Tableaus on Republic Day is purposeless : says CS; Tripura devoid of Republic Day parade for second time: State’s theme rejected by Central authorities
Banshi R Saha
AGARTALA, January 28 (TIWN): The state government, boastfully highlights all its achievements and accolades for attention of union government for funds and awards . But when it comes to showcasing the vibrant, diversified ethnic socio-culture of the state in the national arena, it always steps back. And the same has been going on for last two years.
Tripura was devoid of participating in the last year’s (2014) Republic Day parade and consecutively this year too there was no contingent or tableu from this second highest populous state of North East (NE) India. Now, logically and complying with the compulsion of the government of India authorities it is not actually within the reach of the state authorities to be a part of the Republic Day celebration.
Some of the north-eastern states of Nagaland, Tripura, Manipur, Meghalaya and Mizoram, besides Himachal Pradesh and NCT of Delhi also went unrepresented at the Republic Day celebrations in the national capital that saw US President Barack Obama as the first-ever American President to be the Chief Guest.
Majority of non-BJP ruled states like Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, were among the 13 states that went unrepresented in showcasing their heritage through tableaux at the 66th Republic Day celebrations here today.
A sheer instance of lame excuse was put forward by the Administrative head of the state Chief Secretary G.Kameswara Rao, when this correspondent asked him as why there was no tableau from Tripura, this year. Chief Secretary (CS) stated: “See the reasons are like, lot of effort and time go off in preparing a tableau and at a glance one tableau can not portray all its contents and theme and for this no purpose is likely to be served ”.
So does it mean that all the states whose tableaus were there in the parade they had lots of time to waste and it also astonishingly raises a question(as the CS said no purpose can be served) – Is the republic day parade purposeless?
Not only that, nearly twenty days before the republic day parade a letter was sent by an RTI activist of Tripura from New Delhi to the CS. But the CS did not feel it necessary to reply to the mail. Moreover, the issues of Tripura’s absence in the last year’s parade was also made in the said mail. But the CS was too busy to pay any attention to that.
Relating to the same, the Director of Information & Cultural Affairs (ICA) department has informed TIWN correspondent that ten months prior to the republic day, the central government asks the states to submit their theme. And Tripura had submitted too. Tripura was put out after the second phase of screening as there are three stashes to pass to get the theme approved by the central authorities. Had the highest authority with all its attention and resources paid all effort to the issue, Tripura would have got a place in the national event.
Due to Tripura's lame-duck visionaries, culturally rich State lost a golden chance to introduce itself in front of world audience, media in this historic event of 66th republic day which was attended first time by a US President.
A Tripura Tableau on Republic Day at Delhi would have highlighted the State in Global Stage.
Tripura's people living in other parts of India asking "Why Tripura became such land of hopeless under Manik & Company ?"
RTI Activist Abhijit Roy's email to Chief Secretary G Kameshwar Rao remains unanswered. Photo : Abhijit Roy, New Delhi
Sanjay Majumder
Anirban Mitra