Andhra Pradesh tableau.
| Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
The Delhi government’s tableau proposal for Republic Day 2025 was not approved by the expert committee while Mizoram and Sikkim expressed their inability to participate this time. Officials of Andaman and Nicobar Islands along with Lakshadweep did not turn up for the expert committee meeting among 15 States and Union Territories that were originally selected from the roster for next year’s event on January 26, defence sources said. In place of the five states, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal have been given a chance, sources stated.
In the backdrop of repeated controversies over selection of tableux for Republic Day parade and complaints from States year after year, ahead of the parade this year, the Defence Ministry proposed a roll-over plan for States and UTs to showcase their tableaux and a roster was prepared for2024, 2025, and 2026 under which every State and UT would get a chance to present at least once during the three years.
“The expert committee looks into various aspects of theme, concept, designs and visual elements. Out of the 15 States and UTs in the roster, the expert committee did not approve the tableau proposal of Delhi,” a source said.
While details of the Delhi government’s proposal and the specific reasons as to why it was not approved were not immediately known, sources observed that in the two decades past, Delhi has presented its tableau seven times.
As to why Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh were selected again consecutively, a source said that there were several States that in the last two decades presented more number of times than the former two States. This includes Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and Assam.
Ahead of the Republic Day parade 2024, a controversy ensued as Delhi, Punjab, and Karnataka had alleged discrimination as their proposals were rejected.
Following the agreement on the three-year rollover plan in January this year, several states that were selected to present tableau at the Republic Day parade on Kartavya Path presented them at the Bharat Parv at Red Fort, which included Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Tripura, Jammu and Kashmir, Goa, Assam, and Uttarakhand.
The Defence Ministry has an elaborate screening mechanism that selects participants for the parade. As per practice, an expert committee comprising artists and Padma awardees drawn from various fields is set up which decides on the theme, aesthetics and criteria and screens proposals from various States, UTs and government departments.
Published – December 21, 2024 11:10 pm IST