'Commemorate 150th annv of War of Independence'

New Delhi, May 10: Leader of the Opposition L.K. Advani today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to commemorate in a big way the 150th anniversary of the First War of Independence, 1857.

In a letter written to the Prime Minister, the senior BJP leader suggested to constitute a broadbased National Committee for the Commemoration of the 150th Anniversary.

Besides, Mr Advani also suggested that the Prime Minister write to the heads of Pakistan and Bangladesh to explore the possibility of some kind of joint tri-nation commemoration of 1857.

While observing that the great patriotic rising of 1857 always had a special place in the ''minds and hearts of every Indian'', he recalled former Prime Minister Atal BihariVajpayee's address to the 12th SAARC summit in Islamabad in January 2004 in which he had suggested that the 150th anniversary of 1857 should be commemorated as a tri-nation event.

In this context, the BJP leader referred to Dhaka, commemorating the 150th anniversary of 1857, saying it "affords an opportunity for India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh to recall our shared past, and thus strengthen our resolve to promote peace and cooperation in the subcontinent and also in South Asia at large."

Urging to identify all the places in the country associated with the martyrs, heroes and events of 1857, and unveil a plan for their renovation, he said that the mass media, both government owned and private, educational institutions be used for an effective year-long campaign to educate the people about the first War of Independence.

UNI