SFV’s Splendid Independence Day Celebrations

India celebrated its 76 years of independence today. And SFV, no less, in its own modest but impressive way. 

The programme was to start at 8. And we reached the venue thereabouts only to see a ‘house full’ amphitheatre. There is no dearth of good people around. Naveen and Praveen squeezed space for me and my friend at the vantage point they had occupied. Kudos for their ingrained service-before-self gesture.

• The organizers had proposed to everyone to possibly don something that featured one of three colours of the Indian flag. It was a feast for the eyes to see everyone attired in bright colours – ladies donning immaculate white sarees with red or green borders, the gentlemen sporting kurta- pyjama or other national dress. 

The programme started with SFV’s Estate Office Manager, Mr Prakash, an ex-military personnel, being rightly given the honour to hoist the flag. The invocation ceremony was entrusted to a group of senior ladies who did it with aplomb – their resonating sound belying their age. Rightly someone murmured: well begun. The one next to him quipped, “well begun is half done”. And I would add here that it didn’t stop at half;  the entire programme was executed to perfection.

Before the next item could begin, everyone felt a commotion at the entry point of the amphitheatre – the sound of an army march-past. Yes, the security staff dressed for the occasion paraded to the amphitheatre bringing along with military precision in terms of steps of boots, grace, and adding a ceremonious touch to the whole event. They stood in attention for the patriotic number sung by another group of ladies, before they saluted the flag once again before marching back with gusto to their ‘barracks’. Kudos.

This was followed by prize distribution – not for walking, running or other races. That will be on a different occasion later this year. This time it was for exemplary performance by different categories of SFV support staff – plumber, electrician, gardener, housekeeping staff… It was nice to see, among others, Pulkit (the SFV’s flute man) bagging a prize – all over again?

Now comes one of the major attractions of the day. Yes, you guessed it right - featuring children.  In groups and individually they enacted how the East India Company entered India to do business and gradually took over the reins of the country; how later the brave Rani Laxmi Bhai, Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekar Azad, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Maulana Azad…, fought with the British to leave the country to themselves.  Each child artiste was dressed best for the occasion and performed his/her role to perfection, never looking to parents for approval or direction. Even the sober and quiet ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’ Lal Bahadur Sastri could not resist dance in merriment to a number that did not involve him. So much was the excitement all over. No wonder the audience shouted for a repeat performance. Apparently this could not be acceded to, as other items had been lined up. Oh! what an applause this item received.

These said, all this would not have been possible if those behind the cutain -  persons who anchored the events, or those who choreographed the items - didn’t do their homework well. Full compliments to them.

Food court and shopping stalls are inseparable partners for such celebrations. Most of them were doing brisk business. And if the time when I went around the stalls were to be reckoned as the peak period, then I heard the cash register at the Mulbagal Dosa counter clinging the maximum. There was a long line. Consequently, some chose to walk up to the Elephant Café - live and let live.

Items sold in other stalls included bedcovers, bedcovers, quilts; Kerala banana chips and Kozikode halwas; cold-pressed and wood-pressed oils; sweets without sugar; dry fruits; tracksuits and, last but not the least, sarees.

My friend, Muthuraman of Ebony 7102, negotiated his way to me in the midst of the programme to whisper into my ears” “Sir, I shall share videos of the event just in case you want to use them for your blog.” So nice of him. Yes, the videos appear here courtesy Mr Muthuraman.

Finally, occasions such as Independence Day do help us look back and feel happy that over the years India has made fast strides in science, technology…, in every aspect of life, and at the same time does not rest on her laurels. Vande Mataram. Jai Hind.