New Delhi, Jan 23 (PTI) In an apparent swipe at previous Congress dispensations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that attempts were made after independence to erase the contributions of many great people besides India"s culture and values, and asserted that the country is now correcting mistakes of the past. Addressing a gathering after unveiling a hologram statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at the India Gate on the 125th birth anniversary of the iconic freedom fighter, Modi also said no power in the world can prevent the country from achieving its goal of building a "new India" before the hundredth year of independence in 2047. Bose had infused in us the confidence of having a free and sovereign India, and had told the British rulers with pride, self-confidence and bravery that he will not take the "alms" of freedom but will achieve it, Modi said. He also exhorted people to take inspiration from Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose"s "can do" and "will do" spirit."This is a historic day, a historic programme, at a historic location… The statue is a fitting tribute to his indelible contribution to our nation," the prime minister said. He said unfortunately, attempts were made to erase the contributions of many great people besides the nation"s culture and values after independence. "India"s freedom struggle involved the sacrifices of lakhs of people, but attempts were made to limit their history. But today, decades after independence, the country is correcting those mistakes," he said. The BJP has often accused the Congress of not giving due credit to many freedom fighters, including revolutionaries, during its rule as they were not aligned with the mainstream ideology of the party which had led the freedom movement. Modi cited his government"s efforts to build and promote historical places associated with B R Ambedkar, construction of the Statue of Unity to commemorate Sardar Patel, and the start of "Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas" in the honour of Birsa Munda some key steps in the direction of correcting the mistakes of the past Noting that Bose had asked people to "never lose faith in the dream of independent India, there is no power in the world that can shake India," the prime minister said people now have a goal to fulfil the dreams before the hundredth year of independence.His government also named an island in Andamans after Bose and decided to celebrate his birthday as Parakram Diwas from last year, Modi said while listing other measures taken to honour him. He also conferred the "Subhas Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar" for the years 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 in the investiture ceremony. A total of seven awards were presented during the ceremony. The Union government has instituted the annual award to recognise and honour the invaluable contribution and selfless service rendered by individuals and organisations in India in the field of disaster management. Modi said disaster management was not accorded adequate importance, and the matter was with the agriculture department because it dealt with crisis like floods. The 2001 Gujarat earthquake changed the meaning of disaster management, he said, adding that the then central government enacted a law on the lines of the Gujarat State Disaster Management Act brought in by the state in 2003 to deal with such crisis. Modi was then the state"s chief minister. Modi also asserted that his government at the Centre prioritised disaster management. "We have laid emphasis on reform along with relief, rescue and rehabilitation," he said. "We strengthened, modernised, expanded the NDRF across the country. From space technology to planning and management, best possible practices have been adopted," he said. Noting that cyclones, floods and other disasters hit different parts of the country in the last couple of years, he said various central and state agencies dealt with them effectively, ensuring minimal loss of lives, a far cry from the past when people would die in large numbers. Whenever natural. calamity strikes now, he said, people do not remain victims, they fight the disaster by becoming volunteers. Disaster management is no longer just a government work but has become a model of "Sabka Prayas", he said.The country now has an end-to-end cyclone response system, a much better early warning system and tools of disaster risk analysis and disaster risk management, the prime minister said. Similarly, upcoming massive infrastructure projects have built-in disaster resilience, he said. He also highlighted India’s leadership in the sphere of disaster management at the global level. In the CDRI- Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, India has given a "big gift" to the global community and 35 countries are already part of the coalition, he said."The grand statue of our Netaji, who had established the first independent government on India"s soil, is being installed in digital form near India Gate. Very soon this hologram statue will be replaced by a big granite statue," he said. It will remind democratic institutions, current and coming generations of their duties and inspire them, he said. The hologram statue will be powered by a 30,000 lumens 4K projector. An invisible, high gain, 90 percent transparent holographic screen has been erected in such a way that it is not visible to visitors. The size of the hologram statue is 28 feet in height and 6 feet in width. PTI KR/ASK RT RT