The Government of India on Saturday declared August 14 as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, after an announcement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The gazette notification was issued by the Union home ministry.
"The Government of India declares 14th August as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day to remind the present and future generations of Indians of the pain and suffering faced by the people of India during the partition," the notification said.
Earlier on Saturday, PM Modi announced that August 14 will now be observed as 'Partition Horrors Remembrance Day' in memory of the struggles and sacrifices of people.
The Prime Minister noted that millions of people were displaced and many lost their lives due to the mindless hate and violence caused by the Partition.
Many Union ministers and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders welcomed the announcement. Union home minister Amit Shah congratulated PM Modi for his "sensitive decision" while asserting that the wound of Partition and the grief of losing loved ones cannot be described in words.
The ministry of information and broadcasting said 'Partition Horrors Remembrance Day' will be a fitting tribute to all those who lost their lives due to the Partition of the nation and were displaced from their roots.
{{/usCountry}}The ministry of information and broadcasting said 'Partition Horrors Remembrance Day' will be a fitting tribute to all those who lost their lives due to the Partition of the nation and were displaced from their roots.
{{/usCountry}}Declaration of such a day would remind the present and future generations of Indians of the pain and suffering faced by the people during the partition, it said.
Pakistan was carved out as a separate country after the Partition in 1947. Millions of people were displaced and many lakhs of them lost their lives in the communal violence that followed.
India will celebrate its 75th Independence Day on Sunday.