Martyrs’ Day is celebrated on 30th January to pay homage to the valiant freedom fighters who fought for our country’s independence.
Martyrs’ Day, also known as Shaheed Diwas is a day to commemorate the dead soldiers’ valour and bravery who
fought against the British colonial rule. Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on 30th January in the year 1948 before
the sunset during the evening prayers. Since then, this day is celebrated as the Martyrs’ Day to pay tribute to
Mahatma Gandhi.
A ceremony is undertaken by the leaders of the nation, The President, Prime Minister, Vice-President along with the armed forces. The citizens of the country pay their tribute by remembering and acknowledging the soldiers with a two-minute silence at 11 a.m. All of us as school students have memories of dedicating this silence to those martyred souls. Artists across the country showcase their respect through their art. It is also a day to honour the sacrifices and
unknown battles of the armed forces and their families.
The University of Delhi (DU) had its own role to play in the freedom movement. Ramjas College disguised and housed Chandra Shekhar Azad, helping him evade the British. A number of radical revolutionaries graduated from St. Stephen’s College. Leaders like Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Sarojini Naidu, and Subhash Chandra Bose motivated the youth in Hindu College. DU contributed effectively as a unit and foundation in the Indian opportunity battle. Amid the Civil Disobedience Movement, they set up the national banner on the flagstaff in grounds. Indeed, even the
school structures filled in as concealing spots for radicals and facilitated vital
gatherings.
But the onus of freedom does not lie on the heads of popularised soldiers and fighters only, it lies on every citizen who rebelled in his/her own way. The onus is on that mother who single-handedly raised a son only to
see him martyred, those parents who infused nationalistic ideals and values in their children, that businessman
who put his nation above his profit and protection, and those unsung and unrecorded heroes whose names
failed to go down in history.
Napolean Bonaparte has rightly said, “It is the cause, not the death that makes the martyr.” The nation’s current and futuristic progress stands on the foundation of the dead freedom fighters. These martyrs sacrificed their lives to ensure that the future generation is no longer chained in the clutches of slavery.
Feature Image Credits: JestPic
Prachi Mehra
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Anoushka Sharma
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