Rise above jingoism to celebrate 1857 anniversary: PM

New Delhi, July 13 (UNI) The 150th year celebrations of the First War of Independence should be an opportunity to celebrate the diversity of the country instead of becoming an occasion for jingoism and narrow nationalism, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said.

''The celebration of our freedom movement should not become an occasion for jingoism, narrow nationalism and chauvinism,'' Dr Singh told the first meeting of the national committee for the celebrations next year.

''Rather, it must be an opportunity to celebrate our diversity, our liberalism, our civilisational inheritance and the values of integrity and service to man that defined the national movement,'' he said addressing leaders of political parties, several Chief Ministers and Governors and cultural personalities who attended the meeting.

He said the opportunity should be seized to recapture the spirit of the freedom struggle as the new generation of Indians should be imbued with the spirit of patriotism and the idealism of the nation's forefathers.

''I also believe that this is an opportunity to derive inspiration from the unity of the Indian people exemplified in that struggle. Indians cutting across communities, religions, regions, castes and languages came together to fight for freedom from foreign rule,'' he said.

Calling upon the nation to also celebrate the role played by women leaders like Rani of Jhansi, Lakshmibai, he said recalling she also fought against the gender-biased laws of inheritance of the British.

He said it was also time to re-discover the aesthetic beauty of the freedom movement by celebrating the centenary of Vande Mataram, the National Song to underscore the cultural and aesthetic sources of Indian nationalism.

''In whatever we do we must rediscover the ideals and the idealism of the national movement,'' Dr Singh said.

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