tributes at the statue of Bose. He also released a commemorative postal stamp, coin, and First Day Cover.
He also unveiled a series of development projects related to the energy, connectivity and health sectors. Speaking on the occasion, he said Andaman and Nicobar Islands are not just a symbol of India’s natural beauty, but are also like a place of pilgrimage for Indians. He said the Andaman and Nicobar Islands remind us of the collective resolve of our freedom fighters.
Recalling Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, the Prime Minister said that on Netaji’s call, many youth from the Andamans had dedicated themselves to the freedom of India. He said the flag on the 150-ft mast was an attempt to preserve the memory of this day in 1943, when Netaji unfurled the Tricolour.
