New Delhi: India’s strength as a democratic nation got special emphasis during the 75th Republic Day parade on Friday with both the Union culture ministry and the Election Commission of India (ECI) focusing on the theme ‘India: Mother of Democracy’.
The tableau presented by the culture ministry showcased a replica of B R Ambedkar handing over the Constitution to the country’s first president Dr Rajendra Prasad as 3-D technology helped depict how the roots of democracy were embedded in Indian ethos from ancient times, as it rolled down the Kartavya Path on Friday.
The 75th Republic Day focused on the ‘Nari Shakti’ and ‘Viksit Bharat’ themes and for the first time, the parade was heralded by 100 women playing musical instruments.
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The same idea was echoed by the culture ministry as its tableau too went for an all-women contingent, with at least 22 women artists in the costumes of their respective states leading the first tractor – which also had a representation of the democratic traditions of the country following since the Vedic period.
The trailer behind the lead tractor had replicas of Buddha and Jain sages which displayed democratic symbols of Mahajanapadas (kingdoms that existed in ancient India) and a chariot of Humpy, and a replica of Ashoka’s inscription of Junagadh.
{{/usCountry}}The trailer behind the lead tractor had replicas of Buddha and Jain sages which displayed democratic symbols of Mahajanapadas (kingdoms that existed in ancient India) and a chariot of Humpy, and a replica of Ashoka’s inscription of Junagadh.
{{/usCountry}}The second tractor had a huge replica of Ambedkar and Prasad exchanging the Constitution, followed by a 120-degree 3-D anamorphic display crafted with special LEDs for optimal viewing of a film on how the roots of democracy were embedded in Indian ethos.
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Among the other highlights of the tableau were the inscriptions of Rudraman I, King Kharevala and the pillar of Samudragupta and a multi-layered system called Shrine Sangha exemplified in the town of Uthiramerur.
The Election Commission’s tableau was on the theme of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and according to the poll body, it depicted the conduct of “free, fair, inclusive, accessible and participative elections”.
The front of the tableau was representative of an inked finger pressing a button and casting a vote on an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) with ’96 crore (960 million) electors’ written on it.
The rear portion of the tableau showed ECI’s effort towards ‘No Voter Left Behind’ which the ECI said depicted how despite the extremeness of the situation, the poll body attempted to reach maximum voters in the country.