Parakram Diwas: Honouring Netaji’s legacy in the heart of Odisha’s history
NEW DELHI,JAN 23 : As the nation gears up to celebrate Parakram Diwas 2025, all roads lead to Cuttack, Odisha—birthplace of one of India’s most indomitable leaders, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The historic Barabati Fort, which serves as the venue for this year’s celebrations, stands as a silent witness to centuries of Odisha’s history.
Born on January 23, 1897, Subhas Chandra Bose was the son of Janakinath Bose, a lawyer who had migrated to Cuttack, Odisha in the 1880s. The city, with its rich history and vibrant intellectual traditions, shaped the formative years of a boy who would grow to challenge the might of the British empire.
In January 1909, Subhas Chandra Bose joined the Ravenshaw Collegiate School, Cuttack. This monumental stage of his life marked the beginning of an intellectual and moral awakening. Bose was deeply influenced by the visionary teachings of his headmaster, Beni Madhab Das, who instilled in him a sense of purpose and integrity. Complementing this foundation were the philosophical teachings of Ramkrishna Paramhansa, Swami Vivekanand and Sri Aurobindo Ghosh, whose ideals of nationalism and self-realization became guiding principles for Bose throughout his life.
Odisha’s illustrious history of student activism also intertwines with Netaji’s rise. In 1939, when Bose was elected as President of the Indian National Congress in Tripuri, he was supported by many young leaders, including Harekrushna Mahtab, who later became the Chief Minister of Odisha. Mahtab, as a young student leader, actively participated in the session, reflecting Odisha’s enduring spirit of resistance and reform.
Parakram Diwas, instituted to celebrate the stellar contributions of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, has evolved into a national festival of unity and courage. The first edition in Kolkata highlighted Netaji’s lively connection to the city, where he served as the Mayor and left a lasting legacy as a fearless leader. The 2024 celebrations at the Red Fort in Delhi paid tribute to the trials of the Indian National Army (INA), marking a climactic chapter of India’s freedom struggle. In 2025, the celebrations return to where it all began—Cuttack, the city that nurtured Netaji’s aspirations and shaped his revolutionary outlook. While Delhi’s Red Fort symbolizes the culmination of India’s struggle, Barabati Fort reflects its genesis, where the seeds of Netaji’s steadfast determination were first sown.
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was an embodiment of pristine purity. Like a meteor, he rose up the Indian skies and illuminated the horizons with his luminous personality. The humble beginning of Netaji’s journey as an intrepid leader began in Cuttack; he continues to inspire the youth of Odisha and beyond. His life is a testament to the ideals of resilience, innovation, and a fiercely patriotic commitment to the nation. Despite being born into a rich family, Netaji chose a path of self-sacrifice and discipline. His resignation from the Indian Civil Services to join the freedom movement exemplifies the courage to prioritize values over personal gain. Netaji’s leadership left a deep impact on our nation building.
Netaji was a towering leader with an unwavering faith in the greatness of India. He envisioned an India free from the divisions of caste, language, religion and region, united by the thread of a sublime national unity. He said, “Though geographically, ethnologically and historically, India presents an endless diversity to any observer, there is nonetheless a fundamental unity underlying this diversity”. It was his deep commitment towards promoting the essential unity of India that prompted Mahatma Gandhi to write: “The greatest achievement of the INA under the leadership of Netaji was to gather under one banner men of all religions and races of India and to infuse into them the spirit of solidarity and oneness, to the utter exclusion of all communal and parochial sentiments. It is an example we should emulate.”
Netaji exemplifies the ideals of resilience, embedded in a non-dogmatic and non-doctrinaire approach. The INA he set up was a product of his unconventional and alternative approach to secure the country’s freedom. Netaji inspired INA with three powerful words, which became their credo: ‘ITTEFAQ, ITEMAD aur QURBANI” — Ekta, Viswas aur Thyag — Unity, Faith and Sacrifice. In the Amrit Kaal, if our Amrit Peedi follows these ideals of Netaji, they can help India attain her destined greatness, which Hon’ble Prime Minister has articulated in his vision of a Vikasit Bharat by the centenary of the country’s Independence. This shall be the greatest tribute, we can pay to the memory and sacrifice of Netaji.
The 2025 edition is poised to reflect the soaring ambitions of our youth. It is set to be an extraordinary celebration, offering a rich tapestry of cultural and historical experiences over three days. Key features of this year’s celebrations include, cultural performances, immersive exhibits and sand art displays showcasing Netaji’s life.
Today, the youth of Odisha stand at the forefront of preserving a glorious legacy and forging their own paths toward national service and excellence. For Odisha’s youth, Netaji’s life underscores the importance of quest for greatness while staying rooted in the ethos of service and integrity. His early struggles and later achievements were rooted in discipline, thirst for knowledge, and relentless drive to serve the motherland. Odisha’s youth can emulate his strong determination by channelling their energies to make their mark in varied areas of nation building, while making Odisha as one of the progressive and forward-looking states in the country to realise the national vision of development.
When the sun sets over Barabati Fort, the echoes of “Jai Hind” will resonate, reminding us of a leader whose life was shaped by Cuttack’s soil and whose legacy continues to inspire a billion hearts. In this Parakram Diwas, we not only celebrate Netaji but also reaffirm our commitment to the values that he stood for, making his vision of a strong and united India ever more relevant.
-PTI
