On October 21 in 1943, Subhash Chandra Bose declared the Azad Hind Sarkar in Singapore, India’s first government of free men, vowing to end British rule through armed struggle. Like every year, Subharti University in Meerut celebrated Independence Day of United India on to commemorate this historic day. The event was held on Subharti Campus on the eve of National Unity Day 2025. A statue of Sardar Patel was also unveiled at Subharti Law College on this occasion. The occasion was graced by the presence of INA veteran Lieutenant (Retd.) R. Madhawan Pillai.
With a very informative multimedia presentation, Dr. Atul Krishna, Founder & Chairman, Subharti Group enlightened the audience about the pivotal role played by Netaji and Azad Hind Fauj in India’s freedom struggle. “Lieutenant Pillai has honored us with his presence. The whole nation owes INA veterans and revolutionaries a debt of gratitude that we can never repay,” he said.
101-year-old INA veteran Lieutenant Pillai got emotional speaking about Netaji. Applause echoed around the hall when he sang “Kadam Kadam Badhaye Ja”, the famous marching song of Indian National Army. “We won’t hesitate, even if we have to sacrifice our lives for India’s freedom,” he quoted Netaji. He remembered him giving a rousing speech to the INA soldiers.
Dr. Stuti Narayan Kakkar, Chancellor, Subharti University, Professor (Dr.) Promod Kumar Sharma, Vice-chancellor, Subharti University, Mr. Ashok Sharma, Strategy & Planning Head, Amar Ujala, Dr. Rohit Ravindra, Trustee, Subharti Group, Colonel Rajesh Tyagi, Director, Subharti Defence Academy, several retired army officers, deans, faculty members, and many students attended the event.
