New Delhi: A tribute to Lokmanya Tilak on his 160th birth anniversary, art and lifestyle of Kutch, model government schools of Delhi, Skill India and ‘Beti bachao, beti padhao’ are among the themes for the Republic Day tableaux this year. A total of 23 tableaux would be on display at the ceremonial parade with 17 of them belonging to various states and Union Territories.
Six tableaux from Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Ministry of Skill Development, Central Board of Excise and Customs, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and Central Public Works Department (CPWD) will find their place at the 68th Republic Day on Rajpath.
States registering their presence this year include Goa, Odisha, Delhi, Tripura, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Gujarat, Lakshadweep, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir and Assam.
According to the Defence Ministry officials, the tableau by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship is based on the theme of ‘Transforming India through Skill development’, while that of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises will be based on Khadi and Village Industries Commission.
Arunachal Pradesh’s Yak dance, Karnataka’s folk dances, Tamil Nadu’s dance ‘Karakattam’ and Tripura’s tribal dance ‘Hojagiri’ will be represented in the tableau of the respective states, while Punjab will showcase “Jago Aiya”.
“Centuries ago, there were no wedding invitations. Jago is a festive dance which would take place the night before a Punjabi wedding.
“A pot decorated with oil lamps is carried on the head while dancing and singing Jago songs. Relatives of the bride or groom would go around the village and ask people to wake up and join in the festivities,” an official said.
Delhi’s tableau, which will be part of the parade after three years, has been set up as a model government school to portray the transformation in state-run schools and the recent initiatives taken by the government in the education sector.
PTI