Absence of a tableau of Delhi left scores of anticipating Delhiites disappointed on the 65th Republic Day parade on Sunday. While that of Karnataka, Assam and Maharashtra left the crowd enchanted, people of the city had to be satisfied only with CPWD’s floral tableau stretching from India gate to the Parliament House. The Delhi tableau, which made a mark last year, missed the chance of participating this time owing to late submission of proposal to Ministry of Defence.
The Central Public Works Department’s floral tableau which presented the King’s Way from India Gate to the Rashtrapati Bhawan, left spectators craving for more. “We were eagerly waiting for our city’s tableaux but it never came. Everything is so new this time, the Aam Aadmi Party came to power and for the first time I have seen so many people coming for this celebration. Delhi’s tableaux should have been there,” complained Arijit Juneja, a 64-year-old Government employee who has been coming to watch the parade since six years. Tableaus from Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha were also not seen this time.
Delhi’s tableaux was the most popular among the crowd last year and was themed as The Cultural Hub of the Country. It took the heart of away with its gigantic Kathak dancer in the front and the now endangered house sparrow in the end which the Capital is home to. It was also conspicuous by its absence in 2012 when the city was celebrating its centennial year.
This year, the celebration saw 18 tableaus showcasing cultures and lifestyles of various States which began on Rajpath with Uttar Pradesh. However, among all, Karnataka won the maximum appreciation. The statue of the Tiger of Mysore Tipu Sultan led the State’s tableaux while its rear depicting the most tragic episodes of his life. The valiant warrior’s fierce look was coupled with his hand raising the sword ready for a strike. The tableaux reminded the people of the sacrifices made by him when he surrendered his two sons for war against the British. It also showed a tiger devouring a British sepoy symbolising the war hero.
The procession highlighted Bharat Ratna awardee Ustad Bismillah Khan’s shehnai and Bhupen Hazarika’s musical legacy besides displaying the rhythm of Maharashtra’s Koli tribe dance. Spectators were also treated to dance forms from diverse regions of the country, such as West Bengal’s Purulia Chhau to Maharashtrian fisher folk’s Koli to Aji lhamu from Arunachal Pradesh.
The country’s scientific pursuits and technological might were displayed at their best with the Ministry of Earth Sciences showing Indian scientists working in numbing cold Antarctica besides the Ministry of Agriculture marking technological progress in the field. The model of Indian Railways’ 11 km-long Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel with shredded cotton making for snow was an instant hit as the audience waved at the ceremonial staff riding the tableaux. Third longest in Asia, the tunnel completes the most important stage of Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project, connecting Kashmir Valley with Jammu region.