New Delhi: August 14 will be observed as 'Partition Horrors Remembrance Day' or 'Vibhajan Vibhishika Smriti Diwas' in memory of the struggles and sacrifices of "our people", said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.
"Partition's pains can never be forgotten. Millions of our sisters and brothers were displaced and many lost their lives due to mindless hate and violence. In memory of the struggles and sacrifices of our people, 14th August will be observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day" tweeted PM Modi
The Prime Minister said that the "observance will not only inspire us to eliminate the poison of discrimination, animosity and ill-will, but it will also strengthen unity, social harmony and human sensibilities".
"May the Partition Horror Remembrance Day keep reminding us of the need to remove the poison of social divisions, disharmony and further strengthen the spirit of oneness, social harmony and human empowerment," he added.
It is estimated that between one and two million people died during the partition of the country in 1947.
The most violent clashes were centred around Punjab, where the Muslim population of East Punjab was forcibly expelled. At times, mobs targeted and killed passengers travelling in either direction; the trains carrying their corpses became known as "ghost trains".
The violent partition displaced between 10 and 20 million people along religious lines, creating overwhelming refugee crises in the newly constituted dominions while some 15 million people crossed into the newly-created borders.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and former union minister AK Antony reacted to the Prime Minister's statement saying that reminding people of old wounds on the eve of Independence Day would send a wrong message and was not done with the best of intentions. The partition of India is an unfortunate chapter of India's history and it was a prime minister's duty to heal wounds and unite the entire population. He added that the prime minister's pronouncement is a message creating an opportunity to incite division and hatred. August 14 is also the Independence Day of Pakistan.