New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday talked about India evacuating its people from the war-ravaged Afghanistan, saying that the efforts were undertaken even though the government had to face numerous challenges.
He talked about the Afghanistan crisis while unveiling the renovated Jallianwala Bagh memorial through video conferencing.
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"Today, anywhere in the world, if any Indian is in trouble, then India stands up to help with all its might. Be it the challenges of the Corona period or the crisis of Afghanistan, the world has experienced it continuously. Hundreds of comrades from Afghanistan are being brought to India under Operation Devi Shakti. There are many challenges and the situation is difficult," PM Modi said.
"Under Operation Devi Shakti, a lot of people are being evacuated from Afghanistan. We have brought the Guru Granth Sahibs to India as well with its due respect," he added.
The Prime Minister dedicated the renovated complex of Jallianwala Bagh Smarak to the nation through video conferencing and emphasised that no country should forget its history. Whatever happened during and after the Partition can be seen in every corner of the country, especially in Punjab, he said.
He added that Jallianwala Bagh is the place that gave courage to an innumerable number of revolutionaries like Sardar Udham Singh and Bhagat Singh to sacrifice their lives for the freedom of the nation
PM Speaks On Jallianwala Bagh Massacre & 'Partition Horrors Remembrance Day'
"My salute to the brave land of Punjab, to the holy soil of Jallianwala Bagh! Today, we are remembering those innocent boys and girls, those sisters, those brothers, whose dreams are still visible in the bullet marks on the walls of Jallianwala Bagh. Salute also to those children of Mother Bharati, in whom all limits of inhumanity were crossed to extinguish the flame of freedom burning," PM Modi said, as quoted by ANI.
"Those innocent boys and girls, those sisters, those brothers, whose dreams are still visible in the bullet marks in the walls of Jallianwala Bagh, and in the "Shaheedi Kuan" (well of sacrifice), where the love of countless mothers and sisters was snatched away," he added.
Talking about the history of the infamous Jallianwala Bagh massacre, PM Modi expressed that "those 10 minutes of April 13, 1919, became the story of our freedom struggle, due to which we are able to celebrate the Amrit Mahotsav of freedom today. In such a situation, getting the renovated form of the Jallianwala Bagh Memorial in the 75th year of independence is an opportunity of great inspiration for all of us".
He also brought up the Partition riots saying: "We have also seen another horror like Jallianwala Bagh at the time of partition of India. The hard-working and lively people of Punjab have been the biggest victims of partition. We still feel the pain of what happened at the time of partition in every corner of India and especially in the families of Punjab".
The prime minister opined that it was not right for any country to ignore such horrors of its history, and therefore, India decided to observe August 14 as 'Partition Horrors Remembrance Day' every year.
PM Modi said that it was the aspiration of the country to have a national memorial for our soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice. "I am satisfied that the National War Memorial is instilling in today's youth the spirit of protecting the nation and sacrificing everything for the country," PM added.
Four Museum galleries have been created through adaptive reuse of redundant and underutilised buildings, PMO informed. The galleries showcase the historical value of events that unfolded in Punjab during that period, with the fusion of audio-visual technology, including projection mapping and 3D representation, as well as art and sculptural installations.
Besides the galleries, a 'Sound and Light' show has also been set up to display the events that happened on April 13, 1919.