India has travelled a long way for its independence with a string of landmarks that define its journey from the ordeal of colonial rule to a strong and powerful nation.

Launched in March 2021, Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (festival of awakening of the nation; the festival of fulfilling the dream of good governance; and the festival of global peace and development), an initiative of the government of India, takes the entire country back to the glorious history of its people, cultural ethos, sacrifices and achievements. It gives a glimpse of the modern nation that it has become in the 75 years since our independence in 1947.

Honouring the freedom fighters

Under the Umbrella of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, we at Amar Ujala took the initiative to pay tribute to the freedom fighters, without whose efforts and sacrifices, India would not have commemorated its 75th year of independence.

Amar Ujala’s editorial team published an exclusive series called “Sitaron ki Zameen” (Land of the Stars) once every two weeks, with a full page dedicated to heroes who fought courageously in India’s Independence Movement.

The editors of Amar Ujala travelled across the country, visiting the birthplaces of distinguished personalities who made vital contributions to India’s freedom.

The editors’ writings on each personality highlight the legacy we have been able to preserve in the ancestral homelands of the warriors who selflessly gave up their own lives for the country, as well as the amount of inspiration we draw from their legacy.

The personalities about whom the stories were published included Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (also known as the “Iron Man of India”); Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose (the honorific Netaji “respected leader”); Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (the first prime minister of independent India); Gopinath Bordoloi (the first chief minister of the Indian state Assam); Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (first vice president and second president of independent India); Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (also known as the father of the Indian Constitution); Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari (last governor-general of India); Dr. Rajendra Prasad (the first president of independent India); and Bal Gangadhar Tilak (also known as the father of the Indian revolution).

Educating the next generation

India recently celebrated its 75th Independence because the freedom fighters and people at the grassroots level alike fought shoulder to shoulder.

Over the years, the freedom struggle took deep roots across the country. It drew strength from every nook and corner of the country cutting across caste and creed, region, and religion. In today’s fast-paced world and tough competitive day-to-day life, the youth hardly find time to remember our rich heritage and past.

It is essential to acquaint and educate the younger minds to remember the heroes of our freedom struggle, many of whom are renowned yet unknown to the new generation. The supreme sacrifice and selfless spirit of our freedom fighters have carved out a niche in the chronicles of history.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .