Homage to Netaji on his 125th birth anniversary
The 3D hologram, which will later be replaced by a 28-feet high and six-feet wide granite statue of the freedom fighter, was opened to mark the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday unveiled a holographic statue of freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at central Delhi’s India Gate, and exhorted citizens to build a new India before the 100th year of Independence in 2047.

The 3D hologram, which will later be replaced by a 28-feet high and six-feet wide granite statue of the freedom fighter, was opened to mark the 125th birth anniversary of Bose. On the occasion, the PM also conferred the Subhas Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar to seven individuals and organisations.
“We have a goal to fulfil the dreams of independent India. We have the goal of building a new India before the hundredth year of Independence,” the PM said.
He said that it was unfortunate that after Independence, work was done to erase the contribution of many great personalities along with the culture of the country.
“The freedom struggle involved the penance of lakhs of countrymen, but efforts were made to confine their history as well. But today, the country is boldly correcting those mistakes,” Modi said while citing the development of the Panchtheerth in honour of BR Ambedkar, observing Birsa Munda Jayanti to remember the contribution of the Adivasi leader, and building the Statue of Unity in honour of Vallabhbhai Patel.
The PM said that the granite statue of Bose will soon be installed at India Gate. “This is a historic location and a historic occasion. Netaji refused to bow before the British. His statue will inspire democratic values and future generations,” said Modi.
Addressing the gathering, he said that Bose, who had established the first independent government in India, gave the country the confidence to achieve a sovereign and strong India. “This statue is a homage to the hero of freedom by the grateful nation and will keep on reminding our institutions and generations the lesson of national duty,” he said.
The hologram statue will be powered by a 30,000 lumens 4K projector. The 3D image of Netaji will be projected on a transparent holographic screen to create the effect of a hologram.
“If Netaji Subhas was determined to do something, then no power could stop him. We have to move ahead taking inspiration from Netaji Subhas’s ‘Can Do, Will Do’ spirit,” the PM said.
The PM also conferred the Subhas Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskars for the year 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 in the investiture ceremony. This award was instituted by the Union government to recognise and honour the contribution and service by individuals and organisations in disaster management. The Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management (GIDM) and Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority’s vice-chairman Vinod Sharma were selected for the award for 2022, the government announced.
The PM said that there was a transformational change in India’s preparedness to deal with disasters in the past few years. After the 2001 Bhuj earthquake, the Gujarat government was the first to formulate a state disaster management Act, which was followed by a National Disaster Management Act.
“We have laid emphasis on reform as well as an emphasis on relief, rescue and rehabilitation. We have modernised the National Disaster Response Force and expanded it across the country. Space technology and other best possible practices have been adopted for planning and management,” Modi said.
He said the country’s disaster preparedness played a crucial role even during Covid pandemic, as there were earthquakes, cyclones and floods in various parts of the country. But lives were saved due to quick response of the disaster management teams, he said.
President Ram Nath Kovind also paid his tribute. “India gratefully pays homage to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his 125th birth anniversary. The daring steps that he took to fulfil his fierce commitment to the idea of a free India — Azad Hind — make him a national icon. His ideals and sacrifice will forever inspire every Indian,” he said.
Speaking at the event, Union home minister Amit Shah lauded the memory of the freedom fighter. “The hologram will be soon replaced with a granite statue. It is not just a statue but a befitting tribute to the legendary Netaji, who gave everything for India’s freedom.”
Shah congratulated Modi for announcing the Bose statue and said, “For decades, efforts were made to erase the names of people who contributed to India’s freedom struggle and worked towards it.” Bharatiya Janata Party chief JP Nadda said the Modi was fulfilling the dream of new India first seen by Bose.
Modi also paid floral tribute to Bose’s portrait in Parliament’s Central Hall but Congress leaders could not be seen at the function, according to some parliamentarian and a Lok Sabha functionary.
Across state capitals, chief ministers paid rich tributes to Bose. In Kolkata, CM Mamata Banerjee said the Centre should declassify files to clear the controversy surrounding the freedom fighter’s final years. In Mumbai, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and state minister Aditya Thackeray paid their respects to Bose.
The Congress party said that if the government was serious about celebrating Bose’s legacy, it would start safeguarding freedom and rights.
“Netaji would never have let the Amar Jawan Jyoti, a tribute to our soldiers, be extinguished and our martyred heroes be insulted in such a way,” the party tweeted, referring to the controversy around the merging of the eternal flames at the Amar Jawan Jyoti India Gate with that at the National War Memorial on Friday.
