Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ initiative on March 12, 2021, 75 weeks before India’s 75th Independence Day, which will continue till August 15, 2023. As Prime Minister Modi said, this ‘Mahotsav’ will be a 'Jan-Utsav', i.e. a public celebration in which the people of the entire country will participate and celebrate.
There are five core points or parts of this Mahotsav that are of exceptional importance in terms of preservation and development of the country’s history and culture.
The first point of this Mahotsav is ‘Freedom Struggle’. Under this, it is to make the people aware of the struggle for the freedom of the country and to create feelings of patriotism in their hearts. Under this, the government has not only made a systematic strategy to inform the people about the freedom movement, but also planned to record in history the contribution of freedom fighters belonging to all classes and religions of the country. For some reasons, they were not included in the books written on the history of independence, and today no one is aware of their role in the independence movement.
For this purpose, under the Prime Minister’s Scheme for Mentoring Young Authors, 75 young research scholars selected from across the country were assigned a research project with a monthly scholarship of fifty thousand rupees. Therefore, they have written research books on the untouched corners of the freedom movement in dozens of Indian languages, which will be published under the auspices of NBT. Surely, these books will introduce us to the most important aspects of the freedom movement, and the important chapters of our history will be preserved.
The second point of this Mahotsav is ‘Ideas@75’, i.e., the creation and promotion of useful ideas in the development of the country. The government wants all the people of the country, especially our talented youth, to play a better role for the welfare and development of the country, and that is why work is being done on this important aspect under the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
The third point is ‘Achievements@75’. This part deals with the achievements of the country in the last 75 years. The purpose of ‘Achievements@75’ is to showcase the achievements of the country since independence, to inform the people of our country and the world about these achievements, and to pave the way for new activities.
The fourth point is ‘Actions@75’. Under this, the progress and resolutions made by the government in the interest of the country and measures to be taken for the all-round development of the country in the 75th year of independence are to be highlighted.
While the fifth point of this Mahotsav is ‘Resolve@75’. It is related to the steps taken by the citizens for the development of the country. Its purpose is to make all the citizens a part of the development of the country.
This suggests that there is a specific purpose for celebrating ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’. And that is to promote the rich cultural heritage of India at the global level and to highlight the developments achieved by India in all fields.
That is why this Mahotsav incorporates core themes like ‘Vishwaguru Bharat’, ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’, ‘India’s Rich Cultural Heritage’, ‘Lesser-known Freedom Fighters’ and ‘Independence 2.0’ so that various aspects of India’s all-round development and achievements are explained.
The theme of ‘Vishwaguru Bharat’ is actually adopted keeping in view the ancient Indian civilization, when India’s intellectual supremacy was established over the entire world due to the pioneers of wisdom and knowledge: Sushruta, Kanad, and Aryabhata. Also, Indian culture has always advocated world peace, love, and compassion for all. The idea of the whole world being one family is what qualifies India to be a Vishwaguru. The whole world needs to move in this spirit now.
The emphasis of ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’ is to highlight the achievements of the country in various fields like agriculture, science and technology. For this purpose, the government has planned various practical activities, under which emphasis is being given to introducing indigenous products of all states and union territories into the global market.
‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’ will not only help tackle the problem of unemployment but also promote ‘Make in India’ and attract foreign investors to India. It has five components: the economy; infrastructure; system; dynamic demography; demand and supply chain. When viewed in this light, AatmaNirbhar does not imply isolation from the rest of the world; rather, it is a journey from the local to the global.
Apart from this, the government is planning to organize various exhibitions, cultural activities and seminars under the banner of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’. One of the initiatives is ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ through which homage is being paid to the lesser-known freedom fighters, who have been forgotten till date and whose sacrifices have no place in our freedom history.
Similarly, ‘Independence 2.0’ is also an important theme of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, which is associated with ‘Make in India’ and ‘Vocal for Local’. Under this, the government is focusing on promoting investment in the country and creating world-class products for the development and stability of the national economy. This will give the artisans and industries of our country global prominence, and thus Indian products will be able to carve a place in the global market.
Another theme of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ is related to ‘India’s Rich Cultural Heritage’, under which our government is highlighting not only the diverse languages and customs of the country but making the whole world aware of its proud heritage through its well-planned programs. A number of such activities are being carried out in India and abroad that would introduce the common and diverse Indian culture to a wide audience and pave the way for its promotion globally.
The practical steps taken by the government under ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ are very valuable and highlight the uniqueness of our country at the global level. For example, the Indian mission in Zimbabwe organized plantation drives and conducted trade and diplomatic events. In addition, several workshops are being held around the world, for example, the first India-Vietnam Virtual Workshop on Coastal Erosion and Protection in Vietnam and a webinar on Ayurveda held as part of India@75.
Similarly, a campaign was launched to introduce Indian gastronomy in Venezuela, and a screening of Bollywood films was also organized to promote Indian cinema. Along with this, events related to cultural and historical links were organized to strengthen the cultural ties between the two countries. For example, a webinar was held in Uzbekistan, which not only focused on cultural ties but also promoted knowledge exchange between the two countries.
As part of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, the Indian Mission in Tanzania organized Study in India events and social media trends for university students. Another important part of India@75 is the celebration of Indian festivals abroad, which promotes people-to-people ties.
Be it the celebration of International Yoga Day, Indian festivals, exhibitions, seminars, and webinars reflecting India’s achievements, traditions, scientific innovations, and diversity, the Amrit Mahotsav will empower the youth through new opportunities and will connect people from all over the world with the rich culture of India.
Today, India's efforts to promote yoga around the world have connected people globally and made India a leader in a global spiritual network. Thus, Amrit Mahotsav is not just a celebration of independence in the traditional sense but aims to make the world aware of India’s 75 years of achievements and the efforts made by the government to take the country to new heights. It is also meant to make the new generation motivated and enthusiastic for the comprehensive development of their country.
Under this, India is bringing the whole world closer to itself through its successful diplomacy. Furthermore, it is strengthening academic and cultural ties with various countries, promoting a scientific approach, and working toward the goals of sustainable development while maintaining a balance between the environment and the economy. Most importantly, the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ represents India’s centuries-old cultural heritage based on universal brotherhood, philanthropy, and fraternity. This celebration is actually a systematic and planned effort to promote global in place of instead of national interests.


The author is the Director of NCPUL