Imphal, Jan 17: The week-long “Iconic Events”, to be organised across the country, began on Tuesday at Indian National Army (INA) memorial in Manipur’s Moirang to pay tribute to the revolutionary hero Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, whose 126th birth anniversary would be celebrated on January 23.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on January 6 hoisted the Tricolour at the INA headquarters at Moirang at a 165 feet high pole.

The week-long events as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav would be held in five state capitals and cities – Kohima, Haripura (Surat), Cuttack, Kolkata, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Speaking on the occasion at Moirang, Manipur PWD Minister Govindas Konthoujam said many freedom fighters were earlier had not been given due recognition. However, befitting tribute has been accorded during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s regime to many freedom fighters and suitably recognized them and their sacrifice.

Tuesday’s iconic event at the INA martyr’s memorial complex included a band display by Loktak battalion of the Assam Rifles on the tunes of “Kadam Kadam Badhaye Ja” and screening of a documentary film on the life of Netaji.

A docu-drama on the life of Netaji was also performed by Khenjonglang Group as part of the event.

Drawing and painting competitions of students at Imphal Peace Museum at Nambol as well as blood donation camp along with mega medical camp at Kangvai were also parts of the event.

After Moirang, the “Iconic Events” would be held in Kohima (Nagaland) on January 18, after that the events would be held at Haripura (Surat) in Gujarat on January 19, and thereafter in Cuttack (Odisha) on January 20, and next day in Kolkata and finally the week-long events would culminate on January 23 in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where a variety of programmes would be held.

In Nagaland, there would be flag-hoisting ceremonies at Chesezu village and Ruzazho village in Phek district on January 18, the villagers of which fondly speak about Netaji along with INA personnel visiting their villages during the Second World War in April – May 1944 and staying there for some days.

There would be a walkathon consisting of about 500 participants from NCC, NSS and NYKS, students of IG Academy, and also personnel from Assam Rifles, which would start from Indira Gandhi Stadium in Kohima and culminate in Nagaland Civil Secretariat Plaza.

The volunteers would carry national flags and banners on Netaji. At Nagaland Civil Secretariat Plaza, there will be the unfurling of 126 flags followed by the pipe and brass band display by Nagaland Police and Assam Rifles.

The bands would also play, among others, tunes of INA songs. A documentary -‘Netaji in Nagaland’, by North Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre would also be screened at Capital Cultural Hall in Kohima.