Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav:
Celebrating 75 Glorious Years of Indian Independence
In an endeavour to foster national unity, integrity, patriotism, harmony and a sense of togetherness among its students and faculty, ARSD College of Delhi University took pledge to celebrate the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav until the next Independence Day.
As our honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav” to commemorate the 75th anniversary and journey of Indian Independence, ARSD College organized its inaugural event—a special lecture by Prof. Salil Mishra, Professor at the School of Liberal Studies, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University, Delhi on the subject “Legacy of Indian National Movement” on the 31 July 2021. The event was held on a virtual platform to ensure everyone’s safety and attracted a large number of students and educators. Mr. Deepankar, the nodal officer, greeted the distinguished speaker and inquisitive participants at the outset, outlining the critical components of the Indian National Movement and its various achievements. Dr. Arvind Kumar Mishra opened the ceremony with a beautiful rendition of a patriotic song, passionately reviving memories of the relentless efforts and sacrifices made by innumerable martyrs and freedom fighters.
Professor Mishra, an eminent scholar with expertise in Modern Indian History with a special interest in the Indian National Movement, Communal Politics, Sub-Continent Partition, Language Politics, Hindi and Urdu, Nationalism, Identity Politics, and Social Science Teaching, shared his insightful observations on the subject of his deliberation. Covering a vast area on the topic, the distinguished speaker gave an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the Nationalist movement; its place in the history of freedom movements of the world; its critical negotiations with a variety of ideologies and its rich legacy for the new independent nation. He also informed the attendees about the two important pillars in the making of the Indian Nation: Democracy and Secularism as enshrined in the constitution of India.
One was completely enamoured by Prof. Mishra’s speech, wherein he deftly explored the nuances of the Indian National Movement’s defining traits, values, and ideals in relation to the question of living/dead legacy with respect to the collective imagination/aspiration of the country’s people. His message that one of the greatest achievements of the Indian nationalist leadership was the Indian constitution, which promotes the ideas of democracy, individual rights, equality, liberty, and secularism, was a really valuable food for thought. He also addressed the many developments and challenges to the nation’s unity and legacy in an unbiased manner.
The event was conducted under the able guidance of our esteemed Principal Professor Gyantosh Kumar Jha, who, in paying tribute to the nation’s heroes, emphasized the significance of the Mahotsav and urged everyone to contribute to maintaining national unity, integrity, and the genuine love for the nation. The lecture was organized with the aim of instilling a sense of pride in one’s nation and its pluralistic linguistic, literary, philosophical, and cultural heritage. The event was well organized and moderated by Dr. Arvind Mishra, who provided context for the lecture, and Dr. Shubha Dwivedi, who moderated the question-and-answer session in addition to providing a fitting conclusion to the online event by profusely thanking the guests and attendees assembled on the occasion.
Around 157 participants from various institutions across the country graced the virtual webinar and enthusiastically shared their distinct perspectives and observations. The event proved to be a learning experience and enriched the knowledge of both, the participants and the members of the faculty. Overall, the event provided students and faculty with an extremely empowering, informative and insightful experience. The lecture was followed by an interactive and enriching Q&A session where Prof. Mishra patiently answered all the questions. The session culminated with a vote of gratitude and an informal invitation to the other events to be organized under the ongoing Mahotsav. The entire webinar introduced intriguing ideas on the theme of National Movement while providing vivid insights and a memorable experience to all.
