Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the patriotic fervour witnessed during the freedom struggle needed to be instilled in the current generation and channelised for nation-building.
Addressing the third national committee meeting on 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav', he said the programme's emotional flavour is the core of the campaign which is creating an atmosphere of "patriotic zeal" in the country.
"The patriotic fervour which was witnessed during the freedom struggle was unprecedented. It is the same fervour which we need to imbibe in our current generation and channelise it for nation building," he said.
"It is a golden opportunity to establish the emotional connect of our youth with nation building," an official statement quoting him said.
The prime minister also noted that the success of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav is due to the contribution of every citizen of the country, and the committees at national, state and district levels have been working day and night to take it to the masses.
In his closing remarks, he said the national unity must be nourished and nurtured to promote India as "Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat" because a united nation is a progressive nation.
In this light, he noted, 'Tiranga' is a symbol of unity, which brings positivity and prosperity for the nation. It is a "Sanskar Utsav" (festival of values) for the youth which will fill them with the undying passion to contribute for the country, he said.
"The current generation will be the leaders of tomorrow and therefore, we have to inculcate in them now a sense of duty and responsibility to realise the dreams and vision of India@100," he said.
Noting that the technological revolution has stepped up the speed of change tremendously and what could be achieved in generations is now possible in decades, he said one cannot rely on old techniques to realize dreams of our nation.
It is therefore important to build the capacity of the youth and to equip them with the necessary skills to meet the technological challenges of times to come, Modi said. Highlighting the contribution of tribal freedom fighters, the prime minister said tributes should be paid to them by building local tribal museums.
He suggested that a border village programme should be taken up for the youth to familiarise them with the life of people residing there. Similarly, the programme to construct 75 ponds in every district and similar such programmes should be designed in a way which is conducive for water and environment conservation.
The youth should be familiarised with such programmes to help them understand the ground realities of the country, he said.
Addressing the committee, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said more than 60,000 programmes have been organised successfully in the country till date and the campaign has percolated down from the national to the state, district and grassroots level.
The programme commenced on March 13 last year launching a 75-week countdown to India's 75th anniversary of independence and will end on August 15 next year. Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress sources claimed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was not given a chance to speak at the meeting. She wanted to highlight her state's contribution to freedom struggle, they said.
Members of the national committee who attended the meeting included the Lok Sabha speaker, governors, Union ministers, chief ministers, other political leaders, officials, media personalities, spiritual Leaders, artists and film personalities and eminent persons from other walks of life, the statement said.
Several participants also joined the meeting virtually. Culture ministry secretary Govind Mohan gave a presentation on the overview of activities of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav since its inception.
The first meeting of the National Committee was held on March 8 before the launch of the campaign and the second meeting was held on December 22. Modi said India is passing through an era of "Amrit Kaal" realising its resolves and this will take the country to the "peak of success" in the next 25 years.
(With PTI Inputs)
