By Abhishek Shukla
Ekta Nagar (Kevadia), Oct 31 (PTI) Two thousand artists from 126 districts which were once under the shadow of Maoist insurgency on Saturday presented a story of their transformation from a landscape of fear and violence to Naxal-free India in a performance at the Ekta Diwas Parade here in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The play, choreographed by the National School of Drama (NSD) and titled 'Naxal Mukt Bharat', was the centrepiece of Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) celebrations, marking the 151st birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, whose imposing Statue of Unity stands in the district on the rugged contours of the Vindhya and Satpura ranges near the Narmada river.
"It is the first time I have done a work like this. The biggest message of the 'Naxal Mukt Bharat' is that the nation comes first. Differences, disagreements and reconciliation can continue. There will always be agreement and disagreement. However, if we move beyond violence and express our views while allowing the main ideologies to coexist, it will lead to the building of a better nation," NSD Director Chittaranjan Tripathy, who directed the play, told PTI.
He said the tribal population from the region itself came forward enthusiastically and established a connection with the police, which facilitated this drama.
The Ekta Diwas this year was themed on 'Naxal Mukt Bharat' as a tribute to the country's successful mission to eliminate the armed insurgency that infested the forests in the Red Corridor that once stretched from 'Pashupati to Tirupati' for nearly six decades.
Around 5,000 people from the 126 districts were invited to watch the programme.
The programme also featured a 20-contingent march past of police forces led by Parade Commander Subodh Mankar. It had 13 contingents of specialised units of state police forces which were in the forefront of anti-Naxal operations, including STF, DRG, women unit Bastar Fighters, Jharkhand Jaguars, HAWK from MP, C-60 from Maharashtra, CIF from West Bengal, SOG of Odisha, Greyhounds of Andhra Pradesh, STF of Bihar, ANF of Karnataka and SOG of Kerala.
Six contingents of Central Armed Police Forces including units of the Central Reserve Police Force (which included a mixed contingent), a canine contingent led by Indian Kombai breed dogs and an elite CoBRA unit, ITBP, BSF, ITBP, SSB and CISF also marched during the parade.
As each contingent marched past the prime minister, LED screens showed short films documenting its achievements.
CoBRA units of the CRPF played a vital role in the fight against the Maoists.
"144 jawans drawn from 10 units of the force marched today. We have been part of anti-Naxal operations. We prepared for the last 45 days for the event. The Centre had decided to constitute a special force to fight Naxals who were considered to be gravest security threat by the Central Government. CRPF was tasked with it, so we raised this unit and have been successful in our efforts," Contingent Commander and Assistant Commandant Ashutosh Trigunayat told PTI.
Another mixed contingent of the force comprising 60 women troopers and around 80 men drawn from the units which participated in the battle against the Naxals also marched together during the parade.
"We wanted to give a message of equality, hence we sent this contingent where brave women and men of the force marched together," Virendra Agarwal, IG Western Sector, CRPF, said.
The event was redesigned to make the spectacle more expansive and participatory, with the parade and cultural performances taking place in the evening, a departure from previous arrangements, partly to avoid the region's daytime heat.
Fifteen tableaux themed on the spirit of Vande Mataram, designed through national-level competitions on the MyGov platform and district-level competitions in Gujarat, also brought citizens' ideas and aspirations into a space traditionally dominated by government departments and official representations.
The showstopper was the dance performance "Ek Bharat Anek Rang" curated by Sangeet Natak Akademi in collaboration with the Gujarat Government.
Around 5,000 artists from across the country came together to stage a high-voltage performance of dance forms from each state.
The crowd burst into huge applause as 225 motorcycle riders from different forces arrived in Ekta Nagar, marking the culmination of their journey themed on 'Nasha Mukt Bharat' (Addiction-Free India), which had started in various parts of the country. It was followed by daredevil stunts by teams of the CRPF and SSB.
(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)