The Centre has decided to launch a grand celebration to mark 75 years of India’s independence with events, exhibitions, rallies & a tourism outreach with PM Narendra Modi kicking off the festivities on March 12, the 91st anniversary of the historic Dandi March, officials said on Wednesday.

The Culture Ministry is the nodal point for all events, which will include exhibitions on freedom fighters Mahatma Gandhi, Vallabhbhai Patel & Subhas Chandra Bose, said the officials quoted above. All government departments & state governments will come up with their own plans to mark the occasion.

India will also promote tourism by celebrating 2022 as the Visit India Year through a promotion campaign highlighting India’s strengths like heritage, culture, art, wellness & yoga. Specific sites will be identified in each state to be developed & promoted under the Dekho Apna Desh scheme, said a document prepared by the Union tourism ministry & seen by the news agency.

The programme,called Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav will commence 75 weeks prior to Aug 15, 2022 -- the day independent India turns 75 -- & end on August 15, 2023. PM Modi is likely to hold a meeting early next week, after which the final plan will be unveiled, said officials.

One previous meeting was chaired by Union home minister Amit Shah, who is also part of a panel overseeing Bose’s 125th birth anniversary celebrations. Bose is an important election issue in West Bengal, which goes to the polls along with Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala & Puducherry in March-April.

The Union tourism ministry will launch a mega plan to boost visitors to major historical attractions.

“Indian diaspora across countries would be encouraged to visit the country of their origin for taking pride in India’s achievements since Independence... all Govt of India Ministries & Departments & State Govts would be requested to come up with their action plans of incentives & events,” read the Tourism Ministry document.

According to a March 3 communication by the ministry of information & broadcasting (I&B), seen by the news agency, the celebration will kick off in Gujarat with an event inaugurated by PM Modi on March 12.

Exhibitions on Gandhi, Patel & Bose will be organised by the I&B ministry at various locations; states will hold exhibitions on other unsung heroes of the freedom struggle. The celebrations will last through the 25 days of the Dandi March, undertaken by Gandhi & his followers in 1930 to protest a colonial salt tax, & conclude on April 5.

Chief secretaries of all states will choose two or three places of historical significance, with a total of 75 destinations selected across the country. Youth clubs, National Service Scheme, National Cadet Corps volunteers, in collaboration with the department of youth affairs, will organise cycle rallies.

The department of school education & literacy & the University Grants Commission will organise a one-hour long symposium & conference on India’s freedom struggle. An essay competition will also be held by the department.

The events will be covered live by Doordarshan & All India Radio, & social media campaigns, including dedicated hashtags & tweets by influencers, also figure in the government’s plan to maximise the reach of the events, said the officials quoted above.

The tourism ministry is also planning a host of activities to help the sector recover after Covid-19 losses. According to a communication, seen by the news agency, the ministry will organise a promotion of defence museums & encourage the Indian diaspora to visit various cities under the Dekho Apna Desh campaign.

All-State Govts are also slated to come up with incentives. “The event would be befitting way of celebrating India@75, considering it’s ancient & diverse heritage & culture, natural resources & arts & recent improvements in tourism infrastructure,” the document read.

Officials from the tourism ministry said they were in the process of collating a list of all defence museums.

An Official said that “We have reached out to the ministry of defence & culture to see where all the museums located, we should know the details in a few days".

The tourism ministry document said the government will hold road shows, themed tours, webinars, interactive sessions & workshops. The ministry also plans to organise a nationwide event titled Paryatan Parv 2022 from Jan 26, 2022 to Sept 27, 2022, which is World Tourism Day. The event will comprise photography, essay & debate contests, illumination at key tourism sites, cultural programmes, tourism exhibitions & guided heritage walks.

The Ministry is also planning a series of webinars on various themes such as the Statue of Unity in Gujarat, the freedom movement & stories of places associated with freedom fighters. The news agency last year reported that the culture ministry is also planning a web series on the freedom struggle, slated to go on air before Aug 15. 

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