Centre allergic to Netaji Bose, Narayana Guru, bio-diversity;
rejects Republic Day tableau of West Bengal, Maharashtra, Bihar and Kerala
Ministry of Defence (MoD) has rejected the tableau of West Bengal, Kerala, Bihar and Maharashtra for the Republic Day this year.
Taking strong objection to the decision of the MoD, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, wrote to Prime Minister, seeking a review of the decision.
The West Bengal tableau was to depict Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his 125th birth anniversary, as well as the Indian National Army, established by Bose. The tableau was also to display portraits of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Rabindranath Tagore, Vivekananda, Chittaranjan Das, Sri Aurobindo, Matangini Hazra, Birsa Munda and Nazrul Islam.
“All the people of West Bengal are deeply pained by this attitude of the central government. Bengal was at the forefront of the Indian freedom struggle and has paid the heaviest for the country’s Independence through the independence,’’ Banerjee said in her letter to the Prime Minister.
Maharashtra’s tableau was to display the state’s bio-diversity, while Kerala’s tableau was to be on social reformer Sree Narayana Guru and Jatayu Park.
According to Defence Ministry official, “There are rules for the tableaux that they should represent some historical events, culture, heritage, development programmes but not carry any logos or carry animation and sound and repeat any idea...How the ideas are presented is also looked at. There is no question of bias as only a certain number of tableaux can make it every year, given the time. Many government departments and ministries proposals also get rejected,” the defence ministry official said.