Both Houses of Parliament today paid homage to the martyrs of freedom struggle on the eve of 73rd anniversary of the Quit India movement.
When Rajya Sabha met for the day, Chairman Hamid Ansari mentioned that August 9 would mark the 73rd anniversary of the clarion call given by Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi for the British rulers to Quit India in 1942.
The upsurge of the nationalist sentiment by Gandhi's call for 'Do or Die' culminated in achieving of independence five years later, he said.
The House paid homage to those who laid down their lives in the freedom struggle and those who underwent tremendous sufferings for the cause of the nation.
Members stood in silence as a mark of respect to the memory of the martyrs.
In the Lok Sabha, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan recalled the day and asked members to re-dedicate themselves to the cause propagated by the Mahatma.
As a mark of respect to the lakhs of freedom fighters, the House also observed a few minutes of silence.
