Railway Min Approves Renaming of Kalka-Howra Mail as 'Netaji Express' Ahead of 'Parakram Diwas'

The Rail Ministry on Wednesday approved the renaming of the Kalka-Howrah Mail to Netaji Express, as part of the government’s mega celebrations to mark the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

“Netaji’s prakram had put India on the express route of freedom and development. I am thrilled to celebrate his anniversary with the introduction of “Netaji Express”,” said Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal in a tweet.

As a Rail Minister in 2009, Lalu Prasad Yadav had renamed Gomo Junction to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Junction, Gomo.

“The government of India has decided to celebrate the great freedom fighter birth anniversary on the 23rd day of January every year as “Parakram Diwas” to inspire people of the country, especially the youth, to act with fortitude in the face of adversity as Netaji did, and to infuse in them a spirit of patriotic fervour,” the union ministry of culture had said earlier.

Culture minister Prahlad Singh Patel on Tuesday announced Prime Minister Narendra Modi would attend the Netaji celebration in Kolkata on January 23. Cabinet minister Dharmendra Pradhan would be present at a programme in Cuttack, and Gujarat BJP chief and Navsari MP CR Patil will also mark festivities in Surat.

The government has also launched a high power committee chaired by Modi to work out a year-long celebration to mark Netaji’s 125th anniversary.

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also features in the committee, even as the state government has drawn up its own committee and a list of things to do for the celebrations.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, former Prime Ministers HD Deve Gowda and Manmohan Singh, NCP veteran Sharad Pawar, Congress Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Sudip Bandyopadhyay, former Lok Sabha Speakers Shivraj Patil and Meira Kumar are some of the other names on the list.

From Netaji’s family, his grandnephew Chandra Bose and daughter Anita, who is a German citizen, will also be part of the celebrations.

Union cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba, Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla, former CoAS Shankar Choudhary and head of the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Foundation Major (R) GD Bakshi, actress Kajol, music director AR Rahman and BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly are also included the committee.

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