“You give me blood, I will give you freedom.” The 126th birth anniversary of the man who uttered these immortal words was marked befittingly by a blood donation camp on January 23 in which officers and jawans of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Swasastra Sima Bal (SSB), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and National Security Guard (NSG) participated.
There was much more. The day started at 8am with yoga exercise, in which the defence personnel and local residents participated.
This was followed by a walk from the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) premises to Karunamoyee bus stand, in which about 950 people, including students of Kendriya Vidyalaya I and II and Our Lady Queen of the Missions, participated. Floral tributes were paid at the Netaji statue in Central Park.
Floral tribute to Netaji’s statue
An eye-catching event was the rescue and relief demonstrations by the armed forces. The force’s trained dog squads also showcased its skills. The band played the marching tunes of the Azad Hind Fauj.
In the evening, a cultural programme was held at the EZCC auditorium. SSB inspector-general Rajendra Bhumla welcomed Governor C.V. Ananda Bose. The governor spoke about the role of Netaji in the freedom struggle and his contribution and sacrifice in awakening patriotism.
He also lauded the successful completion of the event jointly organised by SSB, CISF, NSG, NDRF and EZCC and urged the youth to draw inspiration from the personality of Netaji.