Ekta Nagar (Kevadia), Oct 31 (PTI) Two thousand artistes, including those from 126 districts which were once under the shadow of Maoist insurgency, on Saturday enacted a play on their transformation from a landscape of fear and violence to a Naxal-free India at the Ekta Diwas Parade here in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The play, choreographed by the National School of Drama (NSD) and titled ‘Naxal Mukt Bharat’, was the centrepiece at the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) celebrations, marking the 151st birth anniversary of Vallabhbhai Patel, whose imposing Statue of Unity stands in the district on the rugged contours of the Vindhya and Satpura ranges near the Narmada River.
“This is the first time that I have done a work like this. The biggest message of ‘Naxal Mukt Bharat’ is that the nation comes first. Differences, disagreements and reconciliation can continue. There will always be agreement and disagreement.
“However, if we move beyond violence and express our views while allowing the main ideologies to coexist, it will lead to the building of a better nation,” NSD Director Chittaranjan Tripathy, who directed the play, told PTI.
He said the tribal population from the region came forward enthusiastically and established a connection with the police, which facilitated the play.
The Ekta Diwas this year was themed on ‘Naxal Mukt Bharat’ as a tribute to the country’s successful mission to eliminate the armed insurgency that infested the forests in the ‘Red Corridor’ that once stretched from ‘Pashupati to Tirupati’ for nearly six decades.
“Unity Day gives us the strength to move forward as one nation. Independence Day, Republic Day and Unity Day are now celebrated in the country with great enthusiasm as three national festivals,” Modi said in his speech after the parade.
Around 5,000 people from the 126 districts were invited to watch the programme, which also featured a 20-contingent march past of police forces led by parade commander Subodh Mankar.
Following him were Shaurya Chakra winners from CoBRA, CRPF’s specialised jungle warfare unit, and Jammu & Kashmir Police saluting the prime minister from armoured vehicles.
In the biggest parade on Ekta Diwas, 13 contingents of specialised units from state police forces, which were in the forefront of anti-Naxal operations, participated in the march past, including STF, DRG, women’s unit Bastar Fighters, Jharkhand Jaguars, HAWK from Madhya Pradesh, C-60 from Maharashtra, CIF from West Bengal, SOG from Odisha, Greyhounds from Andhra Pradesh, STF from Bihar, ANF from Karnataka and SOG from Kerala.
Six contingents of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), including units of the Central Reserve Police Force, which included a mixed contingent, a canine contingent led by Indian Kombai breed dogs, an elite CoBRA unit, ITBP, BSF, SSB and CISF, also marched at the parade.
As each contingent marched past the prime minister, LED screens showed short films documenting its achievements.
The CoBRA units played a vital role in the fight against Maoists.
Contingent Commander and Assistant Commandant Ashutosh Trigunayat told PTI that 144 jawans from all 10 units of the elite commando force trained for 45 days for the event.
Another mixed contingent of the force comprising 60 women troopers and around 80 men drawn from the units that participated in the battle against Naxals also marched together during the parade.
Virendra Agarwal, IG, Western Sector, CRPF, said the force wanted to send out a message of equality through the mixed contingent.
Making the event more expansive and participatory, a new path was laid for the parade.
The parade was held in the evening for the first time in light of high temperatures during the day and to make it conducive to using visual elements on LED boards.
Fifteen tableaux themed on the spirit of Vande Mataram, selected through national-level competitions on the MyGov platform and district-level competitions in Gujarat, also brought citizens’ ideas and aspirations into a space traditionally dominated by government departments and official representations.
Boys’ brass bands from Maharashtra and Gujarat and girls’ brass bands from Kerala and Gujarat performed a medley of patriotic film songs on bagpipes and drums.
The cultural high point was ‘Ek Bharat Anek Rang’, curated by the Sangeet Natak Akademi in collaboration with the Gujarat government.
Around 5,000 artistes, including 3,000 from Gujarat and the remaining from across the country, presented a vibrant medley of traditional dance forms representing different states.
The groups also included communities from across the country who have settled in Gujarat.
A display by 225 motorcycle riders from various forces, who arrived in Ekta Nagar after journeys organised under the ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat’ campaign, drew huge applause from the crowd, which amplified when the CRPF and SSB teams followed with daredevil stunts.
The skies of Ekta Nagar were lit up with fireworks, marking the culmination of the event. PTI ABS ARI
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