PM Modi unveils Netaji's hologram statue,R-Day celebrations begin

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday evening unveiled a grand, digital statue of freedom fighter and leader of erstwhile Indian National Army (INA) Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose to mark the latter's 125th birth anniversary. The hologram statue has been installed at the India Gate canopy, which once housed the statue of King George V, the imperial icon of the country that Netaji fought all his life. The hologram statue is a placeholder until a granite statue is installed at the site. During the programme, Prime Minister Modi also conferred the Subhas Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskars for the years 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. A total of seven awards were presented during the ceremony.

Union home minister Amit Shah said that the unveiling of the statue marks another step towards reviving Netaji's forgotten legacy in the history of India's freedom struggle. “Today marks a new beginning for the nation,” the home minister said, in his tribute to the life and works of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. “This is not just a granite statue but also a befitting tribute to the legendary Netaji, who gave everything for India’s freedom.”

The event comes across as especially historic since the country is celebrating its ‘Amrut Mahotsav’ this year, marking 75 years of Independence from British colonial rule. At the same time, the Prime Minister kickstarted Republic Day celebrations in a mark of respect for the date on which the Constitution of India came into effect turned the nation into a newly-formed republic. The holograme statue is powered by a 30,000 lumens 4K projector. An invisible holographic screen has been erected in such a way that it is not visible to visitors. The 3D image of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose has been projected on it to create the effect of a hologram. The size of the hologram statue is 28 feet in height and 6 feet in width.