Martyrs’ Day: On Jan 30, the entire nation will go quiet at 11 am

New Delhi, Jan 20: The Ministry of Home Affairs has written to the Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories laid down for observance of Martyrs' Day on January 30.

At 11 am on January 30 silence should be observed, work and movement should be stopped for 2 minutes across the country at 11 am.

Wherever feasible, the commencement and termination of the two minutes silence period should be indicated by sound of siren or Army guns. Sirens should be sounded from 10.59 hours till 11 hours and after two minutes all clear sirens should again be sounded from 11.02 hours till 11.03 hours. This procedure may be adopted where sirens exist, the MHA also said.

On hearing the signal all persons would stand up and observe silence. At places where no signal system is available, suitable instructions can be issued to all concerned for observing the silence for two minutes at 11 am, the instructions also say.

In the past it has been observed that while two minutes of silence is observed in some offices, the general public goes about its occupation in the ordinary course, unmindful of the solemnity of the occasion, the MHA also noted. All States and ITs are required to ensure that the Martyrs' Day is observed with due solemnity.

Instructions may also be issued to to all educational institutions and Public Sector Enterprises under the control for observance of the Martyrs' Day, accordingly. Talks, speeches on freedom struggle, national integration may be organised in a hybrid mode, the MHA also said.