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PM Modi Calls for Strengthening Social Harmony on Partition Remembrance Day

© AP Photo / Saurabh DasFILE - In this Friday, Aug. 15, 2014 file photo, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation on the country's Independence Day in New Delhi, India. Japan and India both have much to gain from a visit by Modi and more than a dozen Indian steel, energy and IT tycoons that begins Saturday, Aug. 29, 2014 in the ancient capital of Kyoto. The two countries have complementary economies, given Japan’s wealth and technological prowess and India’s natural resources and drive to modernize its economy. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das, File)
FILE - In this Friday, Aug. 15, 2014 file photo, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation on the country's Independence Day in New Delhi, India. Japan and India both have much to gain from a visit by Modi and more than a dozen Indian steel, energy and IT tycoons that begins Saturday, Aug. 29, 2014 in the ancient capital of Kyoto. The two countries have complementary economies, given Japan’s wealth and technological prowess and India’s natural resources and drive to modernize its economy.  (AP Photo/Saurabh Das, File) - Sputnik India, 1920, 14.08.2025
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India celebrates its Independence Day on 15 August, while Pakistan marks the day on 14 August. The Partition of the Subcontinent on religious lines marked a formal end of nearly two centuries of British colonial rule.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for strengthening the "bonds of harmony" in India as the country observed the 'Partition Horrors Remembrance Day' on Thursday.
"India observes Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, remembering the upheaval and pain endured by countless people during that tragic chapter of our history. It is also a day to honour their grit...their ability to face unimaginable loss and still find the strength to start afresh. Many of those affected went on to rebuild their lives and achieve remarkable milestones. This day is also a reminder of our enduring responsibility to strengthen the bonds of harmony that hold our country together," the Indian leader posted on social media.
In 2021, Modi announced that 14 August will be observed as the 'Partition Horrors Remembrance Day' in honour of millions of people displaced and killed during the Partition of the Sub continent in 1947, one of the biggest episodes of forced migration in human history preceding the creation of two independent states - India and Pakistan (at the time, present-day Bangladesh was part of Pakistan). India's official records indicate that nearly a million people could have been killed during the Partition, while unofficial estimates put the death toll at as high as three million.
The British colonialists' 'Divide and Rule Policy' to create a wedge between Hindus and Muslims, subsequently paving the way for 'The Two-Nation Theory', is seen as a major factor leading to Partition of an erstwhile united Indian Subcontinent.
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar remarked that the "Partition caused immense suffering and had far-reaching human and strategic consequences".
"There are many lessons to be learnt from this painful chapter," Jaishankar posted on social media.
Paying his tributes on the Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that India remained "fully committed to further strengthening social harmony in the country".
"I pay tribute to all those brothers and sisters who had to endure the horrific consequences of hatred and violence following India’s partition and witnessed the loss of life and property. Even today, every Indian feels empathy for those affected families," the Defence Minister said.
Home Minister Amit Shah noted in his message that the Partition had led to displacement of millions of people, accompanied by violence, exploitation and atrocities.
"The country will never forget this history and pain of the partition," the Home Minister remarked.
 In this Sept. 19, 1947 file photo, Muslim refugees sit on the roof of an overcrowded coach railway train near New Delhi in trying to flee India. - Sputnik India, 1920, 15.08.2023
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