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I-Day festivities chime with leitmotif of ‘unity in diversity’

— Photo: T. Singaravelou

PROUD MOMENT: School students exalting over their award for best performance at Independence Day celebrations in Puducherry on Friday.

PUDUCHERRY: They came in different attire dancing to varied tunes and marching in distinctive uniforms, but the students belonging to 18 schools in Puducherry had a common message to convey on the 62nd Independence Day celebrations: “United we progress; divided we fall.”

It was none other than Chief Minister N.Rangasamy who set the ball rolling by harping on this theme of unity in Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, Uppalam in Puducherry.

In his Independence Day address, he said: “Eternal vigilance is the price of democracy…We have to pledge ourselves to uphold the tenets of freedom by remaining united and in unison finding ‘unity in diversity’ as solemnly extolled by Poet Bharathi that despite varied languages, India is one country.”

As usual, the march past was the cynosure of all eyes. Following in the footsteps of different wings of the police, Home Guards, Fire Service, Ex-Servicemen and different divisions of the National Cadet Corps, the students in their respective school uniforms marched in contingents. With their heads held high and arms and legs in perfect rhythm, the young boys and girls marched past even as the Chief Minister took the salute. Contingents of the Calve College Government Higher Secondary School (boys), Sinnatha Government Girls HSS, Vivekananda HSS (boys) and St. Joseph of Cluny Girls HSS won awards for their best performance at the march past.

Cultural events presented by the students of Amalorpavam HSS, Government HSSs at Indira Nagar and Sulthanpet won the accolade of one and all. Patriotic fervour pervaded the entire venue just as the youngsters enthralled the spectators by their innovativeness with songs of nationalist poets Subramanya Bharathi, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and Iqbal providing the background.

The spectators were simply moved by the way the students of Amalorpavam HSS saluted the nation through their dance for Bankim Chandra’s “Vande Mataram.” Students of Indira Nagar HSS focussed on the themes of national integration and communal harmony based on Iqbal’s “Saare Jehan se Achcha.” The performance of the students of Government HSS in Sulthanpet was outstanding. Their gentle and elegant moves in bright colours, and presentation of National Tricolour and peacock formations reciting Bharathi’s “Aaduvome Pallu Paaduvome” captivated the audience including the Chief Minister, Ministers and Legislators.

Independence Day celebrations were held in different schools in the Union Territory.

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I-Day festivities chime with leitmotif of ‘unity in diversity’

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