Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched the ‘Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ event. The Mahotsav will continue till August 15, 2023. India will celebrate the 75th Independence Day on August 15, 2022. The Mahotsav was launched on March 12 to commemorate 91 years of the Dandi March. A 25-day long march was also flagged off by PM Modi as a tribute to the Mahatma Gandhi-led Dandi March.

The padayatra is being undertaken by 81 marchers from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad to Dandi in Navsari, a journey of 386 km. The march will end after 25 days, on April 5.

“Today is the first day of the Amrit Mahotsav of independence. This Mahotsav has started 75 weeks before 15th August 2022 and will run till 15th August 2023,” said PM Modi.

Led by Mahatma Gandhi, 78 people had started the Dandi Yatra on March 12, 1930, from Sabarmati Ashram by announcing the ‘Salt Satyagraha.

After landing at Ahmedabad airport, Modi drove to Sabarmati Ashram, where he paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi. He also visited Hriday Kunj, the house in the Ashram where Mahatma Gandhi stayed with his wife Kasturba from 1918 to 1930. The Prime Minister also paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Sabarmati Ashram. “During #AmritMahotsav the country will not only remember every important moment of its freedom movement but will also move ahead with new energy to build the future,” wrote PM Modi on the visitors’ book at the ashram.

Modi also wrote in the visitors’ book that the Mahotsav is a tribute to our freedom fighters and freedom struggle.

He attended a cultural program at Abhay Ghat where he launched the Azaadi ka Amrut Mahotsav. The Mahotsav is a series of events that commemorates India’s 75 years of independence.

The Mahotsav is being launched from places that were major centers of India’s freedom struggle, including Sabarmati Ashram, Cellular Jail in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jallianwala Bagh in Punjab, etc.

PM Modi launched a website for Amrit Mahotsav as well as an ‘Atmanirbhar Incubator’ that seeks to support around 40,000 families involved in traditional craft.

“Freedom Struggle, Ideas at 75, Achievements at 75, Actions and Resolves at 75 – these five pillars will inspire the country to move forward,” said the PM at the Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. He said that Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav signifies the elixir of the energy of freedom, inspiration from freedom fighters, new ideas, new resolutions, and self-reliance. “Salt has never been valued by its cost in our country. The salt here means honesty. Salt means faith. Salt means loyalty,” he said.

He said salt was the symbol of India’s self-reliance during the freedom struggle. The British not only hurt our self-reliance, but it also hurt our values, he said, adding that Indians had to depend on salt coming from England.

“Today’s #AmritMahotsav program begins from Sabarmati Ashram, from where the Dandi March began. The March had a key role in furthering a spirit of pride and Aatmanirbharta among India’s people. Going #VocalForLocal is a wonderful tribute to Bapu and our great freedom fighters,” he tweeted earlier in the day. “Buy any local product and post a picture on social media using #VocalForLocal. A Charkha will be installed near Magan Niwas at Sabarmati Ashram. It will rotate full circle with each Tweet related to Aatmanirbharta. This shall also become a catalyst for a people’s movement,” he added.

The march or padayatra flagged off by PM Modi will cover a journey of 241 km from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad to Dandi in Navsari. It will continue for 25 days and end on April 5. Union Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel said that he will lead the first lap of 75 km.