Next year’s Republic Day celebrations will be unlike any other in the past when floats of the Ministries and States have depicted varied themes like the rich cultural heritage of India. However, on January 26, 2019, the tableaux rolling down the Rajpath will be entirely devoted on showcasing the milestone events of the life of Mahatma Gandhi.
The Gandhi-themed tableaux at the Rajpath is part of the Government’s year-long plan celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation.
The Union Culture Ministry has prepared a tentative list of the important events related to the life of Gandhi that ministries and States can showcase through the floats on the occasion. While, the Union External Affairs Ministry has been asked to highlight historical Pieter Maritezburg incident on June 7, 1893, which led to the “ birth of a Satyagrahi and political awakening” as also has been stated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on several occasions, Union Women and Child Development Ministry, in all its likelihood, will focus on Gandhji’s thoughts on women empowerment.
The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry has been asked to depict Gandhi’s work in leprosy and tuberculosis sectors while the Drinking water and Sanitation Ministry will showcase Gandhi and sanitation. The central Ministry will also highlight Gandhi’s sanitation drive during his stay in South Africa and India.
Similarly, Union Tribal Affairs Ministry’s float will be modeled upon the Gandhi’s ideas on the empowerment of Adivasis while the tableaux of Law and Justice Ministry will portray the life of the freedom fighter as barrister, steps initiated by him for jail and judicial reform. Gandhi believed that “if we were not under the spell of lawyers and law-courts and if there were no touts to tempt us into the quagmire of the courts and to appeal to our basest passions, we would be leading a much happier life than we do.”
The Social Justice and Empowerment tableau will be featuring Gandhi views on temple entry and the steps he initiated to reform the society. He was of the view that political freedom would mean nothing unless the oppressed millions in Indian society are socially and economically free.
Sources in the Culture Ministry said that besides the Central ministries and the Departments, State Government’s too have been urged to focus on the Gandhi’s tryst with their States through their floats.