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Independence Day celebrations: Cross-section of India at Red Fort ramparts
Waves of people wearing saffron, white and green — peppered with the occasional blue — poured into Red Fort to take part in the hosting of the National Flag
Chandrashobha Kumari and her family woke up at 3am on Tuesday, well before they usually do. Kumari, her husband and two children were getting ready to head to the Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort. She’d waited to watch the event in person for years.
At 5am, they left their home in RK Puram in south Delhi and less than an hour later, they blended into the 1,800-odd people who swarmed the historic monument in Old Delhi to watch Prime Minister Narendra Modi address the nation on Independence Day.
“I’ve been watching the programme on television since I was a child, so I’m thrilled to be here and I’m glad my children are part of it too,” she said.
Waves of people wearing saffron, white and green — peppered with the occasional blue — poured into Red Fort and took their seats, ready for the spectacle to unfold. Most sported bangles, hair bands, earrings, shoes or watches to match the Tricolour ensemble.
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Soft chatter pierced Old Delhi’s 6am silence on an overcast Tuesday morning. Some in the crowd worried that the skies would open up. But largely, excitement rippled through the audience, which included fisherpeople, nurses, construction workers involved in building Kartavya Path and the new Parliament, as well as heads of Vibrant Villages.
Around 6.20am, the crowd’s chatter fell silent as the National Cadet Corps choir, which kicked off the event, singing patriotic songs.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi unfurled the Tricolour on the ramparts of the Red Fort an hour or so later.
The National Flag Guard then presented a national salute as the army band played the national anthem amid a 21-gun salute.
Minutes later, two Indian Air Force helicopters cut through the skies, showering petals above the guests, the extravagance taking many by pleasant surprise.
“We were not expecting the helicopters to shower flowers from above... we all started cheering,” said 13-year-old GS Rituraj Gond, a student of a government school in Mandawali in east Delhi.
Soon enough, the clouds dissipated, the sun shone over the Capital, and all apprehensions were put to rest.
Moments later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to the stage amid rapturous applause.
He outlined the aspirations of the country and its people in a 90-minute speech, which was punctuated only by the occasional cheer from the audience.
Among those who watched Modi’s speech were 75 couples from each state and Union territory, dressed in regional attire. A group of 50 school teachers, picked by the Union ministry of education for their outstanding dedication and commitment, were also among the invitees.
A specially invited group of MGNREGA workers from Karnataka, wearing fluorescent green T-shirts with the job guarantee plan’s logo imprinted, said it was a proud moment for them.
Jayshree Lakshman, 35, a MGNREGA worker who travelled to Delhi from Karnataka for the programme, said, “We have been working hard for so many years, and today our hard work was finally acknowledged.”
The NREGA workers said that the PM also stopped for a few seconds and shook hands with them while walking to the ramparts.
A bipartisan group of US lawmakers led by Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna and Congressman Michael Waltz, also attended the event. Union ministers Amit Shah,Rajnath Singh, Dharmendra Pradhan, Nirmala Sitharaman, Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, Anurag Thakur, Hardeep Singh Puri and Smriti Irani, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and lieutenant governor VK Saxena also attended the event.
Class 11 students Navdha and Vanshika, who did not share their surnames, said they were at the event for the first time, and that they appreciated Modi’s emphasis on women-led development.
“He spoke in detail about women empowerment and skill development,” Navdha said.
After his speech, Modi interacted with students and NCC cadets were seated, amid chants of “Vande Mataram” and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”.
Meanwhile, hordes of people, who did not have passes, lined up outside the fort, packing the narrow lanes of Old Delhi, hoping for a glimpse of the event. After the PM’s speech, a few were allowed to enter the fort. Some stopped near a G20 sign decked with flowers to take pictures.
Ashok Ram, who sells shoes in Chandni Chowk market and waited for around one hour outside the fort, said he comes every year to catch a glimpse of the event. “We have never received an invite, but we make it a point to come every year... It’s a matter of pride to be here,” he said.
