Parliament remembers freedom fighters on 'Quit India' anniversary

On the 74th anniversary of ‘Quit India Movement’, Parliament today paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and other freedom fighters with a reminder to re-affirm commitment to uphold sovereignty, integrity, unity and diversity of the country.

In the Rajya Sabha, Chairman Hamid Ansari termed it as a historic day and a reminder to cherish the gift of freedom.

The day “exhorts us to draw inspiration from the words and deeds of our freedom fighters to unitedly face the challenges of the changing times and do our bit to ensure inclusive economic development and growth for all strata of society and realise the long cherished dream of a fully developed India,” he said.

The day is a reminder to re-affirm “our commitment to uphold the sovereignty, integrity, unity and diversity of our country,” added Ansari, who is the Vice President of the country.

“The clarion call of ‘do or die’ by Mahatma Gandhi led to an upsurge of nationalistic sentiments and heralded the attainment of Independence,” he said.

In the Lok Sabha, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said ‘Quit India Movement’ had helped bring the whole nation together against the British rule and was a major contribution towards the country achieving freedom.

As a mark of respect to the freedom fighters, members in both Houses also stood in silence for a brief while.