Gujarat leaders pay tribute to victims on Partition Horrors Remembrance Day

Gandhinagar, Aug 14 (IANS) Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy CM Harsh Sanghavi on Friday paid tributes to those who lost their lives and suffered displacement during the Partition of India, marking Partition Horrors Remembrance Day.

In a post on social media platform X, CM Patel described the Partition as more than the drawing of geographical boundaries, saying it had been a dark chapter of immense pain, displacement and inhuman suffering for crores of citizens.

“On Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, I pay my humble tribute to all those who lost their lives in that horrific tragedy,” CM Patel said.

He also paid tribute to those who endured the pain of leaving behind their motherland, relatives and homes, while displaying courage, hard work and patience in rebuilding the country.

Sanghavi, in a separate message, also remembered those affected by the Partition. “On Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, I respectfully pay tribute to the memory of millions of Indians who endured the pain of Partition and the suffering of displacement,” he said.

Partition Horrors Remembrance Day is observed annually on August 14. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the observance in 2021, saying the day would commemorate the struggles and sacrifices of people affected by the Partition and serve as a reminder of the need to strengthen social harmony.

The Partition in 1947 led to one of the largest episodes of mass displacement in modern history, with millions of people moving across the newly created borders of India and Pakistan amid widespread violence and communal tensions.

Estimates of the number of people displaced and those killed vary considerably among historical sources.

The government has used the remembrance day to highlight the suffering of those who were forced to leave their homes and the resilience of survivors.

The commemoration comes a day before India marks its 80th Independence Day. This year, Gujarat is also participating in the nationwide ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign being held from August 9 to 17.

More than 1,200 Tiranga Yatras have been planned across the state, with the campaign targeting the display of the national flag at more than 70 lakh homes, according to Sanghavi.

At the national level, the Prime Minister also paid tribute on Friday to those affected by Partition and recalled the courage of victims and survivors.

–IANS

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