India on January 30, every year celebrates Martyrs Day. Martyrs Day is also known as Shaheed Diwas in India. It is celebrated to pay homage to freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives to protect the nation.
Why January 30 is celebrated as Martyrs’ Day?
30 January is the date observed at the national level. The date was chosen as it marks the assassination of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi in 1948, by Nathuram Godse.
On this day, the President, the Vice President, the Prime Minister, the Defence Minister, the CDS of India and the three Service Chiefs gather at the samadhi at Raj Ghat memorial and lay wreaths decorated with multi-colour flowers. The armed forces personnel blow bugles sounding the Last Post. The inter-services contingent reverses arms as a mark of respect. A two-minute silence in memory of Indian martyrs is observed throughout the country at 11 am.
Apart from January 30, Martyrs Day is celebrated across the nation on seven different days - March 23, May 19, October 21, November 17, November 19 and November 24.
Gandhi is commonly considered the Father of the Nation in India. He joined the Indian National Congress and was introduced to Indian issues, politics and the Indian people primarily by Gokhale. He did great had work for India to gain Independence. Gandhi's first major achievement came in 1917 with the Champaran agitation in Bihar.
Mahatma Gandhi was one of the leading figures of the Indian independence movement. “Satya” or Truth and “Ahimsa” or non-violence were his two most important guiding principles.
Some of his famous quotes are as follows:
