This year’s Republic Day parade will be sans any tableau from Punjab — for the first time since 2017. Even as the State Government had proposed three ideas — showcasing contribution of state’s soldiers and farmers; sacrifices of Sikh woman warrior Mai Bhago; or the Battle of Saragarhi, none of them had received a green signal from the Centre.
Punjab’s tableau failed to make it among the total 17 States and Union Territories that will showcase their rich culture, development, and contribution on January 26 on the Rajpath. These include Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, West Bengal, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tripura, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu.
Led by the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Punjab’s all political parties have come together on the same platform to blame the BJP-led Central Government for rejecting the state’s tableau. AAP is lashing out at the Centre for discriminating against the state’s ruled by it — Punjab and Delhi — be dropping their tableaux.
“This is a case of clear and petty discrimination on the part of the Government of India against the Aam Aadmi Party-led governments in Punjab and Delhi, both of which have not been included in the parade,” said senior AAP leader and Punjab’s Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Monday, while addressing the media, along with the state’s Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh.
Mincing no words, he claimed that Punjab and Delhi are “not being allowed to showcase our culture” due to the Central Government’s “bias”.
“Punjab’s tableau always finds a place in events like the Republic Day parade, through which the state presents its rich history and culture and the development it has made over the years…This time, Punjab, through its tableau, was to present the history related to sacrifices made by Punjabis in the country’s freedom struggle,” said Cheema, adding that “the Centre deliberately stopped from presenting this”.
He alleged that the Centre is discriminating with Punjab and with AAP Governments in Punjab and Delhi.
Also tweeting over the issue, Cheema said: “Punjab is the sword arm of the country. It has a rich heritage, culture and great history. It has immense contributions towards the food needs of the country…But surprisingly its tableau is not being included in the Republic Day parade. This is totally unjustified and needs to be reviewed.”
Earlier highlighting the issue, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal urged the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to take up the issue “forcefully” with the Central Government. “Shocked to learn GOI has rejected Punjab's tableau for 74th R-Day Parade. That means we aren't allowed to showcase our culture & contribution to freedom struggle! Urging GOI to review its decision, I also appeal to Pb CM @BhagwantMann to wake up & take up this forcefully with GOI,” he tweeted.
Punjab Not Invited for Third Meeting
As per the procedure, every year, the expert committee starts the process of selection of tableau of the States, Union Territories, and Ministries in the month of November. The States, UTs, and Ministries present their respective tableau themes and ideas, and the Committee then selects the tableau in a phased manner on the basis of the relevance and utility of the theme.
This year, the states were asked to choose one out of three themes, — that are ‘India at 75 years’, ‘International Year of Millets’, and ‘Nari Shakti’.
The representatives of the Punjab Government had participated in the first two meetings of the committee in New Delhi — held in November and December — and presented the ideas. However, the state was not invited for the Committee’s third meeting, held in the middle of December.
Punjab Proposed Three Ideas
Sources informed The Pioneer that the state government had proposed three ideas to the selection panel — first, ‘Watan Ke Rakhwale’ showcasing soldiers from the state securing the border and contribution of Punjab’s farmers to India’s food bowl; second, highlighting life and contribution of Sikh woman warrior Mai Bhago under the Nari Shakti theme; and third one, highlighting battle of Saragarhi.
It has been learnt that the committee evinced its interest in the third idea, depicting the period of India’s freedom struggle from the Anglo Sikh wars onwards till Independence with special focus on the 1897’s Battle of Saragarhi, but failed to make it through.