MARTYRS' DAY

Tributes To The Father Of The Nation

     India, observes January 30 of each year as the Martyrs' Day or 'Shaheed Diwas' to mark the death anniversary of of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation. Each year on January 30, the President, Vice President, Prime Minister, Defense Minister, and all the three Chiefs of armed forces (Army, Air Force, and Navy) pay tribute to  Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat in Delhi. All the educational institutes, work places, offices in all the states, and UTs across the country observe 2 minutes of silence in the memory of martyred freedom fighters.

Martyrs' Day is an annual commemoration of soldiers who died in the line of duty while preserving their country's sovereignty. The exact day may differ from one country to the next. In India, Martyr's Day, also known as Shaheed Diwas, is commemorated mainly on two occasions. The day on which three courageous independence fighters, Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru, and Sukhdev Thapar, were hung by the British is commemorated on March 23rd. In addition, Mahatma Gandhi's birthday, 30 January, is commemorated as Martyr's Day or Shaheed Diwas. India and 15 other countries in the world celebrate Martyr’s Day to give respect to the courageous champions. Although we should always remember our all heroes and their priceless sacrifices for the country but we mainly commemorate them on these two days.

The contribution of Mahatma Gandhi towards the nation and its independence is no secret. He was a great freedom fighter who taught the lesson of non-violence and worked on building the unity of the nation which was broken by the British. After India got Independence in 1947, Bapu stayed away from politics and started working on harmony, peace, and brotherhood among the people. Mahatma Gandhi, who was assassinated by Nathuram Godse on January 30, 1948, at Birla House in New Delhi. Godse, a member of Hindu Mahasabha, fired three bullets in Gandhi’s chest as he made his way to a prayer meeting. Godse was also a member of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh but his affiliation to the organisation at the time of assassination is contested.

After his assassination, a big crowed was gathered in front of the Birla House to have a look of the Bapu. Bapu was the great person who had sacrificed his whole life in company with the lakhs of men and women for the India Independence became a martyr. So, the Martyrs’ Day in India is an occasion celebrated every year to memorize all the Indian martyrs and pay tribute to them. After the independence of India, Bapu had started working on the mission for setting up the harmony, peace and brotherhood among the people of India but, he was killed while working on this mission. January 30 is the day when Mahatma Gandhi was martyred and the Government of India announced the day as Shaheed Diwas or Martyrs' Day.

January 30 of the year 1948 was the saddest day for the country which has become the most poignant day in the Indian history. Tributes to the Father of the Nation have poured in for his immense contribution to India’s freedom struggle through non-violent methods. We pay our tribute to the Father of the Nation on his death anniversary. On this day, also observed as Martyrs' day, we salute all the brave men and women who laid their lives for the country.