The Hindu : Miscellaneous / This Day That Age : dated December 17, 1954: In defence of an elephant

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Friday, Dec 17, 2004

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous - This Day That Age

dated December 17, 1954: In defence of an elephant

Prime Minister Nehru had to intervene in the Lok Sabha on December 16 in defence of an elephant. Dr. Choithram Gidwani (PSP), while speaking on the supplementary demands for grants, had opposed a demand for Rs.26,000 for constructing a shed for an elephant in the President's House, to be used on ceremonial occasions. This reminded one of the Moghal pomp and pageantry, he said, adding that this kind of thing should not be continued when the rajahs and the maharajahs had become a thing of the past. Mr. Nehru said the elephant had been presented by the Government of Assam to the President and it would have been a discourtesy not to make provision for the elephant. It was a separate matter whether the elephant was kept in the President's House in future or not, but it had to be provided shelter and food as long as it was there. Referring to the point about pomp and pageantry, the Prime Minister said, "I can very well understand objection being taken to personal pomp and pageantry. That is totally unbecoming. But every State must have for State purposes certain pomp and pageantry. If we have certain pageantry as ceremonial on the Republic Day, it is not for an individual. It is an occasion when the State has some pageantry, which the people like. There is not much colour in the lives of the common people and a little colour occasionally is welcome."

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