The Cabinet Secretary, Rajiv Gauba, while chairing a high-level meeting to review the ongoing Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav to celebrate 75 years of India’s Independence; asked all states and Union territories to showcase region-specific accomplishments since 1947 so as to instill a sense of pride, and to create a vision for ‘India@2047’.Union Home Secretary, Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Chief Secretary, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, Union Secretaries for Culture and Information & Broadcasting along with Chief Secretaries of all other States and Union territories participated in the meeting. Secretary, General Administration Department, and Secretary Culture were also present in the meeting.At the outset, Union Secretary Culture, gave a detailed presentation on various aspects of Azadi Ka Amrut Mohatsav and highlighted the status of participation from all States and Union territories in the ongoing activities.The Cabinet Secretary asked the States/UTs to launch a people-intensive citizen campaign- ‘Jan Utsav, Jan ke Dwara’ with an emphasis on India’s glorious history and culture, technological development and digital intervention. “The campaign must aim inclusive participation from children, women, elderlies, and divyang from all regions of the State/UT”, he added.States and Union territories were asked to organize various commemoration activities for the event on five key themes of freedom struggle, ideas at 75, achievements at 75, actions at 75, and resolve at 75. These activities will aim at raising awareness on freedom movement and struggles; stories of unsung heroes and freedom fighters; key milestones during the freedom struggle; and the ideas that inspired the struggle for independence.
The Cabinet Secretary further advised States and UTs to capture achievements of villages and their extraordinary women, youth and diaspora, for drawing inspiration from the exemplary contributions.The Union Home Secretary while interacting with the States/Union territories asked them to focus on capturing future aspirations through respective visions of India at 2047, 100 years after Independence in addition to celebrating the glorious past. He further advised that interactions between elders and youngsters may also be organized for promoting the exchange of ideas and experiences and recording of oral history.It was informed that all the initiatives under the Mahotsav are being consolidated on the ‘MyGov’ portal and app. Special activity ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’ is being organized on the app to promote cultural exchange between various regions of the country, and States/UTs were asked to promote mass participation. Further, a Digital District Repository is also being compiled with a special focus on local unsung heroes, events connected to the freedom movement, and architectural heritage.While apprising the meeting on initiatives taken by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir, the Chief Secretary, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta said that in J&K as a mark of respect, 75 roads, and 75 schools will be renamed after the local unsung heroes. Further, to promote progressive engagement of citizens with sports and ecological conservation functional playfields, youth clubs, and plantation committees are being established at all Panchayats before the 75th Independence Day.As a part of its campaign, Jammu and Kashmir has also submitted a regional ‘Rajya Geet’ in Kashmiri and Dogri languages highlighting the regional contributions and aspirations of Jammu and Kashmir to the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.