Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday declared August 14 will be observed as ‘Partition Horrors Remembrance Day’ to acknowledge the pain undergone by Indians due to the partition of India in 1947.
Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, he tweeted, “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”.
“#PartitionHorrorsRemembranceDay This day will not only inspire us to eliminate the poison of discrimination, animosity and ill-will, but it will also strengthen unity, social harmony and human sensibilities,” he added.
“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,” the PM said in his second tweet.
Pakistan was carved out as a Muslim country after the division of India by the British colonial rule in 1947, and millions of people were displaced and many lakhs of them lost their lives as large scale rioting broke out. Noakhali in West Bengal and Bihar witnessed large-scale violence.
Mahatma Gandhi decided to stay put in Noakhali and toured the district in a mission to restore peace and communal harmony.
Partition remains a bitter and painful memory in the history of the two nations.
