Martyrs’ Day or Shaheed Diwas is observed on 30^th January across the country. The day marks the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The President, the Vice-President, the Prime Minister, and the defense minister gathered at Rajghat memorial and paid tribute at the samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi. Many schools organize programs on this day so that students can participate in singing patriotic songs and talk about the lives of great leaders in India. People observe two minutes of silence in the memory of Indian freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives for the nation. In India, Martyrs’ Day Shaheed Diwas or Sarvodaya Day is celebrated at different times throughout the year. Other than 30^th January, there are more Martyr Days celebrated by the people of India.

30^th January: This year, India commemorated the 74^th death anniversary of Gandhiji. His contribution to attaining freedom from the British is unforgettable. In 1948, he was assassinated by Nathuram Godse during his evening prayers, thus the day is observed as Martyrs’ Day to remember Gandhiji’s contribution to the nation.

23^rd March: The day is celebrated to commemorate the brave, fearless sacrifices of three revolutionaries of India- Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru, and Sukhdev Thapar.  These three people had a murder charge of British officer John Saunders in 1928; also, they were accused of throwing smoke bombs and political handouts at the Central Legislative Assembly on April 8, 1929. The trio was hung to death in Lahore jail on 23^rd March 1930.

19^th May: On this day, 11 Bengali people were shot dead by paramilitary forces in Assam. These people were protesting the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee’s decision of making Assamese the State’s official language. The Bill was passed, so massive protests arose by the ethnic Bengali community at Barak Valley. The paramilitary forces opened fire that killed 11 people. The day is declared as Shaheed Diwas.

13^th July: Martyr Day is celebrated in Jammu and Kashmir to remember 22 people killed by British soldiers while protesting against the rule of Maharaja Hari Singh of Kashmir.

21^st October: The National Police Commemoration Day or Shaheed Diwas is celebrated to pay tribute to the brave CRPF soldiers who sacrificed their lives in a Chinese ambush in 1959 in Ladakh. The day also commemorated the sacrifice of 33,000 police personnel who were on duty since 1961.

17^th November: In Odisha, the day is celebrated as Shaheed Diwas to remember the freedom fighter, Lala Lajpat Rai. Lalaji led a non-violent protest on Simon’s Commission but had to endure Lathi-charge. He got badly injured and died on 17^th November 1928.

19^th November: Shaheed Diwas is celebrated on this day to commemorate the birth anniversary of Rani Laxmi Bai. During the 1857 revolt, the great warrior sacrificed her life. She was the leading figure in the freedom struggle.

24^th November: It is celebrated as Martyr Day by the Sikh community to remember the death anniversary of the ninth Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur.  He opposed the forced conversion of non-Muslims and `sacrificed his life for upholding the rights of the people. He was beheaded by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.