BJP to observe August 14 as ‘Partition Horrors Remembrance Day’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year said it will be a fitting tribute to all those who lost their lives during the Partition and were displaced from their roots

A year after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the announcement, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is all set to observe August 14 as the Vibhajan Vibhishika Divas, or the Partition Horrors Remembrance Day at a time when the country’s commemorating the completion of 75 years since Partition.

For representational purposes only. (PTI File Photo)

According to party members, senior leaders, including ministers, lawmakers and legislators will reach out to various sections of society and talk about the relevance of the day, the events that led to Partition, and pay tribute to the thousands of people who lost their lives in the violence that erupted during the division of India.

In a series of tweets earlier about the relevance of observing the day, the Prime Minister said it will be a fitting tribute to all those who lost their lives during the Partition and were displaced from their roots.

“Partition’s pains can never be forgotten. Millions of our sisters and brothers were displaced and many lost their lives due to mindless hate and violence. In memory of the struggles and sacrifices of our people, 14th August will be observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day,” he said.

In a separate tweet he said, “May the #PartitionHorrorsRemembranceDay keep reminding us of the need to remove the poison of social divisions, disharmony and further strengthen the spirit of oneness, social harmony and human empowerment.”

The Union ministry of home affairs also issued a notification regarding this, and said they would remind the “present and future generations of Indians of the pain and suffering faced by the people of India during Partition”.

The intent is to remember and pay tribute to those who sacrificed their lives for India’s freedom and to those who had dreamt of living in an independent India, said BJP national general secretary Dushyant Gautam.

“In the history of the country, many events took place where personal ambitions overrode national concerns. On August 14, we will observe the Vibhajan Vibhishika Divas and tell people how those who fought for our freedom had envisioned an Akhand Bharat. They made sacrifices for the sake of building a strong nation. However, because of one man’s stubbornness to become the prime minister, the country was divided into two and it is very sad that along with the division, nearly 1-1.5 million people lost their lives,” he said.

Notably, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological mentor of the BJP, has been observing August 14 as the Akhand Bharat Diwas. “India fought a long-drawn battle for her independence from the British rule and when the day finally came, it was marked by the horrors of Partition. Thousands of people lost their lives, were uprooted from their homes and suffered for years. The pain and violence that was inflicted on the people should be acknowledged and lessons [must be] drawn from the political developments that led to the country’s partition,” an RSS functionary said.